Olive Whistler

Overview

The olive whistler, also known as the olivaceous whistler, is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae native to southeastern Australia. Although considered of Least Concern globally, it is classified as vulnerable in New South Wales due to habitat fragmentation and predation by feral cats and foxes.

Identification

• Adults are 18–20 cm long with overall olive brown plumage and a streaked white throat.
• Males possess a dark grey head, pale grey breast, and a red-tinged buff belly and rump, while females lack the red tinge and have brown underparts.
• Legs, bill, and eyes are brown-black in both sexes.
• The call is melodious and likened to 'I'll wet you' or 'you're cranky', possibly making it the most musical of all whistlers.

Habitat

This species inhabits wet forests and Antarctic beech (Nothofagus moorei) forests in northern New South Wales. Its range extends from the McPherson Range in far southeast Queensland south through New South Wales and into Victoria, southeastern South Australia, Flinders and King Islands, and Tasmania.

Diet

The olive whistler is predominantly insectivorous.

Did you know?

The nest is a fragile bowl of twigs, grasses, and bits of bark lined with softer plant material and bound with spiderwebs.