Gilbert's Whistler

About the Gilbert's Whistler

Gilbert's whistler (Pachycephala inornata) is a monotypic species of bird endemic to Australia, scattered in semi-arid zones of southern Australia. The family Pachycephalidae originated within the Australo-Papuan region. Together with the red-lored whistler and the olive whistler, Gilbert's whistler is basal to the genus Pachycephala – the typical whistlers. This old monotypic lineage represents a relictual form that was once more widespread.

John Gould, who first described this species in 1841, named it after Mr Gilbert who discovered the bird in Western Australia and collected specimens that he handed over to Gould. As for its scientific name – Pachycephala inornata – in Ancient Greek pachys and kephale respectively mean 'thick' and 'head'; several of the members of the genus Pachycephala are indeed called 'thickheads', and other common names for Gilbert's whistler include black-lored Gilbert thickhead, red-throated thickhead, Gilbert's thickhead, or simply thickhead. With inornatus meaning 'plain' in Latin, the second part of its binominal name is attributed to Gilbert's whistler's plumage, which is often described in the literature as being plain.

There are several... Wikipedia →