Red-lored Whistler

1. Bright orange-red throat and face patch (most vivid in males)

2. Chunky grey body with heavy black bill and red eyes

3. Secretive, ground-foraging behaviour in dense mallee undergrowth

Red-lored Whistlers are mostly sedentary, living in pairs or small family groups within large, exclusive territories. They forage mainly on the ground for insects, with some berries and seeds in their diet. The breeding season occurs in spring, when they build substantial cup-shaped nests from bark and mallee leaves in low shrubs or under overhanging foliage. Females typically lay 2–3 eggs per clutch, and both parents are likely involved in incubation and care, with the incubation period lasting about two weeks and the nestling period probably similar.

Red-lored Whistlers inhabit mature mallee woodlands and shrublands with a patchy but dense understorey, often dominated by broombush and spinifex. Their range is restricted to central New South Wales (notably Round Hill and Nombinnie Nature Reserves), northwestern Victoria (including Murray-Sunset, Hattah-Kulkyne, and Wyperfeld National Parks), and southeastern South Australia. They are most abundant in mallee areas that are 2–4 years post-fire, as they avoid recently burnt or heavily disturbed habitats. The best times to detect them are dawn and dusk, when their sweet, haunting whistles are most likely to be heard.