Whistlers: Pachycephalidae

Whistlers are found in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia, and islands in the southwest Pacific. New Guinea and Australia, in particular, have the greatest number of different species in their regions.

Some whistler species live in dense rainforests in the tropics or the forests and woodlands of temperate zones, and others occupy mangrove swamps and mallee, or eucalyptus (yoo-kah-LIP-tus) trees that grow in semi-arid regions. The sandstone shrike-thrush builds its nest on sandstone escarpments, steep cliffs, that have few trees.

Whistlers eat insects, larvae (LAR-vee), and small invertebrates, animals without a backbone. The white-breasted whistler includes small crabs and mollusks in its diet. The large shrike-thrushes eat small vertebrates, animals with a backbone, baby birds, and eggs. Some birds will take fruit, especially berries, and the mottled whistler eats fruit exclusively.

The whistlers' songs have made them favorites of bird watchers. Some species like the gray shrike-thrush will even build its nest among the foliage of potted plants outside homes.