The White-throated Whistlers (Pachycephala vitiensis) is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family, which is endemic to Fiji and the Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomons.
It is variably considered a subspecies of a widespread P. pectoralis or treated as a separate species, but strong published evidence in favour of either treatment is limited, and further study is warranted to resolve the complex taxonomic situation. Furthermore, P. vitiensis often includes P. graeffii as a subspecies, in which case the “combined” species is known as the Fiji Whistler (a name restricted to P. graeffii when split from P. vitiensis).
While males of P. graeffii are yellow-throated, males of P. vitiensis are white-throated. It has been speculated that these two groups are the result of separate waves of colonisations, with the yellow-throated being the result of early colonization, and the white-throated being the result of secondary colonisation.
References
- Boles, W. E. (2007). Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis). pp. 421-423 in del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. and Christie, D. eds (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 9788496553422
- IOC World Bird List, version 1.7
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