Épithète à bandeau

Identification

The adult banded whiteface is around 10 cm (4 in) long. The upper parts of the body and head are greyish brown. The face has a white mask bordered by a darker band which runs vertically across the region of the eyes. The upper breast is pale blue-grey and the underparts white, separated by a prominent black band across the breast. There are red-brown patches on the flanks. The bill and legs are black and the eyes are white. The plumage of male and female are alike and juveniles are duller.

Taxonomie

Nom scientifique

Aphelocephala nigricincta

Autorité

(North, 1895)

Ordre

Passériformes

Famille

Acanthizidés

Genre

Aphelocephala

Répartition et habitat

A nomadic or sedentary species moving according to seasonal conditions, the banded whiteface is found in a very large range from southwestern Queensland across dryer parts of central and southern Australia into mid-Western Australia. It inhabits mulga woodland, gibber plains and sandhills, and frequents saltbush and spinifex.

Migration

Resident species

Comportement

Like the other birds in its genus, the banded whiteface hops over open ground in pairs or small groups foraging for seeds and insects.<p>Nesting takes place in winter from July to September or after a period of rain. Located on the ground near shrubs, the round hollow nest is constructed of twigs and grass and has a long tubular entrance. Both the nest and the tunnel are lined with flowers and feathers. The clutch consists of three or four matte white eggs with brown blotches mostly at the larger end. Tapered oval in shape, they are around 17 mm long by 13 mm wide.<p>The banded whiteface has been reported to enter torpor at night in winter months, reawakening as it warms in the morning.

Conservation

Tendance de la population

stable