Other Names (World)
Golden Whistler, Balim Whistler, Golden-breasted Whistler, Robust Whistler, White-throated Whistler, Yellow-breasted Whistler, Golden-breasted Thickhead, Robust Thickhead, White-throated Thickhead, Yellow-breasted Thickhead, Golden Thickhead, Western Thickhead, Black-breasted Flycatcher, Common Golden Whistler, Coachwhip-bird, Thunderbird, Cut-throat, Ring-coachman, Ring-coachie, Whipbird, Lord Howe Island Whistler, Lord Howe Island Robin, Lord Howe Island Yellow Robin, Norfolk Whistler, Norfolk Island Whistler, Norfolk Island Thickhead, Tamey, Banda Sea Whistler, Bismarck Whistler, Black-chinned Whistler, Fiji Whistler, Fulvous-tinted Whistler, Yellow-throated Whistler, Oriole Whistler, Australian Golden Whistler
Habits
Usually alone, but during breeding season in twos.
Food
Mainly insects, occasionally fruit but rarely seeds.
Voice
Persistent, loud, ringing, whistled call. A loud, rapid sequence rising in volume, 'whit-whit-whit-whiet-whiet-wheet-quwhite'. Also a repetitive shorter version, 'whit-whit-whew-whit' or 'chwit-chwit-chew-wit'. A single, rising, 'tseeip' uttered in contact.
Australian Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) [XC669968]
by Richard White from Donovans, District Council of Grant, South Australia, Australia (subsong)
Australian Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) [XC524668]
by Marc Anderson from Wooroonooran, Tablelands Regional, Queensland, Australia (song)
Nest
A shallow cup composed of rootlets and plant stems, lined with finer materials, usually in the upright fork of a tree or sapling up to about 4 meters above the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
2; pale salmon or stone, with dark red-brown and grey spots; oval; about 23 x 17 mm. Incubation: 14 - 17 days; by both sexes.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 10 - 13 days. Fed by both parents.
In addition, other named subspecies include: in Lesser Sundas jubilarii (Lomblen east to Alor), merged with fulvotincta, and arthuri (Wetar), merged with calliope; in southern Moluccas alfurorum (Seram), synonymized with macrorhyncha; and in Australia occidentalis (south-western Western Australia), merged with fuliginosa, and queenslandica (region of Big Tableland, in north-eastern Queensland) and ashbyi (southern Queensland, extreme northern New South Wales), both synonymized with nominate.
The following 59 subspecies are recognised:
pectoralis (Latham, 1801) - Eastern Australia (eastern Queensland, north-eastern New South Wales).
javana E. J. O. Hartert, 1928 - Eastern Java and Bali. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rusty-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala fulvotincta).
fulvotincta Wallace, 1864 - Lesser Sunda Is (Sumbawa east to Alor). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Rusty-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala fulvotincta).
fulviventris E. J. O. Hartert, 1896 - Sumba. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rusty-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala fulvotincta).
teysmanni Büttikofer, 1893 - Salayer I (off south-western Sulawesi). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Selayar Whistler (Pachycephala teysmanni).
everetti E. J. O. Hartert, 1896 - Islands of Tanahjampea, Kalaotoa and Madu (south of Sulawesi). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Rusty-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala fulvotincta).
pelengensis Neumann, 1941 - Banggai Is (east of Sulawesi). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
clio Wallace, 1863 - Sula Is (east of Sulawesi). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
mentalis Wallace, 1863 - Morotai, Halmahera, Bacan. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Black-chinned Whistler (Pachycephala mentalis).
tidorensis van Bemmel, 1939 - Ternate and Tidore (off western Halmahera). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Black-chinned Whistler (Pachycephala mentalis).
obiensis Salvadori, 1878 - Obi. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Black-chinned Whistler (Pachycephala mentalis).
buruensis E. J. O. Hartert, 1899 - Buru. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
macrorhyncha Strickland, 1849 - Seram and Ambon. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
calliope Bonaparte, 1850 - Wetar, Timor and Semau. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
par E. J. O. Hartert, 1904 - Roma I (eastern Lesser Sundas). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Banda Sea Whistler (Pachycephala par).
dammeriana E. J. O. Hartert, 1900 - Damar I. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
compar E. J. O. Hartert, 1904 - Leti Archipelago (Leti, Moa), in eastern Lesser Sundas. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
sharpei A. B. Meyer, 1884 - Babar I. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
fuscoflava P. L. Sclater, 1883 - Tanimbar Is (Larat, Yamdena). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-throated Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha).
balim Rand, 1940 - West-central New Guinea (northern slopes of Snow Mts). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Baliem Whistler (Pachycephala balim).
goodsoni Rothschild and Hartert, 1914 - Admiralty Is. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Bismarck Whistler (Pachycephala citreogaster).
sexuvaria Rothschild and Hartert, 1924 - St Matthias Group. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Bismarck Whistler (Pachycephala citreogaster).
citreogaster E. P. Ramsay, 1876 - Bismarck Archipelago (New Hanover, Djaul, New Ireland, Feni, Umboi, New Britain, Nusa, Tolokiwa). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Bismarck Whistler (Pachycephala citreogaster). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Bismarck Whistler (Pachycephala citreogaster).
tabarensis Mayr, 1955 - Bismarck Archipelago: Tabar (off eastern New Ireland). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Bismarck Whistler (Pachycephala citreogaster).
ottomeyeri Stresemann, 1933 - Bismarck Archipelago: Lihir (off eastern New Ireland). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Bismarck Whistler (Pachycephala citreogaster).
collaris E. P. Ramsay, 1878 - Louisiade Archipelago (Egum, Bonvouloir Group, Conflict Group, Teste, Deboyne Group, Misima, Renard), off south-eastern New Guinea. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Louisiade Whistler (Pachycephala collaris). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Louisiade Whistler (Pachycephala collaris).
rosseliana E. J. O. Hartert, 1898 - Rossel I (south-eastern Louisiades). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Louisiade Whistler (Pachycephala collaris).
bougainvillei Mayr, 1932 - Buka, Bougainville I and north-western Solomon Is (Shortland Is). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
orioloides Pucheran, 1853 - Western and central Solomons (Choiseul, Malakobi, Santa Isabel, Florida Is). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
pavuvu Mayr, 1932 - Russell Is (Banika, Pavuvu, Moie), in south-central Solomons. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
melanonota E. J. O. Hartert, 1908 - Western Solomons (Vella Lavella, Ranongga). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
centralis Mayr, 1932 - Western Solomons (Kolombangara, New Georgia, Vangunu, Nggatokae). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
melanoptera Mayr, 1932 - Western Solomons (Rendova, Tetepare). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
sanfordi Mayr, 1931 - Malaita (south-eastern Solomons). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
cinnamomea (E. P. Ramsay, 1879) - Guadalcanal and Beagle I. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
christophori Tristram, 1879 - Solomon Is: San Cristobal and Santa Ana. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Oriole Whistler (Pachycephala orioloides).
feminina Mayr, 1931 - Rennell, in southern Solomons. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Rennell Whistler (Pachycephala feminina).
ornata Mayr, 1932 - Northern Santa Cruz Is (Swallow Is, Reef Is, Duff Is). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Temotu Whistler (Pachycephala vanikorensis).
utupuae Mayr, 1932 - Central Santa Cruz Is (Utupua). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Temotu Whistler (Pachycephala vanikorensis).
vanikorensis Oustalet, 1877 - Southern Santa Cruz Is (Vanikoro). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Temotu Whistler (Pachycephala vanikorensis). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Temotu Whistler (Pachycephala vanikorensis).
intacta Sharpe, 1900 - Banks Is, and northern and central Vanuatu (south to Efate). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Whistler (Pachycephala chlorura).
chlorura G. R. Gray, 1860 - Erromango (south-central Vanuatu). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Melanesian Whistler (Pachycephala chlorura). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Whistler (Pachycephala chlorura).
cucullata ( G. R. Gray, 1860) - Anatom (southern Vanuatu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Whistler (Pachycephala chlorura).
littayei E. L. Layard, 1878 - Loyalty Is (Lifu, Uvea). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Whistler (Pachycephala chlorura).
aurantiiventris Seebohm, 1891 - Yanganga and Vanua Levu (except south-eastern coast), in northern Fiji. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
ambigua Mayr, 1932 - Vanua Levu (Cankaundrove Peninsula), Rabi and Kioa. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
torquata E. L. Layard, 1875 - Taveuni. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
graeffii Hartlaub, 1866 - Waya and Viti Levu, in western Fiji. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
optata Hartlaub, 1866 - Viti Levu (south-eastern coast) and Ovalau. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
koroana Mayr, 1932 - Koro (central Fiji). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
vitiensis G. R. Gray, 1860 - Ngau (central Fiji). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
kandavensis E. P. Ramsay, 1876 - South-western Fiji (Vanua Kula, Bega, Ono, Kadavu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
bella Mayr, 1932 - Vatu Vara, in east-central Fiji. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
lauana Mayr, 1932 - Southern Lau Archipelago (Ogea Levu, Fulanga, Wangava), in south-eastern Fiji. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala vitiensis).
fuliginosa Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 - South-western and southern Australia.
youngi Mathews, 1912 - South-eastern Australia.
glaucura Gould, 1845 - Bass Strait islands (King I, Flinders I) and Tasmania.
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