The western whipbird (Psophodes nigrogularis) is a passerine bird found in several scattered populations in Southwest Australia. It is predominantly olive green in colour. The western whipbird has sometimes been split into two species: the black-throated whipbird and the white-bellied whipbird.
P. n. nigrogularisGould, 1844 – Two Peoples Bay, far southwest South Australia: (Endangered) The western heath subspecies is now restricted to a small patch east of Albany, having disappeared from large parts of its range due to land clearance.
P. n. oberonSchodde & Mason, IJ, 1991 – southwest Western Australia, east of Two Peoples Bay: (Rare) The western mallee subspecies is found in scattered populations between the Stirling Ranges and Ravensthorpe. It is apparently common in the Fitzgerald River National Park.
P. n. leucogaster Howe & Ross, JA, 1933 – coastal central south South Australia (white-bellied whipbird group)
P. n. lashmari Schodde & Mason, IJ, 1991 – Kangaroo Island (off southeast South Australia) (white-bellied whipbird group)
The subspecies P. n. leucogaster and P. n. lashmari have been considered as a separate species, the white-bellied whipbird.
Description
The western whipbird is a slim bird some 21–25cm (8.3–9.8in) in length. It is predominantly olive green with a black throat and a narrow white cheek-patch edged with black on its face. It has a small crest and a long dark olive-green tail tipped with white, its underparts are a paler olive colour. The bill is black with blackish feet. Juveniles are a duller olive-brown in colour and lack the white cheek stripes and dark throat.
Breeding
Breeding occurs in spring. The nest is a bowl of twigs and sticks lined with softer material such as grasses, located in shrubs or trees less than 1–2m (3–7ft) above the ground. A clutch of two eggs, pale blue with blackish splotches and spots, measuring 26mm ×19mm (1.0in ×0.7in), is laid.
