The eastern whipbird is an insectivorous passerine bird native to the east coast of Australia. Its whip-crack song is a familiar sound in forests of eastern Australia. Two subspecies are recognised. Heard much more often than seen, it is dark olive-green and black in colour with a distinctive white cheek patch and a crest. The male and female are similar in plumage.
Region
Eastern Australia
Typical Environment
Occurs along the east coast and adjacent ranges from southeastern Queensland through New South Wales into eastern Victoria. It favors wet sclerophyll forest, rainforest edges, gullies, and dense coastal scrub with thick understory. Birds keep to tangled vines, bracken, and lantana thickets where they can move quietly under cover. It is absent from open woodlands lacking dense shrub layers and from the arid interior. In suitable habitat it can persist in peri-urban reserves and riparian corridors.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Famed for its sharp, whip-crack duet, the male’s explosive call is often followed instantly by the female’s chattering reply. This shy, ground-oriented songbird is heard far more often than seen as it keeps to dense undergrowth. Two subspecies are recognized along its range in eastern Australia. Its presence is a good indicator of intact, shrubby forest understory.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; low, reluctant flier
Social Behavior
Lives year-round in territorial pairs that maintain contact with antiphonal duets. Nests are placed low in dense shrubs or tangles; the cup is built from twigs and rootlets. Both adults feed the nestlings, and pairs often remain together across seasons.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The male delivers a piercing, rising whip-crack that cuts through forest habitats; the female typically answers immediately with a rapid series of chattering notes. Calls are loud, far-carrying, and highly diagnostic, often the first clue to the bird’s presence.
