Sought and found...
With very limited time today I was successful in spotting the Tongan whistler,
which is indigenous to Tonga’s second island, Vava’u, and one other island in
the Tongan group.
Thanks to those who helped out with tips on finding it. Most useful to me,
though, was this:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Pachycephala-jacquinoti
... because not only did it let me identify spots to find it, but allowed me to
cheat and call it up using a download of its own call (I know, I know, so shoot
me. I had 1 hour left on a tropical island – what would you have done?)
I found it 100m into the trees above the Mt Talau radio tower, after a very
obliging taxi driver drove up a track no self-respecting goat would claim, and
thanks to my internet cheat I found it within 2 minutes of leaving my somewhat
bewildered fellow travellers (2 Fijians and a Tongan, who just accepted it as
Western eccentricity,) below the human-induced tree line.
The Tongan whistler has been lumped with the golden whistler, & there is a
similar species in Fiji, but unlike the Australian & Fijian golden whistlers,
the Tongan whistler has no white bib & just has a full black hangman’s hood.
For the record, it was a cracker – a little golden jewel who regarded me and my
recorded message with what I can best describe as a disdainful eye.
(This Tongan stamp was the only image I could find of the Tongan whistler on
line: http://www.bird-stamps.org/images/stamps/tonga/1427.jpg)
And then I got to fly back to Nuku’alofa on a 1945 Douglas DC3. A top day was
had by me, at least.
From: Ross Macfarlane
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 5:45 PM
To: 'Birding-aus'
Subject: Tongan Whistler
Anyone have any tips on places to see the Tongan Whistler on Vava’u, Tonga?
I have unexpectedly been asked to conduct a flying visit to Tonga next week,
including Vava’u, but I will only be on the island for 1-2 days at most & will
be working, so it needs to be a fairly accessible spot.
Thanks,
Ross Macfarlane
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