SPINIFEXBIRD

Photographed near Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, May 2015

618             SPINIFEXBIRD             Eremiornis carteri

Australia          (461)

Found in spinifex clumps, dense grasses, near creek beds, lower slopes; mostly in hilly country above 300 m. Range: patchy across arid inland Aust. and WA, from c. Winton-Jundah, n. to Mt Isa (Q)-Barkly Tableland-upper Victoria R. (NT) and upper Fitzroy R. (WA); to w. coast from Eighty Mile Beach s. to c. Carnarvon and Dampier and Montebello Is., Groups;thence inland to Minilya R.(WA) and to James, Kritchauf and Mt. Sunday Ras (NT) and Indulkana Ra. (far n. SA). 14-16 cm.

Photographed near Tennant Creek, Northern Territory May 2016

MASKED FINCH

Photographed on the Savannah Way, Northern Territory, May 2015

617          MASKED FINCH        Poephila personata

Australia         (460)

12.5-13.5 cm. Found near water in grasslands with shrubs, scattered timber; paperbarks. Feeds on ground. Race personata ranges from Broome (WA) through Kimberley; Top End (NT) s. to Victoria R. Downs-Newcastle Waters-Brunette Downs; Gulf Lowlands s. to Camooweal (Q). Race leucotis: s. C. York Pen. (Q) from c. lower Leichhardt R. , n. to Watson R., Princess Charlotte Bay, s. to c. Georgetown-Chillagoe. Fairly common, sedentary.

Darwin, January 2024

BAR-BREASTED HONEYEATER

Photographed at Gibb River crossing, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

616          BAR-BREASTED HONEYEATER               Ramsayornis fasciatus

Australia           (459)

Found in paperback, eucalypt woodlands, blossoming grevilleas, etc; mangroves, monsoon forests, montane heathlands. Range: across tropical n. Aust and islands: from Broome-Fitzroy R. (WA) through Kimberley; Top End (NT), s. to Mataranka-McArthur R.; e. on rivers of Gulf to C. York Pen. (Q); s. on e. coast to c. Rockhampton (Q). Mostly common, scare in e. Q. Blossom nomad, 13-15 cm.

BLACK-TAILED TREECREEPER

Photographed on Gibb River Road, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

615         BLACK-TAILED TREECREEPER            Climacteris melanura

Australia        (458)

The largest and darkest of the Treecreepers. 17-20 cm. Found in open eucalypt forest, grassy woodlands and open scrub in hilly, breakaway country and lowlands; in nw Aust., large timber, red river gums on watercourses, dead trees. Range: from Carnarvon (WA), through Hamersley and Kimberley regions into NT, s. to Banka Banka-Alexandria; in nw. Q., e. to lower Leichhardt R.-Cloncurry. Isolated small, pale race wellsi in Pilbara region of WA.

PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY-WREN

Photographed at Mornington Sanctuary, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

614         PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY-WREN           Malurus coronatus

Australia          (457)

Also known as Lilac-crowned Wren. 14-15.5 cm. Found in pandanus/paperbark thickets with tall changers and other dense low cover, mostly fringing rivers, creeks, lakes; rarely mangroves. Range: nominate race: n. and e. Kimberley (WA) from Drysdale R. e. to Victoria R. (NT); s. to upper Fitzroy, Hann and Margaret Rs. (WA) Ord R. on upper Argyle (WA). Race macgillivrayi: e. NT, from Roper, Towns, Linmen Bight, McArthur Rs. e. to Gregory-lower Leichardt Rs. (nw Q.); s. to Mallapunyah (NT); Lawn Hill NP-Riversleigh-Kimilaroi (Q). Very local, much of its habitat has been decimated by burning and livestock. Nominate race vulnerable.

NORTHERN FANTAIL

Photographed at Mornington Sanctuary, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

613           NORTHERN FANTAIL         Rhipidura rufiventris

Australia        (456)

16.5-18.5 cm. Found on margins of rainforests, vine scrub, monsoon forest; paperbarks, riverside vegetation, mangroves, open eucalypt forest/woodland. range: from Broome (WA) to c. Proserpine-Eungella NP (Q). Inland to c. Larrimah (NT), Riversleigh (Q). Local nomad. Also Soloman Is, Bismarch Arch., PNG, e. Indonesia.

NORTHERN ROSELLA

Photographed at Mornington Sanctuary, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

612        NORTHERN ROSELLA        Platycercus venustus

Australia       (455)

28-30 cm. Usually found near water in grassy tropical woodlands and clearings; paperbarks, acacia scrublands, hill country, timber along watercourses, mangroves, roadsides, crops. occasionally gardens. Range: n. Australia: Kimberley (WA), e. from. Derby-Fitzroy Crossing; through Top End (NT), s. to Katherine-McArthur R., coastally, and on some islands e. to Nicholson R., far nw Q.

PICTORELLA MANNIKIN

Photographed on road to Mornington, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

 611          PICTORELLA MANNIKIN            Heteromunia pectoralis

Australia       (454)

11-11.5 cm. Found in tall grass in Acacia woodlands near water; grassy flats, sparse, tree/shrubs; also spinifex, crops. Range: tropical n. Aust., from Fitroy R. (WA), through Kimberley to mostly sub-coastal NT, s. to c. Wave Hill. Gulf lowlands (Q) e. and n. to Edward R., w. C. York Pen., e. to c. Georgetown-Charters Towers, s. to c. Mt Isa-Richmond.

GOULDIAN FINCH

Photographed on road to Mornington, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

610          GOULDIAN FINCH       Erythrura gouldiae

Australia      (453)

13-14 cm. Comes in Yellow-headed, Black-headed and Red-headed form. breeds in Savannah woodland on stony hills with eucalypts over dense, tall (2 m) native grasses. Range: from near Broome(WA), e. through Kimberley, to s. of L. Argyle; e. to Top End (NT), s. to. Victoria R. Downs; sparse along Gulf coast to s. Cape York Pen. (Q), e. and s. to c. Georgetown. Seasonally nomadic. Endangered.

MASKED WOODSWALLOW

Photographed on road to Mornington, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

609         MASKED WOODSWALLOW           Artamus personatus

Australia           (452)

Also called Bluebird, Blue or Bush Martin, and Skimmer. 17.5-19 cm. Found in open forests/woodlands; lightly timbered ranges; sparse inland scrubs; timber on inland watercourses; coastal heaths, pastoral country, farmland, vineyards, golf courses. Range: mainland Australia except far C. York Pen., but mostly inland of Gt Divide, sparse in Kimberley (Q), Top End (NT) C. York (Q). Highly nomadic.

FRIARBIRD

Photographed at Bell Gorge, Kimberley, Western Australia, May 2015

608       SILVER-CROWNED FRIARBIRD            Philemon argenticeps

Australia         (451)

27-32 cm. Found in tropical open forests, woodlands, watercourses, mangroves, gardens, towns. Range: coastal n. Aust. from Derby (WA), e. through Kimberley and Top End (NT), e. and s. to Larrimah-Mallapunyah, Groote Eylandt; in Q, s. to Cloncurry-Flinders R. on Gulf coast, and from C. Yorke-Weipa s. on e. coast to c. Townsville-Magnetic I; Common, blossom nomad.