Brown-backed Whistler (Pachycephala modesta)
About the Brown-backed Whistler
The brown-backed whistler (Pachycephala modesta) is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It features a grey head, brown upperparts, a white throat and off-white underparts with a greyish chest wash. The brown-backed whistler was originally described in the genus Poecilodryas. Three subspecies are recognized: Pachycephala modesta hypoleuca – Reichenow, 1915: Originally described as a separate species. Found in east-central New Guinea Pachycephala modesta modesta – (De Vis, 1894): Found in southeast New Guinea Pachycephala modesta telefolminensis – Gilliard & LeCroy, 1961: Found in central New Guinea.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 4 recordings for this species: 4 CC BY-NC-SA. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Papua New Guinea in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Related species you can hear
- Australian Golden WhistlerPachycephala pectoralisrecording
- Bare-throated WhistlerPachycephala nudigularecording
- Mangrove WhistlerPachycephala cinerearecording
- Rufous WhistlerPachycephala rufiventrisrecording
- Rusty-breasted WhistlerPachycephala fulvotinctarecording
This species has no recording here yet — these relatives do, so you can hear what the family sounds like.