Food
Mainly insects, occasionally seeds, fruit and leaves.
Voice
A long, loud, rapid succession of ringing notes, 'che-wit-chwit-chwit-chwit' or 'joey-joey-joey'. A high, thin, drawn-out beginning, powerful, ringing whip-crack finish, 'eeee-chiew' and 'eee-chong'.
Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) [XC587006]
by nick talbot from Aspley, Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia (?)
Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) [XC341032]
by nick talbot from Dunn's Swamp, Wollemi National Park, New South Wales, Australia (call, song)
Nest
Open, cup-shaped, composed of dry twigs and grasses, lined with fine grass and rootlets, in a tree or bush, usually from 1 - 12 meters above the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
2 or 3; dull olive blotched dark brown; oval; about 23 x 17 mm. Incubation: 12 - 15 days; by both sexes.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 10 - 15 days.
Subspecies
Five subspecies, nominate rufiventris, mainland Australia, south of about 20°S, south of Kimberley Divide, WA, central NT, Selwyn Range, western Qld and foot of Cape York Peninsula, north-eastern Qld, falcata, north-western and northern-central Australia, from Kimberley Divide and Dampier Land, WA, east through Arnhem Land to south-western head of Gulf of Carpentaria, NT including Groote Eylandt, pallida, Cape York Peninsula, north-eastern Qld, south-west to south-eastern head of Gulf of Carpentaria and south-east to region of Endeavour River, minor, Tiwi Island, NT. Extralimitally, one subspecies in New Caledonia.
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
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet