23

Green Catbird

(Ailuroedus crassirostris)
Size: 24-33 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are three races of Green Catbirds, all of which are found on a narrow fringe along the east coast of Australia and parts of the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range. Nominate race "crassirostris" occurs from about Woollongong, NSW, in the south, to just south of Yeppoon, QLD. Race "maculosa" (formerly a race of the "Spotted Catbird") is found in QLD, from about Cooktown to Paluma. Race "joanae" (also formerly a race of the "Spotted Catbird") has a very restricted range - they are found only between Yarraden and Coen, QLD, on the eastern side of Cape York peninsula.

Green Catbirds can be found in highland and temperate rainforest, often high up in the canopy.

Sightings

Spotted and identified by us in Dorrigo National Park, northern NSW, for the first time in 2005. Heard and seen again in the same location in July 2009.

Also found by us at Wingham Brush Nature Reserve, Wingham, NSW, in September 2011.

Apart from the characteristic cat-like call giving them their name, these birds also use a very high-pitched short chirping call unusual for a bird this tall (about the same size as a Satin Bowerbird).

Photos

Frontal view of a Green Catbird taken with a flash

Lateral view

These pages are largely based on our own observations. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.