Golden Whistler Photography by Greg Miles

Nimbin Village

Golden Whistler

julgim (Bundjalung name)

Pachycephala pectoralis

Songs & Calls

Listen to the call of the golden whistler

Local Notes

I love the Golden Whistler. I have a family of them around my house. The males are always pecking their image reflected in the windows. They have a beautiful song and I enjoy their activity around the house. A delightful little bird in both sound and vision.

by Ross Wallace

Bird Overview

The adult male Golden Whistler is bright yellow on the underside, olive-green on the back and wings, and black on the head with a bright yellow collar. The throat is white, separated from the yellow chest by a broad black band. The bill and legs are black. Females lack bright plumage. They are generally grey above, with a pale olive tinge, and paler grey below, with a buff wash. The bill is dark brown and the legs grey-brown. The eye is red-brown in adults of both sexes.

Young Golden Whistlers are rufous. As they mature, the plumage comes to resemble that of the female other than rufous edges to some wing feathers. These are later replaced as the bird matures.

Similar species

Male Golden Whistlers are not easily confused with other Australian bird species, with the exception of the Mangrove Golden Whistler, Pachycephala melanura. This species is somewhat brighter on the underparts, has a broader collar and a slightly shorter tail. The female Mangrove Golden Whistler has yellowish underparts.