Pycnoptilus floccosus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 Royal National Park on a given day, based on 95 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 96th most-seen of the 178 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and September–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pilotbird in Royal National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–August and November–February, 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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Pilotbird sightings, Royal National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Blue Mountains National Park (Australia, under 5%) and Kosciuszko National Park (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Acanthizidae
The closest relatives of the Pilotbird that you can see in Royal National Park (family Acanthizidae, Thornbills and Allies) are White-browed Scrubwren (about 50%), Brown Thornbill (about 50%) and Brown Gerygone (about 30%), 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 Royal National Park (95 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.
