Western Whistler

Pachycephala is from the Greek words pachys, meaning thick, and cephale, meaning head. Occidentalis is a Latin word meaning western.

Bedilmidong (bed’eel’me’dawng).

Found in the south-west of Western Australia and along the south coast, just into South Australia.

Up to 19 centimetres long with a 30 centimetre wingspan.

The Western Whistler was a subspecies of the Golden Whistler until 2015. The following information is for birds called Golden Whistler which may include the Western Whistler. The furthest distance recorded by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme for this species of bird to travel is 120km. The oldest bird recorded was still alive when its band was read in March 1982, 18 years 0.1 months after being banded (information as at 19 July 2020).

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Various contributors.

Leewin Current Birding http://wabirdingblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/new-almost-endemic-species-for-wa.html

Aboriginal names of bird species in south-west Western Australia, with suggestions for their adoption into common usage. Ian Abbott. 2009. Conservation Science Western Australia Journal. Volume 7 No 2 https://library.dbca.wa.gov.au/Journals/080559/080559-07.015.pdf

Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/science/abbbs/abbbs-search.html

Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings, a Glossary. FA Sharr. 1996.

Atlas of Living Australia https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/f3522116-9bfc-483a-b765-fee8b17fb100