Western Gerygone

Western Gerygone

Gerygone fusca

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Rottnest Island

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

145 Verified sightings at Rottnest Island From 2019 to 2026
166 In all 2 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Western Gerygone

The western gerygone (Gerygone fusca) is a small, brownish-grey species of passerine bird, which is found in inland and south-west Australia. It is an arboreal, insectivore of open forest, woodland and dry shrubland. It is not currently threatened with extinction (IUCN: Least Concern).

The western gerygone is a member of the family Acanthizidae (Thornbills and Allies), which has been split from the family Pardalotidae (Pardalotes). It is a sister-species to the mangrove gerygone (Gerygone levigaster). The close relationship of this phylogenetic pair is suggested by analyses of both morphological characteristics and genetic loci. Populations of a common ancestor of the two species are thought to have diverged after becoming fragmented by severe aridity during the Pleistocene. These two species are now in secondary contact in the Carpentarian Basin, but occupy very different habitats and do not interbreed.

The common name western gerygone and scientific name Gerygone fusca are recognized by the taxonomies of the International Ornithological Congress, Clement's Checklist, the Handbook of the Birds of the World and Christidis and Boles. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:36

Australia · 2021

© Marc Anderson · XC689116 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:12

Australia · 2016

© Greg McLachlan · XC336500 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:37

Australia · 2021

© Drew Davison · XC637285 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rottnest Island 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
2 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
2 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
3 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Gerygone in Rottnest Island?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gerygone sighting in Rottnest Island on a given day, based on 145 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 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Western Gerygone in Rottnest Island?

July–August and October–November

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gerygone in Rottnest Island on a given day, against about 20% in January and April–June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Western Gerygone?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western 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.

Is Rottnest Island the best place to see a Western Gerygone?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Western Gerygone sightings, Rottnest Island has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, under 5%).

Where does the Western Gerygone sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Gerygone is recorded against all the birds logged in Rottnest Island (145 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.

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