RED-WINGED FAIRY-WREN

Photographed at Cheyne Beach March 2015

557         RED-WINGED FAIRY-WREN             Malurus elegans

Australia         (398)

Also known as Marsh Wren. Found in thick club and swamp vegetation, often with sword-grass and tea-tree, on margins of streams, freshwater swamps; swamp-woodlands; understory in jarrah-karri forest; moist gullies ranges; nearby eucalypt woodlands; coastal dune vegetation; well-vegetated gardens, orchards. 14-16 cm.

COLLARED SPARROWHAWK

Juvenile Collared Sparrowhawk, photographed at Cheyne Beach March 2015

556         COLLARED SPARROWHAWK               Accipter cirrhocephalus

Australia      (397)

Range all over Australia, including Tasmania, widespread, uncommon but may be seldom recognised as similar to Brown Goshawk. Found in forests, woodlands, river margins, inland scrubs, timbered gorges, farmlands, shelter belts, leafy suburban gardens. 30-40 cm, wingspan 76 cm.

GILBERT'S HONEYEATER

555           GILBERT'S HONEYEATER           Melithreptus chloropsis

Australia           (396)

Was known as Swan River Honeyeater but just renamed as none are found in the Swan River area. Also known as the Western White-naped Honeyeater, and local indigenous names Jingee, Bun-geen, and Berril-berril. Was considered a subspecies of White-naped Honeyeater but recently elevated to separate species. Was named Swan River Honeyeater by John Gould in 1844 but the adoption of the name is contentious as they are not found near the Swan River and suggestions have been to name it the Western White-naped Honeyeater or just Western Honeyeater, however it has now been renamed Gilbert's Honeyeater. Indigenous to sw. corner of WA, from Moora in the north, through Jarrah forest belt to Broomehill, the Stirling Range and along coast to Stokes Inlet. Found in sclerophyll forests. 

RUFOUS TREECREEPER

Photographed at Mount Stirling Retreat and Caravan Park, Western Australia, March 2015 

554        RUFOUS TREECREEPER              Climacteris rufa

Australia         (395)

Also known as 'woodpecker'. Endemic to s. WA/SA: n. to Shark Bay, inland to Laverton-Vokes Hill, e. to Eyre Pen. (SA) except for unsuitable habitat on Nullarbor. Found in jarrah-karri forests in humid sw WA; timber on watercourses; golf courses, parks; wandoo and salmon-gum woodland associations. 15-17.5 cm.

WESTERN BRISTLEBIRD

Photographed at Cheyenes Beach, Western Australia March 2015

553           WESTERN BRISTLEBIRD               Dasyornis longirostris

Australia         (394)

Also known as Brown Bristlebird. Endemic to s. WA: confined to Two People's Bay NR-Waychinnicup R., e. of Albany; Fitzgerald R. NP near Hopetoun. Found in dense, low, closed coastal heaths; open heaths with dense clumps of shrubs, eucalypt thickets; tall swampy heaths. Its area has been much reduced by fire. Considered endangered.

RED-EARED FIRETAIL

Photographed at Cheyennes Beach, Western Australia March 2015

551          RED-EARED FIRETAIL           Stagonopleura oculata

Australia          (393)

Endemic to sw. WA from Darling Ras., near Perth, s. to Manjimup-Pemberton, e. coastally to Cape Arid NP, inland to Stirling Ras. NP. 11-13 cm. Found in forest undergrowth; vegetation on creeks; gullies with she oak, saw-sedge; coastal scrubs, heaths, paperbarks.

WESTERN SPINEBILL

Female Western Spinebill, photographed at Cheyne's Beach, Western Australia March 2015

551         WESTERN SPINEBILL           Acanthorhynchus superciliosus

Australia            (392)

Found in the understory of forests/woodlands; sand plain heaths, coastal scrub; thickets of banksia/dryandras. Range: endemic to sw. WA; from n. of Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay inland to Moora-Corrigan-L. Grace.

NOISY SCRUB-BIRD

The Noisy Scrub-bird is extremely elusive, so much so that it was considered extinct for many years.  It lives in a small patch of tight scrub and is only seen as it darts across a laneway which divides the scrub. Photographed at Cheynes Beach, Western Australia March 2015

550         NOISY SCRUB-BIRD          Atrichornis clamosus

Australia            (391)

This is one of Australia's rarest birds. It was declared extinct in the 1950s after not having been seen for many years. A small population was rediscovered in 1961. A few have now been relocated to guard against extinction should their habitat suffer due to bushfires. The bird is often heard but rarely seen. It lives in very dense scrub and is elusive. Its range is confined to the region of TwoPeople's Bay Nature Reserve, e. of Albany WA. Habitat is dense thickets of stunted eucalyptus; tea-tree, banksia, sheoak, rush, saw-sedge, tall grasses.

WHITE-BREASTED ROBIN

Photographed at Chenney's Beach, Western Australia March 2015

549         WHITE-BREASTED ROBIN       Eopsaltria georgiana

Australia        (390)

14.5-16 cm. Range only in sw WA: from n. Geraldton s. to c. Albany, with coastal gaps in Perth region. Found in lower dense, well vegetated creek beds, gullies; understory of dense forest, e.g. karri; thickets of acacia, melaleuca, etc; with well developed canopy, little under-shrubbery and much litter; forest margins with bracken, etc; coastal dune-thickets; tall coastal heaths.

WESTERN ROSELLA

Photographed at Cheney's Beach, Western Australia March 2015

548           WESTERN ROSELLA              Platycerus icterotis

Australia        (389)

Endemic to sw. WA, s. and w. of Dongala-Israelite Bay, e. to Southern Cross-Norseman. 25-28 cm. Found in open forest, woodland with grassy clearings; trees on watercourses; farmlands, crops, roadsides, orchards.