Gilbert's Whistler 

The Gilbert's Whistler (Pachycephala inornata) is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is endemic to Australia.

Description

Gilbert’s Whistler is one of the less colourful of the Australian whistler species. The male is a brownish-grey, with a black patch between the red eyes and bill, and a bright chestnut throat. The female is more uniformly brownish-grey and has a pale eye-ring. Birds weigh 29 - 33 grams and have a length of 19 - 20 cm. They usually occur singly or in pairs. There are four other species of whistlers that could occur in the same locations as the Gilbert's Whistler. Male and female Rufous Whistlers Pachycephala rufiventris have very different plumage to that of the Gilbert's Whistler. However, females of Gilbert's Whistler and Golden Whistler P. pectoralis are difficult to tell apart. The female Golden Whistler has browner upper-wing feathers and the female Gilbert's Whister has a pale eye-ring. Males and females of the Red-lored Whistler P. rufogularis resemble male Gilbert's Whistlers, but lack the black patch between the eye and bill. Like other whistlers, Gilbert's is a wonderful bush songster. Its powerful song is complex and far-carrying, and is most similar to that of the Rufous Whistler.

Distribution

The Gilbert’s Whistler is sparsely distributed over much of the arid and semi-arid zone of inland southern Australia, from the western slopes of NSW (south from the Warrumbungles) to almost the Western Australian coast. The species was once distributed almost continuously across the southern mallee of NSW. There are now only three separate populations left in NSW. Most of the eastern population occurs in an area enclosed by a line joining Gilgandra to Cobar, then south to Narrandera, east to Wagga Wagga, north to Wellington and back to Gilgandra. The species is also recorded along the Murray River Valley between Mathoura and Wentworth. There is a restricted population in the Scotia mallee area north of Wentworth. 

Habitat and ecology

• The Gilbert’s Whistler occurs in ranges, plains and foothills in arid and semi-arid timbered habitats. In NSW it occurs mostly in mallee shrubland, but also in box-ironbark woodlands, Cypress Pine and Belah woodlands and River Red Gum forests. Within the mallee the species is often found in association with an understorey of spinifex and low shrubs including acacias, hakeas, sennas and grevilleas. In woodland habitats, the understorey comprises dense patches of shrubs.
• The Gilbert's Whistler forages on or near the ground in shrub thickets and in tops of small trees. Its food consists mainly of spiders and insects such as caterpillars, beetles and ants. Occasionally, seeds and fruits are eaten. The young are fed insects.
• Breeding takes place from August to November. Patches of dense understorey shrubs associated with mallee or woodland are essential for territorial pairs to breed. Aggregations of nesting pairs are sometimes recorded. At Cowra three pairs nested in a 25 ha area. Nests are built 2 m above the ground in the fork of dense foliage of prickly plants such as acacias. The nest is either a lined cup or sometimes birds use the old nests of other species, particularly disused babblers’ nests. Two or three eggs, occasionally four, are laid.
• The pair holds and defends the territory all year round. Whistlers do not make any regular large-scale movements, though young disperse after fledging.

Regional information

This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

• Central West
• Hawkesbury/Nepean
• Lachlan
• Lower Murray/Darling
• Murray
• Murrumbidgee
• Namoi
• Western