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GERYGONE ALBOGULARIS, Gould.

White-throated Gerygone.

 

Psilopus albogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 147; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

 

 

Tis sprightly and active little bird is a stationary species and is abundantly dispersed over all parts
of New South Wales, but evinces a greater preference for the open forests of Hucalypti than for the
brushes near the coast. I found it in considerable numbers in every part of the Upper Hunter district,
nearly always among the gum-trees, and constantly uttering a peculiar and not very harmonious strain.
Like its near allies it is very active among the small leafy branches of the trees, where it searches with
the greatest avidity for insects, upon which it almost exclusively subsists; resorting for this purpose to
trees of all heights, from the low sapling of two yards high to those of the loftiest growth.

I believe that a species very nearly allied to the present inhabits the north coast of Australia: it is
very readily distinguished by the markings of the tail; and must not be confounded with the bird here
represented.

I have killed young birds in January which had not long left the nest, but was not so fortunate as to
discover the nest itself.

 

The sexes are nearly alike in plumage; but the young of the year are distinguished from the adult by
the throat being of the same colour as the breast, instead of white.

Crown of the head, ear-coverts, and all the upper surface olive-brown; throat white; chest and all the
under surface bright citron-yellow ; two centre tail-feathers brown, the remainder brown at the base, above
which is a bar of white, succeeded by a broader one of deep blackish brown ; the tips of all but the two
middle ones buffy white on their inner web ; bill blackish brown ; irides scarlet ; feet blackish brown in
some specimens, and leaden brown in others.

The figures represent an adult and a young bird of the year of the natural size.

 

 

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