Category Archives: Whistler
Female Golden Whistler?
It’s taken me ages to identify this bird. At first I thought it was a robin of some sort, but the colouring isn’t quite right. My best bet is a female Golden Whistler:
![](https://sydneybirder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/whistler-img_2961.jpg?w=1024)
The bird is small and neat, with large dark eyes. It’s mostly grey in colour, with a striking yellow patch under the tail and olive hints on the wings. The bird was quite inquisitive, and perched not far off to examine me, with a green twig in its beak.
![](https://sydneybirder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/whistler-img_2964.jpg?w=1024)
I’ve filmed male Golden Whistlers before: pictures and videos of the Golden Whistler’s song.
Common name: Golden Whistler
Scientific name: Pachycephala pectoralis
Approximate length: 16-18 cm
Date spotted: 16 June, 2023 (winter)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’52.4″S 151°15’07.2″E
Song of the Golden Whistler
In competition with the raucous remarks of a nearby cockatoo, this little Golden Whistler sings his heart out.
Golden Whistlers are also known as thunder birds, because evidently they tend to sing in response to loud noises. Maybe the calls of the cockatoo were actually encouraging the little songster!
Common name: Golden Whistler
Scientific name: Pachycephala pectoralis
Approximate length: 16-18 cm
Date spotted: 9 December 2020 (early summer)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°47’02.4″S 151°15’14.9″E
Golden Whistler known as thunderbird
I managed some good shots of a Golden Whistler recently. The first photo shows the pretty striping on the bird’s wings, as well as its black head and white bib. The bright colours are characteristic of a mature male bird.
I read that these birds are also called thunderbirds because they tend to sing in reaction to sudden loud noises, including thunder. What a grand name for a tiny little scrap!
A while ago, I saw my first Golden Whistler and snapped some shots of it high in the treetops. The pictures were a little fuzzy, because the bird was so far away. In that earlier post there are a couple of videos in which you can hear the song of the Golden Whistler.
These birds don’t stay in one spot for long. Here’s the bird about to head off, giving a nice glimpse of its golden front:
Common name: Golden Whistler
Scientific name: Pachycephala pectoralis
Approximate length: 16-18 cm
Date spotted: 10 March 2020 (late summer)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’27.5″S 151°14’59.8″E
Song of the Golden Whistler
It was exciting to see this pretty little bird and hear its call. This is the first time I’ve seen a Golden Whistler, though my bird book says they’re common. This one is a male, brightly coloured with clearly-delineated yellow, black, and white patches. Its song ripples through the forest.
In this video, the Golden Whistler makes a brief appearance and utters its call. Off stage, a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo squawks, and the Golden Whistler dives for cover:
Here’s a still shot of the bird. My apologies for the fuzziness – the bird was high up and far away, and my camera lens is on maximum zoom. The moon-shaped white patch is the white throat of the bird:
Here’s another brief video of the bird calling before he darts off again:
In the next video, the Golden Whistler enters from the right and has his say. The shot is taken with a lower zoom, so there’s more chance to stay with the bird:
The last video doesn’t show the bird, but you can hear its call and enjoy a general view of the forest, including some fungus growing on a dead tree trunk. The Golden Whistler’s call is slightly different from the earlier videos:
Common name: Golden Whistler
Scientific name: Pachycephala pectoralis
Approximate length: 16-18 cm
Date spotted: 24 August 2019 (late winter)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’48.6″S 151°14’52.3″E