Gerygone albogularis
The White-throated Gerygone has a cascading melodious song and bright olive, yellow and white plumage that makes it easy to recognise. It feeds on insects in the outer canopy of trees. It is a summer migrant, staying for quite a long period in the region, and is twice as abundant as the Western Gerygone.
There are few records in winter, but numbers increase quickly from September to October, then decrease through November and December as the birds move into the woodland areas to breed. Numbers build to a second, though smaller, peak in March and decline quickly as the birds migrate north. As for the Western Gerygone, the drought of 1982-3 brought particularly high numbers in summer. There was a general downward trend from 1986-87, except for the summer of 1994-95 when numbers were high. Records have increased again in recent years.
There are breeding records only for the early years with nest activities being recorded in December and dependent young from late January to mid-March. White-throated Gerygones commonly breed in woodland reserves around Canberra. The bird in the photograph is carrying nesting material. R=65. BR=64.
