Gilbert's Whistler

The adult male, which weighs 29.8-32.5 g, possesses a rufous-coloured chin and throat from its third year of life, as does its most likely closest relative, the red-lored whistler. Both males can easily be differentiated by the colour of their lores: black for the Gilbert's and red for the red-lored whistler. The female Gilbert's whistler (23.5-32.2 g) has a pale grey throat and a white ring around the eye; her underparts can be lightly streaked. Both sexes are uniformly brownish-grey, and have a red iris and a black stubby bill (17–18 mm). Juveniles (30.9 g) are darker than adults, with tinges of brown, and have dark streaks on the breast and belly. Immatures are very similar to adult females except for their brown bill and dark brown iris. Care should be taken not to mistake the female and immature Gilbert's whistler for the female golden or western whistlers where they co-exist. At one stage, Gilbert's whistler was divided into two subspecies: P. i. inornata to the east of the Flinders Ranges with greyish white underparts, and P. i. …

Gilbert's whistler inhabits semi-arid tall mallee with sparse shrubby understorey or prickly Acacia thickets and Casuarina woodlands, and is also found in thickets of Melaleuca and, occasionally, in taller eucalypt woodlands or forests. A study undertaken in 2017 on the effect of bushfires and prescribed burns on the distribution of 12 threatened bird species predicted that habitat burnt between 30 and 60 years approximately would be favoured by Gilbert's whistlers while habitat burnt more frequently or not burnt for more than 60 years would not readily suit this species. The distribution of Gilbert's whistlers is scattered in the semi-arid parts of southern Western Australia and South Australia, northwest Victoria and central west New South Wales. No large scale movements were recorded for the species which is thought to be resident or sedentary with a high degree of site fidelity. It is therefore not surprising that this species is sensitive to disturbance, as described by Murphy following a study on the conservation value of small woodland remnants in New South Wales, where he noted that the distribution of Gilbert's whistler in this region is largely restricted to the remaining original vegetation. …

Gilbert's whistlers feed mostly on the ground, as does about half of all declining species of birds in southern Australia. This species also forages in understorey layers. They feed primarily on invertebrates, although fruit and seeds can also form part of its diet.