SLENDER-BILLED THORNBILL

Photographed near the Nullarbor Roadhouse, SA,  December 2016

963             SLENDER-BILLED THORNBILL           Acanthiza iredalei

AUSTRALIA             695

Also called Dark or Samphire Hornbill. Found in low dense saltbush, bluebush, cotton bush, samphire on salt lakes, salt marshes, low banksia, tea-tree, casuarina scrubs, sandman heaths, mulga, other acacia, mangroves. 9-10 cm. Three subspecies: iredalei subspecies has six separate and isolated populations in Western Australia, and a large population in the Carnarvon bioregion; hedleyi subspecies ranges across eastern Australia; rosinae subspecies can be found in southern Australia.

NARETHA BLUEBONNET

Photographed at Naretha, WA, December 2016

962                NARETHA BLUEBONNET                 Northiella narethae 

AUSTRALIA             694

Found in blah, Casuarina cristata, with acacias; low eucalyptus. 28 cm. Range: southeastern Western Australia to southwest South Australia.

CORNCRAKE

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

961                    CORNCRAKE               Crex crex

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)               693

Also known as Landrail. Found in hayfields, crops, water meadows. 25-27 cm. Range: from Europe to w Siberia, migrating to Africa and sw Asia; vagrant to Aust.: Randwick, NSW, 1893, and on a ship off Jurien Bay (WA) 1944.

NOTE: The only photographs ever taken of a Corncrake in Australia.