Golden Whistler

We are blessed in West Gippsland with numerous locations to see (and listen to) the wonderful Golden Whistler. Often, quite small patches of native forest or woodland will have a resident pair or two. It is not too unusual to find Golden Whistlers in urban parkland at times. Some people with large gardens are lucky enough to have them in their back yards!

The Golden Whistler has some interesting old common names – Guttural Thrush, White-throated Thickhead, Coachwhip Bird, White-throated Whistler, Thunderbird (for its apparent responses to loud noises?) – being just a few. A recent version, Australian Golden Whistler, reflects the plethora of races and sub-races of this bird, many of them being found in the islands to the north of the continent.

The scientific name is Pachycephala pectoralis, where Pachycephala = thick head and pectoralis = chest or breast – not a particularly endearing form of nomenclature for such a brilliant bird perhaps?

Golden Whistlers are considered a sedentary species but it seems that our West Gippsland birds may exhibit some nomadism or altitudinal migration at times. They breed from late winter to early summer, building an open cup nest of leaves, rootlets and grasses, bound together with cobweb, often quite low down in thick shrubbery.

Pairs mostly feed alone in the mid to upper levels of the woodland although there is some anecdotal evidence that the female can often be found in lower situations. They feed on insects, spiders and other invertebrates that are taken from the foliage and bark of trees. Some references state they also take some berries as part of their diet.

The strong, varied, and complex song is difficult to describe in onomatopoeic terms. Pairs might have a rising ‘seeep’ contact call.

Always a good day in the bush when you see a Golden Whistler.