Northern Shriketit
Northern Shriketit
Includes three recently separated species; Eastern Shriketit Falcunculus frontatus Northern Shrike-tit Falcunculus whitei Western Shrike-tit Falcunculus leucogaster
15-19 cm. Eastern Shriketit Bold black-and-white head/crest and yellow breast unmistakeable. Male, black throat, female olive-green. Immature: browner above; throat/breast whitish. Northern Shrike-tit (nw. Aust.): as above except smaller; wings/tail washed yellow; rump yellow-green; underparts brighter yellow. Western Shrike-tit (s. WA): as above except white abdomen separates yellow breast and undertail-coverts; wings/tail washed yellow-green. Pairs, family parties: often noticed by calls or vigorous tearing of loose bark with strong, hooked bill in search of insects. Opens leaf-galls, seed-cases, dismembers hard-shelled insects held under foot. Flight swift, swooping between trees.
- Similar Species
- Golden Whistler.
- Voice
- slow, sad, descending whistle 'peeer, peeer'; call of race whitei described to rise after first descending (Rix, 1970); distinctive chuckle or stutter, 'knock-at-the-door'. Clear, animated song includes mimicry.
- Habitat
- rainforests, eucalypt forests/woodlands; in inland se. Aust., river red gums on watercourses, especially saplings, young trees; also acacias, coastal tea-tree, banksia or cypress pine scrubs; golf courses, orchards, parks, gardens.
- Breeding
- Sept.-Jan.; cooperatively, with 'helpers'.
- Nest
- deep cup of bark fibre, spiders' web; decorated with lichen, lined with grass; built around vertical stems in eucalypt foliage 5-25 m high; twigs, leaves, buds nipped off above nest.
- Eggs
- 2-3; grey-white, dotted, spotted brown, slate-grey, black.
- Range & Status
- Eastern Shriketit: e. and se. Aust.: highlands of ne. Q; se. Aust., from c. Rockhampton to Mt Lofty Ras.-Fleurieu Pen. (SA) (where isolated). Mostly on and coastward of Divide; inland to Charleville (Q); Darling R. (NSW). Common. Sedentary. Northern Shrike-tit: Top End (NT); records e. of Arnhem Land escarpment and s. to Borroloola w. through Willaroo-Timber Ck (NT) to Beverley Springs, Kimberley (WA). Mostly sedentary. Western Shrike-tit: sw. WA, from c. Geraldton e. to c. Norseman. Uncommon.
- Distribution key to species
- Falcunculus whitei
