Whistlers (Pachycephalidae)
Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) - HBW 12, p. 432
French: Pitohui gris
German: Graubrustpitohui
Spanish: Picanzo Gris
Other common names: Whistling/Pale-headed Shrike-thrush; New Guinea Shrike-thrush (superciliosa); Brown/Northern Shrike-thrush (brunnea); Western/Buff-bellied/South-western Shrike-thrush (rufiventris); Harmonious Shrike-thrush/Thrush (harmonica)
Taxonomy: Turdus harmonicus Latham, 1801, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Races have sometimes been divided into three species: one in New Guinea and N Australia (superciliosa and brunnea), one in W, C & SC Australia (rufiventris), and a third in E Australia and Tasmania (nominate and strigata). Considerable geographical variation, and up to 13 local forms sometimes distinguished, but races intergrade widely. New Guinea population often separated as tachycrypta; differs somewhat from birds in NE Australia (Cape York, in N Queensland), but not sufficiently to warrant subspecific recognition. Other named races, all in Australia, .. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Turdus harmonicus Latham, 1801, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Races have sometimes been divided into three species: one in New Guinea and N Australia (superciliosa and brunnea), one in W, C & SC Australia (rufiventris), and a third in E Australia and Tasmania (nominate and strigata). Considerable geographical variation, and up to 13 local forms sometimes distinguished, but races intergrade widely. New Guinea population often separated as tachycrypta; differs somewhat from birds in NE Australia (Cape York, in N Queensland), but not sufficiently to warrant subspecific recognition. Other named races, all in Australia, are parryi (Kimberly District of Western Australia), roebucki (Roebuck Bay, in Western Australia) and julietae (interior NW Australia), all merged with brunnea; pallescens (E Queensland), anda (NE South Australia) and halmaturina (SE South Australia and adjacent New South Wales and Victoria), all merged with nominate; whitei (interior South Australia), synonymized with rufiventris; and kingi (King I, in Bass Strait), merged with strigata. Five subspecies recognized.
Races have sometimes been divided into three species: one in New Guinea and N Australia (superciliosa and brunnea), one in W, C & SC Australia (rufiventris), and a third in E Australia and Tasmania (nominate and strigata). Considerable geographical variation, and up to 13 local forms sometimes distinguished, but races intergrade widely. New Guinea population often separated as tachycrypta; differs somewhat from birds in NE Australia (Cape York, in N Queensland), but not sufficiently to warrant subspecific recognition. Other named races, all in Australia, are parryi (Kimberly District of Western Australia), roebucki (Roebuck Bay, in Western Australia) and julietae (interior NW Australia), all merged with brunnea; pallescens (E Queensland), anda (NE South Australia) and halmaturina (SE South Australia and adjacent New South Wales and Victoria), all merged with nominate; whitei (interior South Australia), synonymized with rufiventris; and kingi (King I, in Bass Strait), merged with strigata. Five subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- brunnea Gould, 1841 - N Western Australia, Northern Territory and NW Queensland.
- rufiventris Gould, 1841 - S half of Western Australia and Northern Territory and W two-thirds of South Australia.
- superciliosa Masters, 1876 - tS & E New Guinea E from Sepik Basin and Wewak in N and, in S, from Kurik (inland to Sogeri Plateau, Bulolo valley, N & S Eastern Highlands Province and Mount Hagen town), Torres Strait islands and extreme NE Australia (N Cape York Peninsula).
- brunnea Gould, 1841 - N Western Australia, Northern Territory and NW Queensland.
- rufiventris Gould, 1841 - S half of Western Australia and Northern Territory and W two-thirds of South Australia.
- superciliosa Masters, 1876 - tS & E New Guinea E from Sepik Basin and Wewak in N and, in S, from Kurik (inland to Sogeri Plateau, Bulolo valley, N & S Eastern Highlands Province and Mount Hagen town), Torres Strait islands and extreme NE Australia (N Cape York Peninsula).
- harmonica (Latham, 1801) - S half of Queensland and S to NE & SE South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.
- strigata Swainson, 1838 - islands in Bass Strait and Tasmania.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A male trying to open a cocoon Locality Oaklands Junction, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (ssp harmonica)
Nick Talbot 4 May 2008 3 years ago 31 sec 4.5 -
A bird in a tree and then on the ground Locality Eungella National Park, Queensland, Australia (ssp brunnea)
Eldert Groenewoud 25 July 2007 3 years ago 18 sec 4.3 -
A female foraging on the ground, then hopping away Locality Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia (ssp harmonica)
Nick Talbot 24 June 2005 4 years ago 8 sec 4.2 -
A male perching on a branch and looking around Locality Yarra Bend Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (ssp harmonica)
Nick Talbot 17 March 2007 4 years ago 15 sec 4.1 -
Immature - call from a tree at the start and then foraging on the ground. Locality Shepards Lookout, Woodstock Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Stephen Wallace 24 May 2011 37 weeks ago 13 sec 4 -
A female foraging on a garden floor. Locality O'Reilly's, Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia (ssp harmonica)
Josep del Hoyo 17 October 2010 50 weeks ago 37 sec 4
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Grey Shrike-thrush singing on branch
Locality Inskip Point, Rainbow Beach, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 August 2010 1 year ago 4.7 -
Grey shrike-thrush
Locality Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Margaret Leggoe 17 July 2009 1 year ago 4 -
Foraging in a dry stream bed
Locality Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Northern Territory, Australia (ssp Rufiventris)
Lindsay Hansch 23 August 2011 18 weeks ago 3.7 -
Adult with a moth for breakfast
Locality Stirling Range Retreat, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia, Australia (ssp rufiventris)
Clive Nealon 25 October 2005 9 weeks ago 3.7 -
Grey Shrike-thrush sitting on a bench
Locality Binna Burra, Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia
cel_polo 20 October 2011 16 weeks ago 3.7 -
Adult checking out a bike's handlebars as a perch
Locality Stirling Range Retreat, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia, Australia (ssp rufiventris)
Clive Nealon 24 September 2008 9 weeks ago 3.5
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A male singing. Locality Port Campbell National Park, Victoria, Australia
(ssp harmonica)
Josep del Hoyo 31 October 2009 1 year ago 4 -
bird singing loudly Locality Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
(ssp harmonica)
Mat Gilfedder 22 January 2010 2 years ago 3.5 -
A bird singing. Locality Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria, Australia
(ssp harmonica)
Josep del Hoyo 29 October 2009 1 year ago 3.3 -
A bird in a small isolated stand of planted trees Locality Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea (mainland), New Guinea
monicayhector 23 June 1992 2 years ago 2
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