Gerygone levigaster
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The mangrove gerygone (Gerygone levigaster) is a species of bird in the Australian warbler family Acanthizidae. The species is also known as the mangrove warbler. The species is thought to form a superspecies with the closely related fan-tailed gerygone of Melanesia and the Australian western gerygone. The species is uncommon in New Guinea and has suffered some declines due to mangrove clearances but is not considered threatened by the IUCN.
The species is principally distributed in mangrove forests and in forests and woodland adjacent to mangroves. The species will move into nearby forests from mangroves to feed, particularly in the breeding season. Where its range overlaps with that of the large-billed gerygone in the Kimberley it is actually displaced from the mangroves and is instead found in scrubland dominated by paperbarks and acacia.
The mangrove gerygone is a typical member of the genus Gerygone, they are small birds with rounded wings, 9–11 cm long and weighing 6 g. The plumage is grey above with a white throat, belly, flanks and rump. There is a distinct white eye stripe. The bill and legs are black and the iris is red. The song, which is similar to that of the western gerygone, has been described as "sweet, rich, tuneful".
The species feeds in the foliage of trees on insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, ants and moths. It is less likely to catch prey in the air than other gerygones, but will join mixed-species feeding flocks with white-eyes, honey-eaters and fantails. The species mostly feeds in the canopy but will forage amongst the roots of mangroves.
The mangrove gerygone breeds throughout the year, although principally in spring-summer in the east of Australia and during the dry season in the north. The female builds the oval domed nest. It is constructed out of roots, grass, spider webs, moss, seaweed and bark, and hangs from mangroves. Two to three eggs, are laid in the nest and are incubated for 14–17 days. Both parents feed the chick for another 14–17 days. A number of cuckoo species are brood parasites of this species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mangrove Gerygone sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 169th most-seen of the 186 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mangrove Gerygone in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months. That is one of Kakadu National Park's wettest months, with about 170 mm of rain against almost none in August. February has too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mangrove Gerygone sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Mangrove Gerygone sightings, Kakadu National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Noosa National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mangrove Gerygone is recorded against all the birds logged in Kakadu National Park (9 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.
