The chiming wedgebill, sometimes referred to as chiming whipbird, is a species of bird in the family Psophodidae. It is endemic to Australia. The chiming wedgebill and chirruping wedgebill used to be considered one species until as late as 1973, when they were separated due to marked differences in their calls. Its sound consists of 4-6 descending notes sounding like loud chimes, and the final note is underlined and interpreted as "did-you-get-drunk" or "sweet-kitty-Lintorf". There is nothing documented about the female and male producing the same sound.
Region
Arid inland Australia
Typical Environment
Occurs across the western and central arid zone of Australia, especially in chenopod and Acacia (mulga) shrublands. It frequents dense thickets along drainage lines, edges of salt lakes, and samphire flats. The species also uses spinifex and mixed scrub where cover is continuous. It is generally absent from open grassland and tall forest, favoring low, tangled shrubs that provide concealment.
Altitude Range
0–800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The chiming wedgebill is famed for its clear, metallic series of 4–6 descending notes that carry far across arid landscapes. Long treated as conspecific with the chirruping wedgebill, it was split mainly on vocal differences in the 1970s. It keeps a low profile in dense shrubs but often perches conspicuously to sing, raising its pointed crest. Both sexes look similar, and its wedge-shaped tail gives the species its name.
Temperament
secretive but vocal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or family groups, keeping close to dense shrubs. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in thick cover; both parents participate in care. Territorial pairs maintain year-round territories and advertise with loud calls from exposed perches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, ringing series of 4–6 descending, bell-like notes that sound like metallic chimes. Phrases are repeated at intervals and can be heard over long distances, especially at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Sandy-brown to grey-brown upperparts with paler buff underparts and fine, diffuse streaking; long, wedge-shaped tail with darker central feathers; prominent pointed crest often held erect.
Diet
Takes a variety of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, caterpillars, and spiders, gleaned from low shrubs and the ground. Also consumes seeds and small berries when available, especially during drier periods. Forages methodically, often flicking leaf litter and probing within dense vegetation for concealed prey.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense chenopod and mulga shrublands, along creeklines, and around the margins of salt lakes where cover is thick. Often forages near the ground or within the lower strata of shrubs.
