BIRDS OF THE BRUSHES AND BIG SCRUBS 
29 
19. Olive Whistler Pachycephala olivacea Vigors and Horsfield 
ol-iv-a-ce-a —L., olivoceus, olive-coloured. 
Distribution. —Southern Queensland to Victoria, Tasmania, and the 
islands of Bass Strait. 
Notes. —Also called Olive Thickhead and Native Thrush. Usually in 
pairs, inhabiting dense scrubs, more especially those of the ranges; it is 
shy, preferring the seclusion of the thickets; its call-note resembles “Peee- 
ee-pooooo”; other notes have a sharp, crack-like ending. Food: insects of 
various kinds, also seeds and berries. 
Nest. —A cup-shaped structure, loosely constructed of strips of bark 
and fine twigs; lined with finer materials. Usually built in an upright 
forked branch of a tree. 
Eggs. —Two or three, pale yellowish-white, sparsely dotted and 
blotched with dull grey and umber markings. Breeding-season: Septem¬ 
ber to January. 
20. Rufous Shrike-thrush Colluricincla megarhyncha Quoy and 
Gaimard 
Coll-u-ri-cinc -la —Gk, collitrion, shrike; Gk, cinclos, bird (thrush) : meg- 
a-rhyncJi-a —Gk, niegas (megalos ), large; Gk, rhynchos ( rhugchos ), beak. 
Distribution. —Northern Queensland to north-eastern New South 
Wales; also occurs in New Guinea. 
Notes. —Also called Rufous-breasted Shrike-thrush and Red Thrush. 
Usually in pairs, inhabiting the brushes and big scrubs; it is very active 
and graceful, and has a pleasing series of call-notes, one of which resembles 
“Tu-whee-wot-wot”; it is also a fine mimic. Food: insects of various kinds, 
mostly procured on the ground. 
Nest. —A large, cup-shaped structure, composed of dried leaves, strips 
of bark, and rootlets; lined with fine rootlets, plant-stems, and grass. Usu¬ 
ally built in a bush or tree or in a mass of vines. 
Eggs. —Two or three, pale pinkish-white, heavily spotted and blotched 
with reddish-brown and dull purplish-grey markings, chiefly at the larger 
end. Breeding-season: September to January. 
21. Bower Shrike-thrush Colluricincla boweri Ramsay 
boweri —Thomas Henry Bowyer-Bower (1862-1886), a British collector. 
Distribution. —Northern Queensland (Cairns to Cardwell). 
Notes. —Also called Stripe-breasted Shrike-thrush. Usually in pairs, 
frequenting big scrubs of the ranges. Food: insects. 
Nest. —A large, cup-shaped structure, composed of dead leaves, bark, 
and plant-stems; lined with fine rootlets. Usually placed in a dense mass 
of foliage or lawyer-vines, up to 25 feet from the ground. 
Eggs— Two or three, pale pinkish-white or creamy-white, spotted and 
blotched with dark olive or reddish-brown and dull slate markings. Breed¬ 
ing-season : October to December. 
D 
