Aphelocephala leucopsis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The southern whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis) is a small passerine found in arid regions across most of the southern half of the Australian continent, excluding Tasmania. Superficially finch-like in appearance, this insectivorous bird is relatively common throughout most of its range, however, overall populations appear to be in decline.
Originally classified as genus Xerophila, the whitefaces were later reclassified when it was noted that a group of molluscs had already been ascribed that name and thus, are now listed as genus Aphelocephala. There are three species within the Aphelocephala, including the southern whiteface, banded whiteface (A. nigricincta) and chestnut-breasted whiteface (A. pectoralis). The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek apheles 'simple' and kephale 'head'. The specific epithet derives from Ancient Greek leukos 'white' and opsis 'face'. Recent phylogenetic study has found whitefaces to be most closely related to the scrubtit (Acanthornis magnus), a monotypic Tasmanian species similar in appearance to Sericornis scrubwrens. The marked difference in the size and shape of the whiteface beak compared with that of the scrubtit has been attributed... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Whiteface sighting in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 69th most-seen of the 84 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.
January, June and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Whiteface in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, July and September–December, the lowest months. Those are among Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park's wettest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Whiteface sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Southern Whiteface sightings, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Flinders Ranges National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same family: Acanthizidae
The closest relatives of the Southern Whiteface that you can see in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (family Acanthizidae, Thornbills and Allies) are Inland Thornbill (about 10%) and Redthroat (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Whiteface is recorded against all the birds logged in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (7 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.
