Whitehead

Mohoua albicilla

Photo by Rosie Perera (Flickr)

Common name:
whitehead (en); cabeça-branca (pt); mohoua à tête blanche (fr); mohoua cabeciblanco (es); weißköpfchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is endemic to New Zealand, only being found in North Island and several offshore islands surrounding it, including Little Barrier Island, Great Barrier Island and Kapiti Island.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 14,5-18,5 g.

Habitat:
The whitehead is mostly found in native scrublands and forests, but also in rural gardens, arable land and plantations.

Diet:
They glean insects and other arthropods from tree trunks, mainly taking spiders, moths, caterpillars and beetles. These are supplemented with fruits of native plants such as māhoe and matipo.

Breeding:
Whiteheads breed in November-January. They nest in a cup placed in the tree canopy or lower down in smaller trees and scrubs, 1-15 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 eggs of variable colouration, which are incubated by both parents for 18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-19 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as common on Kapiti and Little Barrier islands and moderately common in forested areas of the north island of New Zealand. The population is in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and introduced predators, but the whitehead is not threatened at present.

Pipipi

Mohoua novaeseelandiae

Photo by Glenda Rees (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
pipipi (en); pipipi (pt); mohoua pipipi (fr); mohoua pipipí (es); graubraunköpfchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae

Range:
This species is endemic to New Zealand, only being found in the South Island mainland and the small offshore islands of Stewart island and Codfish island.

Size:
These birds are 13 cm long and weigh 11-13,5 g.

Habitat:
This species is mostly found in temperate forests and scrublands, and also in exotic pine plantations, from sea level to the upper alpine limit.

Diet:
Pipipis are insectivorous, gleaning various insects from the branches and leaves.

Breeding:
The pipipi breeds in September-February.  The female builds the nest, a deep cup made of bark strips, moss, lichens, and dry leaves skeletons held together by spider webs. The nest is lined with grass and a few feathers, and placed in dense foliage in the forest canopy or in dense scrubs or vines in the forest understory. The female lays 2-4 eggs which she incubates alone for 17-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a restricted breeding range, but it is described as locally common and widespread. This population is in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and predation by introduced mammalian predators such as cats, dogs and rats, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Golden whistler

Pachycephala pectoralis

Photo by Jarrod Amoore (Flickr)

Common name:
golden whistler (en); sibilante-dourado (pt); siffleur doré (fr); chiflador dorado (es); gelbbauch-dickkopf (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae


Range:
This species is found in southern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.


Size:
These birds are 16-18 cm long and weigh 25 g.


Habitat:
The golden whistler is found in virtually any wooded habitat within its range, preferring the denser areas. They are also found in scrublands, plantations, agricultural land and gardens within rural and urban areas.


Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, spiders and other small arthropods, but will also take berries.


Breeding:
Golden whistlers breed in September-January. The nest is a shallow bowl made of twigs, grass and bark, bound together with spider web and lined with finer grass. It is placed in a fork in a scrub or tree, up to 6 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-2 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single brood per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Rufous whistler

Pachycephala rufiventris

Photo by Tobias Hayashi (Flickr)

Common name:
rufous whistler (en); sibilante-ruivo (pt); siffleur itchong (fr); silbador rufo (es); schlichtmantel-dickkopf (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pachycephalidae


Range:
This species is found in Papua-New Guinea, in New Caledonia and throughout mainland Australia.


Size:
They are 16-18 cm long and weigh 25 g.


Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in forested areas, including woodlands, open forests and savannas, but can also be found in scrublands, gardens and agricultural areas.


Diet:
Rufous whistler mostly eat insects, but will also take seeds, fruits and, occasionally, leaves. They do most of their foraging in the forest canopy.


Breeding:
They form monogamous pairs and breed in July-February. The female build the nest, a fragile cup made of twigs, grass, vines and other materials, bound and attached to a tree fork with spider web. There she lays 2-3 which she incubates alone for 13 days. The chicks are cared for by the female and fledge 11 days after hatching. Each pair raise 1-2 broods per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
The rufous whistler has a very large breeding range and is reported to be fairly common. There is evidence for both local increases and decreases, so the overall population trend is not clear, but this species is not considered threatened at present.