Whipbirds

This category includes three families; the family Cinclosomatidae which includes the whipbirds, wedgebills and quail-thrush. The family Neosittidae , the sittellas and the family Pachycephalidae that collectively includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits and the crested bellbird. This category could well be called the “songbirds” rather than the whipbirds.

The actual whipbirds get their name from their stockwhip type call which is heard far more often than the birds are seen. They are an olive green and black bird with white cheek patches and a crest, all being somewhat similar. The Western Whipbird, the Eastern Whipbird and the the Northern Whipbird. The latter being a rainforest dwelling sub-species of the Eastern Whipbird.

The Pachycephalidae are a very large family with many species and sub-species, in particular, of whistlers. The golden whistler for example is thought by some to have as many as 59 sub-species throughout Australasia. Taxonomy of this family particularly is very controversial. This family of songbirds are renowned for the strong voice for their size the grey shrike-thrush is an especially good songbird. They are insectivorous, usually content with picking insects from leaves etc