REGENT HONEYEATER

Regent Honeyeater, photographed near Chilton in Victoria, July 2014.

175         REGENT HONEYEATER         Xanthomyza phrygia

Australia    (175)

Also known as Warty-faced Honeyeater, and Flying Coachman. 20-23 cm. This bird is on the endangered list and there may be less than 1,000 left. Range is from southern Queensland down into Victoria, mainly along the Great Divide. Found in dry open forests, woodlands of red ironbark, yellow box, white and yellow gum, mistletoe on she-oaks. 

PIED HERON

174              PIED HERON             Ardea picata

Australia     (174)

43-52 cm. Found in coastal wetlands across n. Australia and down through central mainland. Travels and forages in flocks.

WELCOME SWALLOW

 

 173          WELCOME SWALLOW             Hirundo Nixon

Australia      (173)

Also known as Australian Swallow or House Swallow. 15 cm. Range is across Tasmania and mainland Australia except w of Queensland, most of NT (only found in central s. NT), nw of SA and ne two thirds of WA. Found open woodlands, grasslands, coasts, rivers, wetlands, urban areas.

BROWN QUAIL

172              BROWN QUAIL              Coturnix ypsilophora

Australia          (172)

Also known as Silver, Swamp or Tasmanian Quail. 16-22 cm. Largest of the native Quail. Eyes are red on the mainland, yellow in Tasmania. Found in rank grasses beside wetlands, drains, pastures, swampy coastal heaths, bracken, thickets, tropical grasslands and spinifex savannah. Range across n. e. se. and sw. mainland, and Tasmania.

BUFF-BANDED RAIL

171      BUFF-BANDED RAIL          Gallirallus philippensis

Australia        (171)

Also known as Banded Landrail or Banded Rail. Ranges across mainland Australia except in central Australia. Found on fringes of rain forests, swamps, wet paddocks, scrubby woodlands, heathlands, crops and near tourist resorts. 28-33 cm.

HOARY-HEADED GREBE

170             HOARY-HEADED GREBE             Poliocephalus poliocephalus

Australia            (170)

29-30 cm. Ranges all over Australia. Found in brackish and saltwater swamps, open lakes and reservoirs, and sheltered bays and inlets

GREAT CORMORANT

169           GREAT CORMORANT          Phalacrocorax carbo

Australia      (169)

Also called Black or Big Black Cormorant, or Black Shag. 72-92 cm, wingspan 1.2 m. Range most of Australia, except interior central w. WA. Found in large waters, coasts, bays, rivers, lakes, farm dams.

BLUE-BILLED DUCK

168     BLUE-BILLED DUCK         Oxyura australis

Australia      (168)

Range across se. and sw. Australia, including Tasmania. Found in well-vegetated swamps, large dams, lakes, and in winter more open waters. 37-44 cm, wingspan c. 60 cm.

Photographed near Altona, Victoria February 2015

CHESTNUT TEAL

167      CHESTNUT TEAL        Anas castanea

Australia        (167)

Range across se. Australia from Rockhampton to Eyre Peninsular, and sw. WA, all of Tasmania. Found in coastal swamps, inlets, wetlands, lakes. 40-48 cm.

PINK-EARED DUCK

166            PINK-EARED DUCK             Malacorhynchus membranaceus

Australia       (166)

Also known as Wigeon and Zebra Duck. 38-45 cm, wingspan 58-72 cm. Range all over mainland, mainly inland, except e. WA. found in shallow temporary waters, swamps, flooded clay pans, wetlands, lakes, coastal wetlands. Feed by turning in tight circles. Photographs in Forbes Wetlands, June 2014.

LEWIN'S HONEYEATER

 165           LEWIN'S HONEYEATER             Meliphaga lewinii

Australia          (165)

19-21.5 cm. Range along the e. coast of the mainland, from Melbourne to Cape York and inland as far as Mount Kaputar and Mount Kosciusko. Found in rain forests, lowland forests/woodlands, scrub, mangroves, cane fields, orchards, gardens.

LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT

164         LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT              Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Australia       (164)

Also known as Little Black Shag. 58-64 cm, wingspan c. 1 m. Range across most of Australia, except driest interior. Found in coastal waters, bays, inlets, rivers, swamps, lakes.

GREY SHRIKE-THRUSH

 163          GREY SHRIKE-THRUSH            Colluricincla harmonica

Australia     (163)

Widespread throughout Australia except pocket around Birdesville and pocket in central n. WA. Found in eucalyptus forests/woodlands, coastal scrubs, mallee, mulga, saltbush, watercourses, farms. 22-26 cm.

Subspecies strigata, photographed Tasmania February 2017

FLAME ROBIN

162              FLAME ROBIN               Petroica phoenicea

Australia            (162)

Ranges across se Australia and Tasmania. In summer found in forests, woodlands, scrub; in winter open woodlands, plains, paddocks, golf courses and parks. 12.5 - 14 cm.

YELLOW-RUMPED THORNBILL

161         YELLOW-RUMPED THORNBILL       Acanthiza chrysorrhoa   

Australia          (161)

Largest of Thornbills. Found in short grass on edges of woodlands, scrubland, paddocks, golf-courses, farms, gardens. 11-13 cm. Ranges across Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and sw half WA, central Queensland, sw NT, and all SA except ne.

PIED BUTCHERBIRD

160        PIED BUTCHERBIRD         Cracticus nigrogularis

Australia    (160)

Found in drier woodlands, sub-inland, drier scrub, watercourses, pastoral land, roadsides, gardens. Range is mainland except drier deserts, Sydney and s. coast, e. and s. Victoria, much of SA, sw WA. Beautiful singing voice. 32-36 cm.