Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus)
Photo: Mikayla Burke
Description
- The Pilotbird is, on average, 18 cm long, weighs 27 g, and has a wingspan of 23 cm.
- Its feathers are a deep rufous brown with a cinnamon forehead, amber eyes, pointed bill, and a long, broad tail.
- Its throat, chest and belly are cinnamon with brown scalloping, its lower belly is dull white, and its flanks are brown.
- Males and females look similar, while juveniles have darker foreheads, underparts, and a pale gape.
- There are two subspecies, including the Upland Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus floccosus) which lives in the ACT, and the Lowland Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus sandlandi) which is found in lower-elevation forests of south-eastern Australia.
- It forages on the forest floor for food, including insects, worms, seeds and berries.
- It breeds from August to January, building dome-shaped nests on or near the ground, and lays 2 grey-green to purple-brown eggs.
- Both parents feed the young, and juveniles stay with the adults until young males leave to find their own territories.
Find out more about the Pilotbird on Canberra NatureMapr.
Where to find them
The Upland Pilotbird can be found more than 600 m above sea level across:
- the Brindabella Ranges in the ACT
- the Snowy Mountains in NSW
- northeast Victoria.
The Lowland Pilotbird lives the wetter forests of eastern Australia. They can be found from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales to the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Victoria.
The Pilotbird prefers wet gullies and can be seen foraging among leaf litter in areas of dense forest with thick undergrowth. Pilotbirds primarily live on the ground, and rarely fly higher than 1-2 m.
Conservation threats
Threats to the Pilotbird include:
- increasing risk of frequent, extensive, high severity wildfires due to climate change
- predators such as feral cats and foxes.
Conservation status
- National - Vulnerable (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
- Australian Capital Territory - Vulnerable (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
Conservation actions
Conservation aims to protect the habitat of the Pilotbird, including to:
- prevent disturbance and fragmentation of the species’ habitat
- find and map important habitat areas manage fire and fire-related activities with consideration of Pilotbird breeding and foraging habitat
- protect the species from predation by foxes and cats, especially after fires
- include the species in surveys, monitoring and research in the ACT
- raise awareness and encourage community and Indigenous-led conservation actions
- study how climate change impacts the species and its habitat
- work with other regions to fill knowledge gaps and improve conservation strategies.