White-fronted Chat

Australian Chats | White-fronted Chat > foraging | water |

The White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons) is endemic to Australia, found across the southern parts of Australia from Tasmania to Western Australia and even up to the Darling Downs, Queensland.

The male of the species has a white face bordered by a black breast band across the breast and nape, to the hind crown. The upperparts of the plumage are a silver-grey, the abdomen is white, with dark brown on the wings and upper tail coverts. The female are similar in markings, except they have grey-brown upperparts, whilst the underparts are white to pale grey. The female breast band is narrow and may be more black to brown. The immature White-fronted Chats are similar to the female, but the breast band is very faint or absent. The eyes of the male have a pink hue, whilst the female have brown eyes.

The preferred habitat is open country with low vegetation (including samphire, tea-tree and heath), such as saltmarshes, coastal dunes, inland salt lakes, swamp and mangrove margins.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Meliphagidae
Genus: Epthianura
Species: E. albifrons
Binomial name: Epthianura albifrons

Footnote & References

White-fronted Chat, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/white-fronted-chat/