AUSTRALIAN RAVEN

Photographed in Canberra, December 2014

470          AUSTRALIAN RAVEN                Corvus coronoides 

Australia            (312)

46-53 cm. Range southern and northeastern mainland. Found in open woodlands, and transitional zones, well adapted to urban environments, and is common in Sydney, Canberra and Perth.

GREY TEAL

469           GREY TEAL            Anas gracilis 

Australia              (311)

Most widespread of Australian waterfowl, ranges across all of Australia. 40-46 cm. Found in almost any water, retreats to coastal wetlands in droughts.

SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO

Photographed at Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Canberra, December 2014.

468          SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO             Chrysococcyx basalis

Australia          (310)

Range down east coast of Australia to some distance inland, and in the SW of WA; it migrates here in the summer from wintering in Lesser Sunda Islands and New Guinea. Habitats preferred are forest, dense woodlands, and tall dense scrub. 16 cm. Parasites small dome shaped nests such as Gerrygones. Will eat insects that other birds avoid, such as caterpillars, magpie moth and beetles. The birds gizzard is lined with soft, thick inning which catches the caterpillars spines, these fall away and are regurgitated later.

POWERFUL OWL

Photography at Bowling Club, Turner, ACT, December 2014

467        POWERFUL OWL        Ninox strenua

Australia        (309)

Range:eastern and south-eastern Australia, on the coast and up to 200 kms inland. A large owl, 45 to 65 cm, wingspan 112 to 135 cm. Found in tall, humid forests, wooded mountain gullies,forested ravines, wetter, well-timbered sub-coastal ranges, coastal forests and woodlands, coastal scrub, also found in urban parks.  Hunts at night but will often be seen in day roosting with prey hanging from claw, feeds mainly on small mammals.       

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

Photographed near Bowral, NSW, Grebe in breeding plumage.

466         GREAT CRESTED GREBE                 Podiceps cristatus

Australia            (308)

Found in lakes, larger lagoons and swamps, reservoirs, floodways, bays, inlets. Range around coast of Australia and far inland, most of NSW, Tasmania, Victoria, eastern half Queensland but not Cape York, coast of WA, top of NT, se of SA; also Eurasia, Africa, but not Indonesia and Borneo and PNG. 48-61 cm. 

SABOTA LARK

465           SABOTA LARK             Calendulauda sabota

South Africa            (123)

Found in dry savannah, moist savannah and subtropical or tropical shrubland. 15 cm. Near endemic to Southern Africa.

EURASIAN ROCK PIPIT

464            EURASIAN ROCK PIPIT                    Anthus petrosus

Britain         (13)

16 cm. Breeds on the rocky coasts of Western Europe, mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, and in the east Scandinavia and Russia. Found along rocky coastlines.   

SOUTHERN BLACK FLYCATCHER

463           SOUTHERN BLACK FLYCATCHER               Melaenornis pammelaina

South Africa             (122)

18-20 cm. Found in broadleaf woodlands, savanna and forest edges. Range across top and east of Southern Africa.

YELLOW-BILLED KITE

462            YELLOW-BILLED KITE               Milvus parasitus or Milvus aegyptius

South Africa           (161)

50-58 cm. Summer visitor to most of Southern Africa. Found in forest edges to grasslands, common in densely populated areas, scavenges, roadkill and picnicers, attracted by fires.

LESSER MASKED WEAVER

Photographed in Mkhuze, female Lesser Masked Weaver

461           LESSER MASKED WEAVER           Ploeceus intermedius

South Africa             (120)

Builds nests in large colonies, often with other types of weaver birds. Used as a host bird by Diderik cuckoo. Range across northern part of Southern Africa. Found in savanna and woodland. 

SOUTHERN MASKED WEAVER

Photographed in Mhkuze, female Southern Masked Weaver

460        SOUTHERN MASKED WEAVER               Ploceus velatus

South Africa       (119)

Also known as African Masked Weaver. 16 cm. Found in wide range of habitat including scrubland, savanna, grassland, open woodland, inland wetlands and semi-desert areas, suburban gardens. Range over most of Southern Africa.

YELLOW HONEYEATER

459          YELLOW HONEYEATER                Lichenostomus flavus

Australia         (307)

17.5 cm. Found on watercourses, pandanus, paperbark, eucalypt woodlands, rainforest margins, tropical scrubs, mangroves, orchards, gardens. Ranges across ne Queensland from coast, Tablelands and across to Gulf, recently been seen further south to Bribie Island.

RED-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO

458         RED-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO               Calyptorhynchus banksii

Australia       (306)

50-64 cm. Found in tall open forests, woodlands, grasslands, scrubland, floodplains, river margins, wetlands, river red gums on watercourses. Range sw WA up as far as inland from Shark Bay, small pocket bottom of SA/Vic border, very central of Australia, across north from Kimberley, Top End, most of Queensland and across into NSW to Bourke.

Subspecies graptogyne, photographed at Little Desert NP, Victoria June 2016

CHESTNUT-RUMPED THORNBILL

457        CHESTNUT-RUMPED THORNBILL             Acanthiza uropygialis

Australia           (305)

10-11.5 cm. Range is widespread s. inland and w Australia, to s. coast w. from Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas (SA); absent from humid sw. WA. Found in drier woodlands, scrubs, thickets, saltbush, bluebush, lignum, open pastoral country, among dead trees and stumps

BLACK FALCON

Photographed near Coonamble, NSW December 2014

456         BLACK FALCON              Falco subniger   

Australia       (304)

Endemic to Australia mainland, found in most areas except driest se WA, w SA and sw NT. Found on plains, grassland, foothills, timbered watercourses, wetland environments, crops, occasionally over towns and cities. 45-55 cm, wingspan to 1.2 m.