Epthianura albifrons
Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The white-fronted chat (Epthianura albifrons) is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to southern Australia. The male has a white face bordered by a black breast band. It is insectivorous. Sir Willam Jardine and P.J.Selby described the white-fronted chat in 1828 as Acanthiza albifrons. Lesson described it in 1844 as Fluvicola leucocephala, and Brehm as Cinura torquata in 1845. John Gould named it Epthianura albifrons in 1838. The derivation of the generic name Epthianura is obscure, coming either from the Ancient Greek ephthos 'refined' or ephthinaō 'wasting away' and oura 'tail' (referring to the "short and truncated tail"). The specific epithet albifrons derives from the Latin albus 'white' and frons 'forehead'.
The species is monotypic; that is, no subspecies are recognised. Tasmanian birds were thought to have longer bills but this has not been borne out on further investigation. This species has collected many vernacular names. From its distinctive call were derived the names (banded) tintack, gar and tang, and the males' resemblance to a nun's habit led to the name (white-fronted) nun, and similarly moonface, moonbird, baldyhead, baldy... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-fronted Chat sighting in Maria Island National Park on a given day, based on 143 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 31st most-seen of the 81 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a White-fronted Chat in Maria Island National Park on a given day, against about 30% in August and November–April, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-fronted Chat 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 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate White-fronted Chat sightings, Maria Island National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Rottnest Island (Australia, about 40%).
Same family: Meliphagidae
The closest relatives of the White-fronted Chat that you can see in Maria Island National Park (family Meliphagidae, Honeyeaters) are Yellow Wattlebird (about 80%), Black-headed Honeyeater (about 60%) and New Holland Honeyeater (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-fronted Chat is recorded against all the birds logged in Maria Island National Park (143 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.
