PLAINS-WANDERER

Female, photographed at night near Deniliquin, NSW February 2015

 517       PLAINS-WANDERER          Pedionomus torquatus

Australia         (358)

15-19 cm. Plains-wanderers are rare, its stronghold is in s. NSW, it is patchy in NSW/Q; s. NT; n., se. SA, n. Vic. Found in sparse, treeless, lightly grazed native grassland/herbfields with bare ground; old cereal crops; short lucerne; sparse saltbush, low shrubland. An amazing bird and has been placed in a family of its own with no living relatives. The female lays four eggs which are incubated by the male. Endangered.

Plainer and smaller male.

HORSFIELD'S BUSHLARK

Photographed at night, at Deniliquin NSW, February 2015

516       HORSFIELD'S BUSHLARK          Mirafra javanica

Australia         (357)

Also known as Australian Skylark, Singing Bushlark or Croplark.  12.5 -15 cm. Found in tropical, temperate grasslands, with rank cover; open woodlands/scrublands; cereal crops, lucerne, sparse sugar cane. Ranges across n. and e. Australian mainland, w. to Eyre Pen. (SA), s. and w. coast to c. Shark Bay(WA)

STUBBLE QUAIL

Photographed at night at Deniliquin, NSW, February 2015

515            STUBBLE QUAIL             Coturnix pectoralis

Australia             (356)

16-20 cm. Found in cereal crops and stubbles, lucerne; overgrown pastures and grasslands with thistles; saltbush, bluebush, spinifex; weedy margins of wetlands, irrigation channels, roadsides. Range e. and se Q, all NSW, Victoria and Tasmania; se. half SA. sw WA.