This little whipbird looks as if it hasn’t combed its feathers in a while. Still, it’s a nice-looking bird. It might be a juvenile, still coming into full feather:

Whipbirds spend their time mostly in the low shrubbery, often rustling around in the leaves on the ground. As a result, they’re hard to spot and they usually look dark brown and black in colour. It’s nice to see one with a bit of sunlight on its feathers, bringing out the soft olive green glow on the wings and tail.

The noise that whipbirds make is strange: “eeeuuw-phwit”. It reminds people of a whip whistling and cracking, and that’s what gives the bird its name. I managed to get a good video of them calling, which I published in an earlier post.

Common name: Eastern Whipbird
Scientific name: Psophodes olivaceus
Approximate length: 30 cm
Date spotted: 16 January 2025 (summer)
Location: Dobroyd Head in Sydney Harbour, NSW, Australia: 33°48’34.0″S 151°16’25.3″E