COCOS BOOBY

 

Photographed at Mark's Point, Lake Macquarie, NSW, May 2026.

1393        COCOS BOOBY           Sula brewsteri

AUSTRALIA            815

The Cocos booby, formerly known as Brewster's booby, is a species of booby in the family Sulidae. It was formerly considered a subspecies of brown booby, but it was split by the American Ornithological Society in 2024 due to morphological and behavioural differences. It is native to the east and central Pacific Ocean.

CITRINE WAGTAIL

 

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2023

(*328)          CITRINE WAGTAIL            Motacilla citreola

AUSTRALIA                 807

Also known as Yellow-headed Wagtail. 15.5-17 cm. Range across Asia but expanding into western Europe. Found in wet meadows and tundra.

COMMON KINGFISHER

Photographed on Cocos Island, January 2023

(885)*              COMMON KINGFISHER                  Albedo atthis 

AUSTRALIA.                        803       

Occurs in all kind of water bodies on migration, including open streams, canals, reservoir edges, ponds with reedy fringes and mangrove creeks, seldom in forest streams. 17 cm. Widespread across much of Eurasia with many races; occurs east to Soloman Islands; winter visitor to Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia.

 

Cocos Island, December 2023

RED-CHESTED BUTTONQUAIL

Photographed on The Postman's Track, Daybook, Queensland, November 2017

1225                RED-CHESTED BUTTONQUAIL             Turnix pyrrhothorax

AUSTRALIA                    718

Endemic to Australia; widespread though uncommon in NSW, Queensland, northern WA, and NT; classified as vulnerable in Victoria. Habitat is dense grasslands, and open, grassy woodlands of acacia, Red River Gums and Black Box; also in crops and weedy fields with dense cover.

Photographed near Willow Tree, NSW December 2020

EYREAN GRASSWREN

Photographed on the Strzelecki Track (Art Baker Lookout), August 2017

1222              EYREAN GRASSWREN                Amytornis goyderi      

AUSTRALIA                715

Found in clumps of cane grass on dunes. 14-16.5 cm. Simpson/Strzelecki Deserts in far sw Q, far se NT. Locally common, sedentary, locally nomadic.

BLACK-EARED MINER

Photographed at Gluepot, South Australia, August 2017

1221                  BLACK-EARED MINER                 Manorina melanotis 

AUSTRALIA               714

Restricted to large blocks of intact mallee in se Aust; population centred on Gluepot Reserve (SA). 26 mm. Very rare and were predicted to become extinct through interbreeding with Yellow-throated miner but may be holding their own.

RED-LORED WHISTLER

Photographed in Murray-Sunset National Park, August 2017

1220                RED-LORED WHISTLER                Pachycephala rufogularis

AUSTRALIA               713

Found in low, patchy mallee/heath/spinifex; stunted mallee on sandhills; cypress pines; broom bush. 19-22 cm. Inland se Aust.: from Round Hill NR, Cocoparra NP, to nw Vic, Big Desert NP-Sunset Country, occasionally to Hattah/Kulkyne NP; w. to Murray mallee of e. SA. Rare, local.

STRIATED GRASSWREN

Photographed in Murray-Sunset National Park, August 2017

1219                   STRIATED GRASSWREN                Amytornis striatus 

AUSTRALIA               712

Found in spinifex, with mallee, acacias, other inane scrubs, coastal scrubs in WA. 14.5-19.5 cm. Four subspecies recognised: oweni, whitei, rowleyi and striatus. Striatus found in Murray mallee.

NORTHERN SHOVELER

Photographed at Tilley Swamp, South Australia, July 2017

1218                NORTHERN SHOVELER               Anas clypeata   

AUSTRALIA             711

Breeds in northern Eurasia and North America; winters s. to Thailand, Philippines; infrequent vagrant to Australia but found in most states. Wing 239-249 mm; bill 62-72 mm.

NOTE: Long range shot as bird was on private property with no access. 

SOUTH ISLAND PIED OYSTERCATCHER

Photographed at Stockyard Point, Victoria, June 2017

(*  1199)                    SOUTH ISLAND PIED OYSTERCATCHER             Haematopus finschi 

AUSTRALIA                 710

Often referred to as SIPO. A vagrant from NZ occasionally recorded on e coast of Aust; seven records on east coast. 

LITTLE STINT

Photographed at Stockyard Point, Victoria, June 2017

1140                  LITTLE STINT              Calidris minuta

AUSTRALIA              109

Found on tidal mudflats, salt marshes, salt fields, muddy margins of freshwater and saline wetlands, sewerage ponds. 12-14 cm. Breeds in Arctic Eurasia; winters Europe, s Asia; vagrant Japan, Brunei, PNG. Summer vagrant to Australia, records NT, SA, Vic and NSW.