Black-chinned Whistler
Pachycephala mentalis
A chunky, thick-billed songbird from the Moluccas. Unmistakable male shows a black head, a yellow collar, a conspicuous white throat, a black chest line, and vibrant yellow underparts. Female is subdued, with a grayish head, a paler throat, and yellow-washed underparts. Juveniles resemble female, but are washed with rufous. Pairs and singles can be found in forest, edge, scrub, and mangroves from lowlands to hills, but are typically most abundant at higher elevations. Female’s yellow wash on the underside separates her from Obi and Drab Whistlers, and olive-toned upperside further differentiates her from Drab Whistler. Calls include a soft “chow-chow-chow,” sometimes terminating in a whipping “chee-wee-CHOW!”
Identification
The black-chinned whistler is the northernmost member of the golden whistler group, being bordered to the south by the yellow-throated whistler. The black-chinned whistler is relatively large, and males are white-throated, have an incomplete black chest-band (only distinct in the center of the chest; does not connect to the black head) and a small black chin (lacking in Obi Islands).
Taxonomy
It is variably considered a subspecies of the Australian golden whistler or treated as a separate species, but strong published evidence in favour of either treatment is limited, and further study is warranted to resolve the complex taxonomic situation.<p>Three subspecies are recognized:
- Scientific name
- Pachycephala mentalis
- Authority
- Wallace, 1863
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pachycephalidae
- Genus
- Pachycephala
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Handsome long-tailed bird. Breeding male has a black throat, mostly yellow underparts. Breeding female often has some dark on the throat, paler yellow underparts. All plumages have gray head and back, with whitish eyebrow, bright yellow belly and vent. Often near flowing water with nearby rocks or surrogate rocky habitat, from mountain streams to weirs in suburban parklands. Walks quietly along shorelines or in nearby open areas, pumping its very long, white-sided tail up and down. Song is a repetitive series of high-pitched notes; calls include short, high “pseet” and buzzier flight calls.
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Reddish Myzomela
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An attractive small myzomela in which males are brick-red, with a slightly darker patch in front of the eyes. Female has distinctive plumage that is mostly reddish-brown. Found in the canopy of primary rainforest and forest edge as well as secondary growth. Unique reddish coloration separates it from similar species. Common call is a repeated high-pitched, insect-like “tsip.”
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