Grey Shrikethrush

Scientific Name: Colluricincla harmonica

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Forest and savannah throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Field Notes: Medium-sized thrush with grey head and tail, brown back, and white underparts. White between eyes and bill. Typical thrush-like behavior. Strikingly melodic voice.

Personal Notes: A surprisingly difficult identification for us, especially given how common this bird easy, but we finally figured it out 10 days into our two week tour of southeastern Australia.

Australian Golden Whistler

Scientific Name: Pachycephala pectoralis

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Forested and savannah areas in southern and eastern Australia, Indonesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and nearby Islands.

Field Notes: Medium-sized passerine with black cap, extending down to a thick necklace in breeding male. White throat. Bright yellow underparts, extending to a nuchal collar. Wings olive. Females generally drab with olive upper parts, white underneath, and faint yellow under tail. Rufous Whistler similar but with grey cap, not black, and more drab yellow that does not extend to a nuchal collar.

Personal Notes: Photographed at Australian National Botanical Gardens in Canberra, Australia.