Anyone have any tips on places to see the Tongan Whistler on Vava’u, Tonga?
I have unexpectedly been asked to conduct a flying visit to Tonga next week, including Vava’u, but I will only be on the island for 1-2 days at most & will be working, so it needs to be a fairly accessible spot.
Thanks, Ross Macfarlane ===============================
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Nikolas, Yes, thanks for the clarification – what I meant was it has been lumped with the golden whistler in the past, but is now recognised as a separate species, as you correctly point out… Cheers… Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 11:45 PM
Hi Ross et al.,
Quote: “The Tongan whistler has been lumped with the golden whistler, & there is a similar species in Fiji” Both Tongan Pachycephala jacquinoti and Fiji Whistler P. graeffii are treated as separate species by both IOC and Clements.
Cheers,
Nikolas
G’day Ross
This comparison with the Fijian Whistler, depends on which Form you are talking about. On Ono Island in Fiji the Male is bright yellow from bill to vent, no white throat or black band. Fiji also has several other variations.
Any way glad you saw the Tongan one – I have not.
Cheers
Mike =================== Michael Tarburton tarburton.m@optusnet.com.au ===================
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Hi Ross et al.,
Quote: “The Tongan whistler has been lumped with the golden whistler, & there is a similar species in Fiji” Both Tongan Pachycephala jacquinoti and Fiji Whistler P. graeffii are treated as separate species by both IOC and Clements.
Cheers,
Nikolas
Sought and found…
With very limited time today I was successful in spotting the Tongan whistler, which is indigenous to Tonga’s second island, Vava’u, and one other island in the Tongan group.
Thanks to those who helped out with tips on finding it. Most useful to me, though, was this:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Pachycephala-jacquinoti
… because not only did it let me identify spots to find it, but allowed me to cheat and call it up using a download of its own call (I know, I know, so shoot me. I had 1 hour left on a tropical island – what would you have done?)
I found it 100m into the trees above the Mt Talau radio tower, after a very obliging taxi driver drove up a track no self-respecting goat would claim, and thanks to my internet cheat I found it within 2 minutes of leaving my somewhat bewildered fellow travellers (2 Fijians and a Tongan, who just accepted it as Western eccentricity,) below the human-induced tree line.
The Tongan whistler has been lumped with the golden whistler, & there is a similar species in Fiji, but unlike the Australian & Fijian golden whistlers, the Tongan whistler has no white bib & just has a full black hangman’s hood. For the record, it was a cracker – a little golden jewel who regarded me and my recorded message with what I can best describe as a disdainful eye.
(This Tongan stamp was the only image I could find of the Tongan whistler on line: http://www.bird-stamps.org/images/stamps/tonga/1427.jpg)
And then I got to fly back to Nuku’alofa on a 1945 Douglas DC3. A top day was had by me, at least. Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 5:45 PM
Anyone have any tips on places to see the Tongan Whistler on Vava’u, Tonga?
I have unexpectedly been asked to conduct a flying visit to Tonga next week, including Vava’u, but I will only be on the island for 1-2 days at most & will be working, so it needs to be a fairly accessible spot.
Thanks, Ross Macfarlane ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================