Southern Whiteface

It has been a joy to watch a pair of Southern Whiteface building a nest in a pipe above my vegie patch. They worked diligently for a couple of weeks.

Then a Pied Butcherbird came visiting ... I understand "nature red in tooth and claw", I really do, but I still wish the Butcherbird had found something else for dinner.

The Southern Whiteface is a threatened species

We have observed Butcherbirds predating on these tiny birds over several years. In recent years we haven’t observed them nesting. Aggressive birds, along with habitat loss and overgrazing and climate-driven extreme weather, are key threats to this species. In March 2023 the species was listed as a threatened species under the federal EPBC Act ( vulnerable).

On Raakajilm, we often see these birds in mixed foraging guilds with other SBBs (Small Brown Birds) like Yellow-rumped Thornbills. They are insectivorous and love gleaning insects from our native grasslands.

For more info - see Birdlife Australia - Southern Whiteface.

• First published 12 August 2020, Updated July 2021, June 2026