Mangrove Whistler

Mangrove Whistler
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Pachycephala cinerea

Malay Name: Murai-Siul Bakau

Chinese Name: 红树啸鹟

Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to South-East Asia,.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: cinerea, plateni.

Local Subspecies: cinerea

Size: 15.5-17 cm

Identification: Told apart from other similarly sized flycatchers by thick black bill, no obvious head/wing markings or rufous tones in plumage. Drab brown upperparts with slaty grey crown, white underparts with duller throat and greyish washed breast. Song is distinct.

Habitat: Mangroves and adjacent coastal vegetation. Also local plantations and wooded gardens, island forest, local freshwater swamp forest and similar vegetation inland.

Behaviour/Ecology: Unobtrusive and rather inactive. Sits still for long period amongst foliage.

Local Status: Rare resident

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022, May 2022, Jun 2022, Aug 2022, Sep 2022, Oct 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Feb 2023, Mar 2023, Apr 2023, May 2023, Aug 2023, Sep 2023, Mar 2024, Apr 2024, May 2024, Jul 2024, Aug 2024, Sep 2024, Oct 2024, Mar 2025, Apr 2025

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Mangrove Whistler at Changi Reclaimed Land on 31 January 2015. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Mangrove Whistler. Photo Credit: Con Foley
Mangrove Whistler at Pulau Hantu. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Mangrove Whistler at Pulau Tekong on 16 Dec 2012. Photo Credit: Lim Kim Chuah
Mangrove Whistler at Pulau Hantu. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Mangrove Whistler at Pulau Hantu. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Mangrove Whistler at Pulau Hantu on 11 May 2014. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Mangrove Whistler)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Pachycephala cinerea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705440A94018952.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Mangrove Whistler. Retrieved on June 11, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/mangrove-whistler.

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