As recently as 2014, research into the DNA of the Golden Whistler complex has revealed that the form inhabiting south-western W.A. is worthy of specific status.

The differences in plumage are only slight, indeed it is a good example of a "cryptic species" - in males, a slightly paler back and breast and a greyer tail with less black, and in females and immatures an even-toned neutral grey dorsum. So to those folks keen on twitching, so long as you see one in south-western W.A. you can tick it off. No information is available about any differences in calls, indeed, if there are any. They do occur also just over the W.A.-S.A. border, but then there is a gap to the east of 200 km or so before the very similar subpecies 'fuliginosa' of Golden Whistler occurs