BLACK-BACKED PUFFBACK

436          BLACK-BACKED PUFFBACK             Dryoscopus cubia

South Africa           (104)

Ranges over ne half of southern Africa. Found in subtropical and tropical dry forests and dry savanna, woodlands, thickets, forrest canopies. 17 cm.

LESSER JACANA

435            LESSER JACANA            Microparra capensis

South Africa           (103)

Ranges across the north and east of Southern Africa. 15-17 cm. Found on floodplains and wetlands with emergent grass and sedges.

LAPPET-FACED VULTURE

434         LAPPET-FACED VULTURE                Torgos tracheliotos

South Africa             (102)

Also known as Nubian Vulture. Ranges in patches throughout most of Africa, absent from much of central and western parts. Lives in dry savannah, thorn bush, arid plains, desert with scattered trees in wadis, open mountain slopes; usually found in undisturbed open country with a scattering of trees and minimal grass cover.

AFRICAN STONECHAT

African Stonechat, male

433           AFRICAN STONECHAT            Saxicola torquatus

South Africa            (101)

Used to be referred to collectively as Common Stonechat. Inhabits sub-Saharan Africa, in Southern Africa distributed across central north to the east, down eastern half and across south. Found in grassland, fynbos and scrub, often on fringes of wetlands or forest edges. Occurs singly or in pairs, perching on twigs or stems and dropping into the grass to feed

African Stonechat, female.

DOUBLE-BANDED PLOVER

Photographed in Tasmania, a Double-banded Plover in non-breeding plumage.

432            DOUBLE-BANDED PLOVER           Charadrius bicinctus

Australia             (300)

Also known as Double-banded Dotterel. 17.5-19 cm. This is the only wader to breed in NZ and then migrates to Australia for the winter. Ranges around coast and some distance inland from Perth across south and up east to Brisbane, and right across Tasmania. Found on wide beaches, tidal mudflats, salt marsh; wide, sparsely vegetated margins of shallow saline and freshwater wetlands; paddocks with sparse vegetation; ploughed fields and airfields.

The uncropped photograph of above, Double-banded
 Plover on right

Photographed Culburra Beach (NSW) March 2015

VARIED SITTELLA

431            VARIED SITTELLA            Daphoenositta chrysoptera

Australia              (299)

Also known as Barkpacker, Treerunner and 'Woodpecker". 11-12.5 cm. settlers are made up of 5 (or 6) distinct geographic races spread over the continent. Ranges over most of mainland, except ne SA, se WA and central WA. Found in open eucalypt forest/woodlands, mallee, inland acacia, coastal tee-tree scrub, golf courses, shelter belts, orchards and parks.

Subspecies pileata, photographed Gluepot Reserve, SA June 2016

Subspecies leucoptera, photographed Roebuck Plains, WA, September 2016

KURRICHANE THRUSH

430         KURRICHANE THRUSH           Turdis libonyana

South Africa           (100)

21-22 cm. Range is ne third of Southern Africa. Found in woodlands with an open understory, also parks and gardens.

BOKMAKIERIE

429        BOKMAKIERIE             Telophorus zeylonus

South Africa      (99)

Bird of the bushshrike family; it is endemic to Africa, found mainly in South Africa, Nambia, with isolated population in mountains of eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique. Found in open habitats, including karoo scrub, fynbos and parks and gardens. 22-23 cm.

DARK-BACKED WEAVER

428         DARK-BACKED WEAVER           Ploceus bicolor

South Africa         (98)

Also known as the Forest Weaver. 15 cm. Found in forest areas, including ravine and gallery forests in open country, and secondary growth forest. Range along eastern side of Southern Africa. Lives in solitary pairs, the pairing lasting several years with the two birds singing together as a duet  and synchronising their song. They live for over 5 years in the wild

THICK-BILLED WEAVER

427          THICK-BILLED WEAVER           Amblyospiza albifrons

South Africa          (97)

Also known as Grosbeak Weaver. Found in small colonies over marshes, rivers, dams with rank grass and reed/papyrus beds. Range up eastern edge and in central north of Southern Africa. Polygynous. 18 cm.

THREE-BAND PLOVER

426           THREE-BANDED PLOVER              Charadrius tricollaris

South Africa        (96)

Also known as Three-banded Sandplover. Range much of eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar. Found on inland pools, rivers, and lakes. 18 cm. 

GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW

425         GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW               Pseudhirundo griseopyga

South Africa             (95)

14 cm. Found in open areas in tall, dense woodlands, frequently burnt and cleared areas, ploughed fields and flood plains. Range below Sahara, in southern Africa found in ne third.

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER

Photographed near Shoalhaven Heads, NSW

424           PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER         Pluvialis fulva

Australia          (298)

Also known as Eastern or Lesser Golden Plover. Found in estuaries, mudflats, salt marshes, mangroves, rocky reefs and stranded seaweed on beaches, margins of shallow open inland swamps, sewerage ponds, short-grassed paddocks, airfields. Breeds in ne. Siberia and w. Alaska, summer migrant to PNG and Australia; mostly coastal, all Australian coast, but sometimes inland.

This and the picture below were photographed at Lincoln National Park, South Australia March 2015

RUFOUS SHRIKE-THRUSH

                    RUFOUS SHRIKE-THRUSH         Colluricincla rufogaster

Australia          ( 297)          

Was part of the Little Shrike-thrush complex. 17-19 cm. Found in rainforest (mainly lowland in ne. NSW and se. Q), watercourse vegetation, paperbarks, coastal open forest, mangroves, katana thickets. Ranges along coastal e. Aust. from c. Nambucca Heads-Coutts Crossing (NSW) to w. coast Cape York Peninsula; Mangroves of sw Gulf.

YELLOW-THROATED MINER

422           YELLOW-THROATED MINER          Manorina flavigula

Australia         (296)

Also known as White-rumped Miner and Dusky's Miner. 25-27.5 cm. Range mainland Australia except coastal e. and se. Just., Cape York Peninsular, e.coast NT, driest deserts. Habitat is drier woodlands, scrubland, grassland with flowering shrubs, drier coastal scrubs, banksia-woodlands, heaths, golf courses and gardens.

SOUTHERN FIGBIRD

421           SOUTHERN FIGBIRD               Sphecotheres vieilloti 

Australia          (295)

Traditionally Figbirds were all considered part of the one species, then divided into three: Australian Figbird, Timor Figbird and Wetar Figbird. Now there is consideration of the Australian Figbird being further divided into the Norther or Yellow Figbird and the Southern or Green Figbird. 27-29.5 cm. Range from c. Proserpine (Q) s. to Cowra on s. coast (NSW).