The bird of the month for April is the Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis).

This common whistler species mainly occurs in south-eastern Australia. It is abundant in the Illawarra and can be seen in a range of habitats, including eucalypt woodland, rainforest and heathland.

Often identified by call, their sharp musical whistle carries over a fair distance and is quite distinct.

While females can be trickier to distinguish from other forest birds due to their neutral brown and grey plumage, the male’s striking gold colour stands out in the canopy.

I came across a group of four birds along one of the many small creeklines feeding into Stanwell Creek on the Stanwell Park Wodi Wodi track and was lucky enough to catch this male amongst the branches.