Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus)

Other Names (World)
Chirruping Wedgebill, Wedgebill, Crested Wedgebill, Eastern Wedgebill, Daylight Bird

Family
Psophodidae (Whipbirds And Wedgebills)

Size
19 - 20 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gould, 1838)

Derivation
Psoph-o'-des - Gk, psophodes, noisy: cris-ta'-tus - L., cristatus, crested

Abundance (Guide)
C - UC

Common in the north but rare in the south of its range. Adults are sedentary.

Habitat
Low dense, shrublands, especially those dominated by acacia or chenopods, and lignum shrublands in and around swamps.

Range (Guide)

Australia (B).

South-eastern Northern Territory, south-western Queensland, north-eastern South Australia and north-western New South Wales.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
Probably secure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Usually singly or in twos, possibly pairs. Occasionally in small groups of three to six.

Food
Insects, spiders and seeds.

Voice
A duet: a 'sitzi-cheeri' and answered by upward-rolling 'r-e-e-t cheer!'. Echoed by others.

(32Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (21)...)

Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus) [XC401146]
by from Broken Hill, Unincorporated Far West, New South Wales, Australia (song)

Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus) [XC860127]
by Peter Boesman from Farina, South Australia, Australia (song)

Breeding Season (Guide)
August - November or after rain.

Nest
A loose flattened cup of twigs, placed in a low shrub, usually within 3 m of the ground.

Eggs (Guide)
2 - 3; greenish blue with sparse spots of black and purple-grey at the larger end; tapered-oval; about 24 x 17 mm. Incubation: 14 - 17 days; both sexes.

Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fed by both parents.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

Formerly considered conspecific with Chiming Wedgebill (Psophodes occidentalis) and placed in the monotypic genus Sphenostoma. Morphologically very similar to Chiming Wedgebill (Psophodes occidentalis) but differs markedly in vocalizations.

Similar Species
Chiming Wedgebill (Psophodes occidentalis) but ranges do not overlap, in poor views with adult and immature Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) which has a large head with a short crest, that is not held erect, a short tail that lacks a white tip and has no white stripe on leading edge of upperwing, Western Whipbird (Psophodes nigrogularis) which has a dull white belly, the male having a black throat and ranges do not overlap.

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References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9

Files:

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