BEACH STONE-CURLEW

90       BEACH STONE-CURLEW        Esacus negectus

Australia    (90)

Also known as Beach Thick-knee. 56 cm. Found on open undisturbed beaches, exposed reefs and tidal mudflats from Shark Bay, across the north of Australia to Nambucca Heads in NSW.            

BUSH STONE-CURLEW

89          BUSH STONE-CURLEW           Burhinus grallarius

Australia        (89)

Also called Bush Thick-knee, Southern Stone-curlew, Weeloo, Willaroo. 55-59 cm, wingspan 80 cm-1.05m. More often heard than seen, wailing call at night. Found in open woodlands, open country with scrub, cover, parks and golf courses. Nocturnal. Common in tropical and northern Queensland, rare in southern half of continent.

SCALY-BREASTED LORIKEET

88         SCALY-BREASTED LORIKEET       Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus

Australia   (88)

22-24 cm. Eastern Australia, mainly in in coastal areas of Queensland and NSW, less common below Sydney. Abundant in forest and woodlands. Seen on flowering gums.

AUSTRALIAN KING-PARROT

Female Australian King-parrot

87       AUSTRALIAN KING-PARROT         Alisterus scapularis

Australia      (87)

41-44 cm.  Range along east coast and the divide from Melbourne to Cooktown. Found in forests, woodlands, berry bearing bushes, potato fields, orchards, parks, gardens.

WHITE-FRONTED CHAT

Photographed at Homebush Bay in Sydney. One of five, unfortunately all males.

86       WHITE-FRONTED CHAT     Epthianura albifrons

Australia      (86)

Ranges across the southern half of Australia. Found in open damp ground, fence-lines, grass clumps, heaths, salt marshes, dunes, mangroves. 11-13 cm.

GALAH

85             GALAH          Eolophus roseicapilla  (Initially described as Cacatua roseicapilla)

AUSTRALIA        (85)

One of the best known Australian parrots. It is found all over Australia in open country with trees, watercourses, golf courses, park and on crops. 34-38 cm. 

NOTE: There are three recognised subspecies of galah: 

the nominate Eolophus roseicapilla assimilis; 

the south-eastern Eolophus roseicapilla roseicapilla; 

and across northern Australia Eolophus roseicapilla kuhli.

The nominate subspecies assimilis photographed at Beverley, WA, November 2016

DOLLARBIRD

This photograph Sydney zoo but also photographed often in southern Queensland.

84     DOLLARBIRD        Eurystomus orientalis

Australia   (84)

The Dollarbird is a breeding migrant to Australia (Sept.-April) from PNG and e Indonesia. It is located on the edges of rain forests, woodlands, watercourses, wetlands and farmlands. Across the north of Australia Kimberleys and down east coast into Victoria. Distinctive 'kak kak kak kak kak' call.

PURPLE SWAMPHEN

83       PURPLE SWAMPHEN       Porphyrio melantonus     

Australia   (83)

Also known as Bald coot, Eastern or western swamp hen, Pukeko. Range is eastern half of Australia from Cape York to Tasmania, also sw Western Australia, and top of WA and NT. Found on margins of lakes, swamps and shallow rivers.

Note: 2 subspecies in Australia

melantonus:  most of n and e Australia, including Tassie.

bellus:     sw WA

Subspecies melanotas, photographed on King Island, June 2018

EURASIAN COOT

82       EURASIAN COOT          Fulica atra

Australia     ( 82) 

35-38 cm. Range all over Australia except se western Australia and w South Australia. Found in water with undergrowth. 

AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE

81     AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE       Gracticus tibicen

Australia     (81)

Also known as Black-backed, Western or White-backed magpie. Ranges over most of Australia except area in central WA and north of NT. Found anywhere where there are trees and open areas of bare soft earth. 38-44 cm.

NOTE:    8 subspecies in Australia.
white backed:  (3 ssp) e and s of Great Divide from se Q through Vic to Eyre Pen.
   tyrannica:             southern NSW across southern Victoria
   telonocua:            Eyre and Yorke pen, Gawler Ranges, Kangaroo Is
   hypoleuca:           King and Flinders Island

black backed:  (4 ssp) much of n and inland Aust.
   tibicen:                se Qld,  e NSW
   terraereginae:      Gulf country, Cape York, central NSW, n SA
   eylandtensis:       Top End, Kimberley across to Arnhamland
   longirostris:         WA, Shark Bay to Pilbara

   dorsalis ssp:       s WA
   papuana ssp:       a New Guinea subspecies which maybe a vagrant to Australia

Tasmanian subspecies, hypoleuca photographed at Scottsdale, Tasmania February 2017

Tasmanian subspecies, hypoleuca photographed on King Island, June 2018

Subspecies dorsalis, photographed near Perth, WA, July 2018

MUSK DUCK

80     MUSK DUCK        Biziura lobata

Australia   (80)

Also known as Diver or Steamer. 47-72 cm, male larger. A strange duck, swims low in the water like a platypus. Dives and eats yabbies and crabs. Dozes on the surface with tail spread. Male display makes grunts and whistles and has tail over head. Range is sw of WA up to Shark Bay, all Tasmania, Victoria and NSW, southern Queensland, eastern part of SA. Found in well vegetated swamps, wetlands, lakes, shallow bays.

Photographed at Shellharbour, June 2014

Photographed at Shellharbour, June 2014

Photographed at Shellharbour, June 2014

Photographed near Werribee, Victoria February 2015

MAGPIE-LARK

79       MAGPIE-LARK          Grallina cyanoleuca 

Australia    (79)

Also known as Little or Murray magpie, Mudlark, Peewee, or Peewit. 26-30 cm. Ranges all over mainland Australia except an are in central WA and extending into some of the west of SA. Found in any terrain where there are trees and mud for nest building, not rain forests or waterless deserts.