Red-lored Whistler
Pachycephala rufogularis
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: Sat Jun 04 2016 14:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 1/31/2022
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: None
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derived from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The Red-lored Whistler is endemic to Australia and occurs in semi-arid regions of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia with the core of the population centred on the South Australia-Victoria border. The Red-lored Whistler inhabits low mallee shrublands, heathlands and woodlands that have an open canopy and a moderately dense but patchy understorey and mainly feeds on invertebrates including beetles, bugs, moths, caterpillars and grasshoppers.
Threats
he extensive clearance of mallee vegetation that occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries is believed to have been the main factor in the decline of the Red-lored Whistler however, the current major threat to the Red-lored Whistler is fire. Fire could potentially impact on whistler populations in two ways: by destroying areas of habitat, and the populations that inhabit them; and by altering the structure and composition of vegetation.