Grey shrike-thrush

Colluricincla harmonica

Photo by J.J. Harrison (Wikipedia)

Common name:
grey shrike-thrush (en); pitohui-cinzento (pt); pitohiu gris (fr); picanzo gris (es); graubrustpitohui (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is found throughout Australia, including Tasmania, and also in eastern and southern New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 22-25 cm long and weigh 58-74 g.

Habitat:
The grey shrike-thrush is found in a wide range of wooded habitats, particularly dry savannas and forests dominated by Eucalyptus and Acacia, mangroves, scrublands, plantations, pastures, arable land and urban areas.

Diet:
They feed mainly on insects, also taking spiders and millipedes, small lizards, frogs, small mammals, bird eggs and chicks and even carrion. Occasionally, also fruits and seeds.

Breeding:
These birds breed in July-March. They are monogamous and may pair for life, with both sexes helping build the nest, a bowl made of dry leaves and bark strips, and lined with grass. the nest is placed on the ground, usually hidden between grass tussocks or near the base of a scrub, in dense undergrowth. The female lays 2-4 creamy eggs with brown speckles, which are incubated by both parents for 16-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be fairly common to scarce. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.

Crested bellbird

Oreoica gutturalis

Photo by Eric Tan (Feathers and Photos)

Common name:
crested bellbird (en); sibilante-de-crista (pt); carillonneur huppé (fr); silbador campanillero (es); haubendickkopf (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Australia, being found throughout most of the country, with the exception of the northernmost and easternmost areas.

Size:
These birds are 19-23 cm long and weigh 60-70 g.

Habitat:
The crested bellbird is found in dry scrublands and savannas, including Acacia, Eucalyptus and Spinifex dominated areas.

Diet:
They forage on the ground or among low scrubs, taking invertebrates and seeds.

Breeding:
Crested bellbirds are monogamous but pair bonds only last one season. They breed in August-December and the nest is a deep cup made of twigs and bark, and lined with bark, leaves and plant fibres. It is placed in a fork or hollow in a dead tree, usually less than 2 m above the ground. The female lays 1-4 white or bluish eggs with dark brown and grey blotches. The eggs are incubated by both parents for about 16 days. The chicks fledge about 12 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common. The population is estimated to de in decline following recorded decreases, probably owing to habitat destruction and fragmentation through land clearance.

Crested shrike-tit

Falcunculus frontatus

Photo by Sohn Joo Tan (Sohnjoo's Photography)

Common name:
crested shrike-tit (en); sibilante-picanço (pt); falconelle à casque (fr); silbador cabezón (es); meisendickkopf (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Australia, with three sub-species occurring in different parts of the country. F.f. frontatus is found in south-eastern Australia, from southern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia. F.f. whitei is found in the north of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. F.f. leucogaster is found in south-western Western Australia.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and weigh 25-30 g.

Habitat:
The crested shrike-tit is mostly found in Eucalyptus woodlands and forests, both in moist and dry areas. They also use scrublands, plantations and urban areas.

Diet:
They feed on insects, such as beetles, katydids, tree crickets, and cicadas, as well as spiders. They also take some seeds, berries and fruits.

Breeding:
Crested shrike-tits can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. The nest is a cup made of bark shreds, moss and spider webs, placed on a fork near the top of an Eucalyptus tree, usually 5-10 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 white eggs with bluish-grey spots, which are incubated for 16-20 days. The chicks fledge 14-17 days after hatching. Each pair raises 2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be generally uncommon. The population is estimated to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat loss and degradation, especially through forest clearance for agriculture. The nests of the crested shrike-tit are known to be predated by cats.

Whitehead

Mohoua albicilla

Photo by Rosie Perera (Flickr)

Common name:
whitehead (en); cabeça-branca (pt); mohoua à tête blanche (fr); mohoua cabeciblanco (es); weißköpfchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is endemic to New Zealand, only being found in North Island and several offshore islands surrounding it, including Little Barrier Island, Great Barrier Island and Kapiti Island.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 14,5-18,5 g.

Habitat:
The whitehead is mostly found in native scrublands and forests, but also in rural gardens, arable land and plantations.

Diet:
They glean insects and other arthropods from tree trunks, mainly taking spiders, moths, caterpillars and beetles. These are supplemented with fruits of native plants such as māhoe and matipo.

Breeding:
Whiteheads breed in November-January. They nest in a cup placed in the tree canopy or lower down in smaller trees and scrubs, 1-15 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 eggs of variable colouration, which are incubated by both parents for 18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-19 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as common on Kapiti and Little Barrier islands and moderately common in forested areas of the north island of New Zealand. The population is in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and introduced predators, but the whitehead is not threatened at present.

Pipipi

Mohoua novaeseelandiae

Photo by Glenda Rees (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
pipipi (en); pipipi (pt); mohoua pipipi (fr); mohoua pipipí (es); graubraunköpfchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is endemic to New Zealand, only being found in the South Island mainland and the small offshore islands of Stewart island and Codfish island.

Size:
These birds are 13 cm long and weigh 11-13,5 g.

Habitat:
This species is mostly found in temperate forests and scrublands, and also in exotic pine plantations, from sea level to the upper alpine limit.

Diet:
Pipipis are insectivorous, gleaning various insects from the branches and leaves.

Breeding:
The pipipi breeds in September-February.  The female builds the nest, a deep cup made of bark strips, moss, lichens, and dry leaves skeletons held together by spider webs. The nest is lined with grass and a few feathers, and placed in dense foliage in the forest canopy or in dense scrubs or vines in the forest understory. The female lays 2-4 eggs which she incubates alone for 17-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a restricted breeding range, but it is described as locally common and widespread. This population is in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and predation by introduced mammalian predators such as cats, dogs and rats, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Golden whistler

Pachycephala pectoralis

Photo by Jarrod Amoore (Flickr)

Common name:
golden whistler (en); sibilante-dourado (pt); siffleur doré (fr); chiflador dorado (es); gelbbauch-dickkopf (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae


Range:
This species is found in southern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.


Size:
These birds are 16-18 cm long and weigh 25 g.


Habitat:
The golden whistler is found in virtually any wooded habitat within its range, preferring the denser areas. They are also found in scrublands, plantations, agricultural land and gardens within rural and urban areas.


Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, spiders and other small arthropods, but will also take berries.


Breeding:
Golden whistlers breed in September-January. The nest is a shallow bowl made of twigs, grass and bark, bound together with spider web and lined with finer grass. It is placed in a fork in a scrub or tree, up to 6 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-2 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single brood per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Rufous whistler

Pachycephala rufiventris

Photo by Tobias Hayashi (Flickr)

Common name:
rufous whistler (en); sibilante-ruivo (pt); siffleur itchong (fr); silbador rufo (es); schlichtmantel-dickkopf (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae


Range:
This species is found in Papua-New Guinea, in New Caledonia and throughout mainland Australia.


Size:
They are 16-18 cm long and weigh 25 g.


Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in forested areas, including woodlands, open forests and savannas, but can also be found in scrublands, gardens and agricultural areas.


Diet:
Rufous whistler mostly eat insects, but will also take seeds, fruits and, occasionally, leaves. They do most of their foraging in the forest canopy.


Breeding:
They form monogamous pairs and breed in July-February. The female build the nest, a fragile cup made of twigs, grass, vines and other materials, bound and attached to a tree fork with spider web. There she lays 2-3 which she incubates alone for 13 days. The chicks are cared for by the female and fledge 11 days after hatching. Each pair raise 1-2 broods per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
The rufous whistler has a very large breeding range and is reported to be fairly common. There is evidence for both local increases and decreases, so the overall population trend is not clear, but this species is not considered threatened at present.

Yellowhead

Mohoua ochrocephala

Photo by Stephen Jaquiery (Otago Daily Times)

Common name:

yellowhead (en); cabeça-amarela (pt); mohoua (fr); mohoua cabecigualda (es); gelbköpfchen (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pachycephalidae

Range:

This species is endemic to New Zealand where it was formerly widespread in the South and Stewart Islands. Currently it is rectricted to the southern parts of South Island, particularly in the Fiordland and Mt. Aspiring National Parks.

Size:

These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 25-30 g.

Habitat:

Yellowheads are mostly found in lowland red beech Nothofagus fusca forests on river terraces and, to a lesser extent, in podocarp/hardwood forests.

Diet:

These birds are primarily insectivorous, but occasionally feeds on fruits when in season.

Breeding:

Yellowheads breed in October-March. They nests in small cavities in large, old trees. There the female lays 1-5 eggs which she incubates alone for 20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 23 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - EN (Endangered)

This species has a very small and declining breeding range and the global population is currently estimated at just 1.000-2.500. The population is estimated to be experiencing a very rapid population decline, mostly due to the impact of introduced predators, namely stout Mustela erminea and black rat Rattus rattus. Conservation measures are underway, both in terms of intensive trapping of predators and through the translocated of yellowheads to three mammalian predator-free habitats, including Codfish island. A captive breeding programme is also under-way.

Red-lored whistler

Pachycephala rufogularis

Common name:

red-lored whistler (en); sibilante-de-faces-rosadas (pt); siffleur à face rousse (fr); silbador gorjirrufo (es); rotzügel-dickkopf (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pachycephalidae

Range:

The red-lored whistler is endemic to Australia, only being found in south-eastern South Australia and western Victoria.

Size:

These birds are 19-22 cm long and have a wingspan of 30-33 cm. They weigh 37 g.

Habitat:

The red-lored whistler inhabits low mallee shrublands, heathlands and woodlands that have an open canopy and a moderately dense but patchy understorey.

Diet:

They mainly feed on invertebrates including beetles, bugs, moths, caterpillars and grasshoppers, but also eat some fruits and seeds.

Breeding:

The red-lored whistler breeds in August-November. They build a substantial cup-shaped nest of bark, sticks, leaves and other plant material that is mainly taken from mallee eucalypts. The nest is generally placed in a clump of Triodia and sheltered by a shrub or tree, or in the fork of a malee Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Banksia, Melaleuca or Acacia. The female lays 2-3 white to pink or light buff eggs, which she mostly incubates alone for 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 2 weeks after hatching, but continue to be fed for a few more weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - NT (Near-threatened)

This species has a restricted breeding range and the population may number fewer than 10.000 individuals and is currently suffering a moderate decline. The clearing of malee habitat for agriculture has lead to habitat loss and fragmentation and the species is also threatened by overgrazing and an increase in wild fires.