Psopodes olivaceus
Adult Eastern Whipbirds are mostly dark olive-green above, with a long tail, and a grey-white belly. The head and breast are black, with a broad white patch on the side of the face and a black crest. The eye is pale cream and the bill is black. The birds are 26 - 30 cm long. Eastern Whipbirds are more often heard than seen. The long whip call, one of the most characteristic sounds of the Australian bush, is performed as a duet. The male makes the drawn out whip crack and the female usually follows quickly with a sharp "choo-choo".
Young Whipbirds are generally duller, with a smaller crest. The white cheek patch is absent in very young birds, and increases in size as the birds mature.
Eastern Whipbirds are hard to confuse with any other Australian bird. The much rarer Western Whipbird, P. nigrogularis, of southern and south-western Australia, has an olive-brown crest and a smaller white face patch. It is also smaller, measuring 22 to 24 cm.
Eastern Whipbirds live in dense vegetation near the ground. They prefer wetter habitats, such as rainforest, eucalypt forest and dense scrub near watercourses. The birds are usually secretive, but are also quite curious, and will often come into view if the observer remains patient.
The range of the Eastern Whipbird is from northern Queensland south to Victoria in a coastal band. In the north, its distribution has become patchy where its habitat has been cleared. The birds remain in the same area all year round.
The Eastern Whipbird feeds on insects and other small invertebrates, which are caught on the ground by bill. Feeding takes place alone, in pairs or in small family groups.
The breeding season of the Eastern Whipbird is from July to December. A pair occupies a territory, which is defended year round, with the mates staying together for many years. The female makes a cup nest of sticks and bark, which is lined with finer grasses, and placed in dense vegetation near the ground. The female also incubates the two to three eggs, which hatch after 18 days. The young birds are fed by both parents and remain in the nest for about 12 days. Sometimes two broods are raised in a single season.
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2003
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