A small and drab gerygone with a lovely song. The only gerygone in inland Australia.
The Western Gerygone is a small bird with a pale brownish-grey face that merges into a whitish chin and throat, with a narrow, white ring around the eye. The upperparts are brownish-grey, merging into brown on the rump, and the tail has a characteristic black-and-white pattern: most of the tail is white, with a broad black band just in from the tip, though the central tail feathers are dark grey. The underparts are whitish. It has dark-red eyes, a black bill and blackish legs and feet.
A clear sweet silvery song whistled by the males throughout the day, often ending abruptly as if the bird has run out of breath. Bird call recorded by: Marc Anderson
The Western Gerygone occurs in much of eastern Australia, especially west of the Great Divide and the inland plains; it is also widespread in the southern half of the Northern Territory and adjacent parts of north-western SA, as well as on the Eyre Peninsula; and it is widespread in the western half of WA.
Habitat: Forest, Woodland
The Western Gerygone is widespread in forests and woodlands dominated by eucalypts and wattles.
The Western Gerygone tends to be restless in its movements, shaking itself frequently as if its feathers are wet.
Western Gerygones forage mostly in trees and shrubs, pecking at insects and other invertebrates from the outer foliage, or fluttering in the air to snap at insects.
The Western Gerygone builds an oval or pear-shaped nest with a hooded entrance near the top, made from grass, shreds of bark and covered with spider webs, and suspended from a twig. Two or three eggs are laid, and the nestlings are fed by both parents.
