RED-CAPPED ROBIN

 21      RED-CAPPED ROBIN     Petroica goodenovii

Australia   (21)

11-12 cms. Range bottom half of mainland Australia to Broome in west and Charters Towers in east, with the exception of southern Victoria and wetter ne NSW. Drier scrub/woodlands.

GREY GOSHAWK

Grey Goshawk, photographed near Stroud in NSW

20    GREY GOSHAWK      Accipiter novaehollandiae

Australia    (20)

Also known as Variable or White Goshawk. 40-54 cmd, wingspan to 1.1 m. Female larger. Single or pairs. Sits in dead or emergent trees hunting. Rainforests, forests, woodlands. Found in Tasmania, across northern Australia and down coast (to about 200 kms inland) around to Adelaide.

VARIEGATED FAIRY-WREN

19      VARIEGATED FAIRY-WREN             Malurus lamberti

Australia       (19)

Also known as Lambert's, Lavender-flanked or Purple-backed fairy-wren. It is 11-14.5 cms. Found across most of mainland Australia except Cape York, around Darwin, most of Victoria and very south of Western Australia.

PLUM-HEADED FINCH

Female Plum-headed finch, photographed southern Queensland 

18        PLUM-HEADED FINCH           Neochmia modesta

Australia    (18)

Also known as Cherry, Plain coloured or Plum-capped finch. It is 10.5-11.5 cms. Pairs, parties or flocks. From Atherton tablelands down tablelands to near Canberra, across to coast near Townsville.

MASKED LAPWING

Subspecies novaehollandiae, found across Southern Australia.

17    MASKED LAPWING     Vanellus miles

Australia   (17)

Also known as Masked or Spurwinged plover. It is 35-38 cms. Noisy and aggressive towards intruders when nesting. Found on swamp margins, airfields, open areas and paddocks. Ranges over all Australia except bottom south-west quarter of mainland.

Subspecies: miles, found across Northern Australia

RAINBOW BEE-EATER

Photograph:  Sydney zoo

Rainbow bee-eater, photographed in northern Queensland

16   RAINBOW BEE-EATER                Merops ornatus

Australia   (16)

Also known as Rainbow bird and Kingfisher. Found in most of Australian mainland except central east of Western Australia and west of South Australia. Located in woodlands, open areas. The bee-eater is 23-28 cms.

photographed at Cunnamulla, southern Queensland

YELLOW-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO

15       YELLOW-TAILED BLACK-COCKATOO    Calyptorhynchus funereus

Australia    (15)

The Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo is 55 -65 cm. Found Tasmania, Victoria except N-W corner, SE South Australia, Eastern half NSW, and SE quarter of Queensland. Temperate forests, eucalyptus forests, woodlands and scrub.

Subspecies xanthanotus, photographed on Bruny Island, Tasmania February 2017

LAUGHING KOOKABURRA

Laughing kookaburra, photographed at Lane Cove in Sydney.

14     LAUGHING KOOKABURRA      Dacelo novaeguineae

Australia    (14)

Also known as Laughing Jackass. It is 17-19 cm. Found along the eastern part of the eastern states from Cape York across to Adelaide, the south-west of Western Australia and in Tasmania. Usually found in pairs, or a dominant pair with some 'helpers'.  Found in woodlands, forests and timbered areas. Was introduced to SW Western Australia in 1897. 

EMU

13       EMU      Dromaius novaehollandiae

Australia   (13)

Australia's largest bird being 1.5-2 m. The female is slightly larger. It is found right across mainland Australia, except around the most populated areas, such as a large area around Melbourne and Sydney. Found on plains, scrubland, woodlands, coastal heaths, alpine pastures, semi-desert and pastoral lands.

SUPERB LYREBIRD

Superb Lyrebird, photographed at Bundanoon in NSW southern Highlands.

12.     SUPERB LYREBIRD       Menura novaehollandiae

Australia   (12)

Also referred to as the Native Pheasant.  The male is up to 1m, and the female up to 86 cms including the tail. The male has a tail for display, the females is simpler and pointed . The lyrebird lives in temperate or sun-tropical forests, woodlands, fern gullies, gorges, plantations. Range includes southern tip of Tasmania where it was introduced in 1934-45, highlands from southern Queensland down to Melbourne, also across to the coast from central NSW down. The lyrebird does roost in trees but it feeds on the ground scratching amongst leaf mulch. Mimics other birds and noises. 

AUSTRALIAN PELICAN

Australian Pelican, photographed on NSW south coast

11.   AUSTRALIAN PELICAN    Pelecanus conspicillatus

Australia    (11)

The Pelican is found all over Australia, usually around waterways. May be fresh or sea water. Nomadic. Pelicans are 1.5-1.9 m, wingspan 2.4-2.6 m.

WHITE-FACED HERON

White-faced Heron, photographed at Lane Cove in Sydney.

10.     WHITE-FACED HERON      Egretta novaehollandiae

Australia   (10)

Also incorrectly known as the Blue Crane. Found over most of Australia except areas in the east of Western Australia. Found in areas of water, water along roadways, fish ponds and dams.

photographed in northern Queensland

APOSTLE BIRDS

9    APOSTLEBIRDS     Struthidea cinerea

Australia   (9)

Also known as Grey Jumper, Happy Family, Lousy Jack, Twelve Apostles. 29-33 cmd in size. Usually in groups of 6-10 but can be 20 plus. Often seen on side of roads dust-bathing, feeding or scampering from branch to branch, can be noisy and is friendly around camping grounds. Coastal and central Queensland down through centre of NSW and NW corner of Victoria across to Adelaide. A separate pocket in NT around Elliot-Katherine area.

RED BROWED FINCH

8     RED-BROWED FINCH    Neochmia temporalis

Australia     (8)

Found down the east coast from Cape York around to Adelaide. Frequents grassy clearing in forests, woodlands, mangroves, coastal scrub, blackberries and cane fields. Found in pairs, family groups and  flocks in autumn and winter. 11-11.5 cms.

DOUBLE-BARRED FINCH

7   DOUBLE-BARRED FINCH       Taeniopygia bichenovii

Australia   (7)

Also known as Banded or Black-ringed finch. A nomadic finch which in found across the top of Australia and down the east coast to the bottom of NSW. Found in pairs or flocks feeding on grass seed. Located in near water, grassy scrubland, roadsides, golf courses, farmland, crops. 10-11 cms.