Bird guideOlive Whistler

An uncommon species, it is considered of least concern on the global IUCN Red List , but vulnerable in New South Wales due to habitat fragmentation and feral cats and foxes.

⚠️VIC: Vulnerable
🌿Endemic to Australia

At a glance

FamilyWhistlers and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatHeavily built brownish songbird found in dense wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania.
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from October to January.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by Romuald Mikusek

Range map

Range map

888visible hotspots
10684visible records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Heavily built brownish songbird found in dense wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania. Gray head and white throat contrast with greenish back; pale gray breast band separates white throat from rich olive-brown belly. Much larger than Golden Whistler (which has a yellow undertail area, less distinct throat patch).

Behavior

The melodious call has been likened to I'll wet you or you're cranky , and is possibly the most musical of all whistlers. Olive whistlers nest from September to December, raising one brood during this period. The nest is a fragile bowl of twigs, grasses and bits of bark lined with softer plant material and bound with spiderwebs in the fork of a tree around 2 m (6.6 ft) above the ground.

Regional timing

Victoria
Peak: October to January6,452 records
Tasmania
Peak: October to January6,253 records
New South Wales
Peak: September to December1,256 records
Australian Capital Territory
Peak: January452 records
South Australia
Peak: November to December108 records
Queensland
Peak: March5 records
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