Kingdom Animalia Family Pachycephalidae Scientific name Pachycephala macrorhyncha Rank Species | Class Aves Genus Pachycephala Phylum Chordata Order Passerine | |
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Similar Rusty‑breasted whistler, Pachycephala, Fiji whistler, Melanesian whistler, Island whistler | ||
The yellow-throated whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha), or Banda Sea whistler, is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae. It is endemic to central and south-eastern Wallacea, where it ranges from Timor east to the Tanimbars and north to Seram and Banggai (roughly equalling the islands in or adjacent to the Banda Sea). The oriole whistler is sometimes alternatively called the yellow-throated whistler, leading to confusion between both species.
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Taxonomy and systematics
The Yellow-throated whistler was originally described in the genus Myiolestes (a synonym for Colluricincla). The yellow-throated whistler is variably considered as either a subspecies of the Australian golden whistler or treated as a separate species, but strong published evidence in favour of either treatment is limited, and further study is warranted to resolve the complex taxonomic situation.
Subspecies
The Baliem whistler, a former subspecies of the yellow-throated whistler, was re-classified as a separate species by the IOC in 2016. Currently, ten subspecies are recognized:
Description
Among the members of the golden whistler group, the yellow-throated whistler is bordered to the north by the black-chinned whistler, to the west by the rusty-breasted whistler, and to the south by the Australian golden whistler. The only subspecies of the yellow-throated whistler where the male is yellow-throated is fuscoflava from the Tanimbar Islands. Males of other subspecies are white-throated, except par (Romang Island) and compar (Leti Islands) where the plumages of the males are female-like.