The black-chinned whistler is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae, endemic to Halmahera and adjacent smaller islands in North Maluku in Indonesia.
Region
North Maluku Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs on Halmahera and adjacent small islands such as Ternate, Tidore, and nearby islets. It inhabits primary and secondary lowland rainforest, forest edges, and disturbed woodland. Birds forage in the understory to midstory and will use regenerating scrub and gardens near forest. It tolerates some habitat modification but remains most numerous in intact forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A member of the whistler family (Pachycephalidae), the black-chinned whistler is confined to Halmahera and nearby islands in North Maluku, Indonesia. Males typically show a distinctive small black chin patch that gives the species its name, while females are duller and lack strong contrast. It often joins mixed-species flocks and delivers clear, ringing whistles from the mid-canopy. Taxonomically, it has been treated as part of the golden whistler complex, with several regional forms recognized.
Temperament
alert and somewhat secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or family groups, and frequently joins mixed-species foraging flocks. Pairs maintain territories during the breeding season. The nest is a small cup placed in a fork or suspended from slender branches, with both parents involved in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, ringing whistles, often rising and falling in short phrases. Calls include sharp chips and mellow whistles used in contact within pairs.
Plumage
Male with olive-green upperparts, clean white throat with a small black chin patch, and bright yellow underparts; female duller olive-brown above with buffy to pale underparts and little to no black on the chin.
Diet
Primarily gleans insects and other arthropods from leaves, twigs, and bark in the understory and mid-canopy. It occasionally sallies to catch flying insects and may take small berries when available. Prey includes beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and other soft-bodied invertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, interior trails, vine tangles, and semi-open secondary growth. Often uses mid-level perches from which it makes short foraging hops and sallies.
