The Golden Whistler is a beautiful bird found in forests and scrub right up the east coast of Australia, plus the southwest and some of the Pacific Islands. Only the male has bright colouring and the female is brown. Its call is “pip-pip-pip-oo-whit”, a bit like a Grey Shrike-thrush, but faster and sharper.

Male and female both work on the nest, which is a shallow bowl made of twigs, grass, bark, spider webs, skeletonised leaves and fern fronds. 2 to 3 eggs are laid, white to pink with darker blotches and spots. Both parents then share incubation and care of young.

Size: 16 - 18 cm

Photo and Illustration: Mark Trinham.