About Pycnoptilus floccosus Gould, 1851
The pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus Gould, 1851) is a large, plump acanthizid species. It measures approximately 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in length and weighs 27 grams (0.95 oz). Its underpart plumage is reddish-brown, with scalloped markings on the chest and dull white speckling on the centre of the belly. The upperparts of the bird are chocolate-brown. It has a short, finely pointed bill, and a broad, semi-erect tail that it flicks up and down while feeding. The pilotbird ranges from Wollemi National Park and Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales to the Dandenong Ranges, near Melbourne in Victoria. Its natural habitat consists of temperate wet sclerophyll forests, and occasionally temperate rainforest, areas that feature dense undergrowth with abundant debris. The species is sedentary and common.
