White-winged Triller

1. Breeding males: glossy black and white plumage with broad white shoulder patches

2. Bold white wing panels visible in flight in all plumages

3. Short, slender black bill; non-breeding birds are brown and buff with pale wing markings

White-winged Trillers are active insectivores, feeding on caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, and occasionally fruit, seeds, or nectar. Foraging occurs in trees, shrubs, and on the ground. Breeding takes place from September to December, with both parents building a small, delicate cup nest bound with spider web, usually placed on a horizontal branch or in a fork. Clutch size is typically two to three eggs, incubated by both parents for about 14 days, with chicks remaining in the nest for around 12 days. They sometimes nest in loose colonies and may use old nests of other birds, such as Magpie-larks.

White-winged Trillers breed in open woodlands, lightly timbered country, and grassy eucalypt forests across mainland Australia, with a preference for areas with sparse understorey and grassy ground cover. They are summer migrants to southern Australia (August–March), overwintering in northern and inland regions, and are sometimes seen in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. These birds are often seen singly or in pairs, foraging in the canopy, mid-story, or on the ground, especially on recently burnt or mown grass where insects are plentiful`.`