Pycnoptilus floccosus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus) is a species of passerine bird in the family Acanthizidae. It is monotypic within the genus Pycnoptilus. The species is endemic to south-eastern Australia. The species was first described by English ornithologist John Gould in 1851. The generic name Pycnoptilus derives from the Ancient Greek pyknos 'thick' and ptilon 'feather'. Its specific epithet floccosus is Late Latin for 'flocked with wool'. There are two subspecies: the nominate subspecies Pycnoptilus floccosus floccosus lives in alpine areas; and P. f. sandfordi lives in lowland forest.
The pilotbird is a large, plump species of acanthizid, measuring around 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in length and weighing 27 grams (0.95 oz). The plumage of the underparts is reddish-brown with scalloping on the chest and the centre of the belly speckled dull white. The upperparts are chocolate-brown.
The bill is short and finely pointed. Its tail is broad and semi-erect, and flicked up and down when feeding. The pilotbird is found from the Wollemi National Park and Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales through to the Dandenong Ranges... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pilotbird sighting in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 220 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 85th most-seen of the 196 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pilotbird in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pilotbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Pilotbird sightings, Blue Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Royal National Park (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Acanthizidae
The closest relatives of the Pilotbird that you can see in Blue Mountains National Park (family Acanthizidae, Thornbills and Allies) are Brown Thornbill (about 60%), White-browed Scrubwren (about 40%) and Striated Thornbill (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pilotbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Blue Mountains National Park (220 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
