YELLOW WATTLEBIRD

Photographed in Scotsdale, Tasmania, January 2015

475         YELLOW WATTLEBIRD            Anthochaera paradoxa

Australia          (316)

Largest honeyeater, 37-45 cm. Endemic to Tasmania, rarely found in w. Found in mountain shrubberies, sub-alpine forests to lowland forests; open woodlands; coastal scrubs, especially with banksia, golf courses, gardens, orchards, parks.

BLACK-FACED CORMORANT

Photographed at Low Head, Tasmania, January, 2015

474         BLACK-FACED CORMORANT                 Phalacrocorax fuscescens

Australia           (315)

Also known as Black-faced Shag or White-breasted Cormorant. Range along coast of Tasmania and southern Australia from just above Eden (NSW) to C. Leeuwin (WA). Found in coastal waters, islands, larger bays, deep inlets, ashore mostly on rock stacks or remote rocky headlands, seldom on beaches.

TASMANIAN NATIVE-HEN

Photographed at Deloraine, Tasmania, January 2015

473           TASMANIAN NATIVE-HEN             Gallinula mortierii            

Australia            (314)

Also known as Narkie. 43-50 cm. Endemic to Tasmania, absent from the w. and sw. Found in farmlands with short grass, tussocks; edges of wetlands, streams, lakes; margins of woodlands; roadsides.

BURNT-NECKED EREMOMELA

472          BURNT-NECKED EREMOMELA              Eremomela usticollis

South Africa          (124)

Range across ne third of Southern Africa. 10 cm. Found in acacia savanna; subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry scrubland.

SPOTTED HARRIER

Photographed in southern NSW

471       SPOTTED HARRIER             Circus assimilis

Australia             (313)

Also called Smoke Hawk. 50-61 cm; wingspan to 1.2 m. range all over mainland Australia. Found on grassy plains, crops and stubble fields, bluebush, saltbush, spinifex associations, scrublands, mallee, heathlands, open grassy woodlands.

Photographed at Werribee, February 2015

AUSTRALIAN RAVEN

Photographed in Canberra, December 2014

470          AUSTRALIAN RAVEN                Corvus coronoides 

Australia            (312)

46-53 cm. Range southern and northeastern mainland. Found in open woodlands, and transitional zones, well adapted to urban environments, and is common in Sydney, Canberra and Perth.

GREY TEAL

469           GREY TEAL            Anas gracilis 

Australia              (311)

Most widespread of Australian waterfowl, ranges across all of Australia. 40-46 cm. Found in almost any water, retreats to coastal wetlands in droughts.

SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO

Photographed at Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Canberra, December 2014.

468          SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO             Chrysococcyx basalis

Australia          (310)

Range down east coast of Australia to some distance inland, and in the SW of WA; it migrates here in the summer from wintering in Lesser Sunda Islands and New Guinea. Habitats preferred are forest, dense woodlands, and tall dense scrub. 16 cm. Parasites small dome shaped nests such as Gerrygones. Will eat insects that other birds avoid, such as caterpillars, magpie moth and beetles. The birds gizzard is lined with soft, thick inning which catches the caterpillars spines, these fall away and are regurgitated later.

POWERFUL OWL

Photography at Bowling Club, Turner, ACT, December 2014

467        POWERFUL OWL        Ninox strenua

Australia        (309)

Range:eastern and south-eastern Australia, on the coast and up to 200 kms inland. A large owl, 45 to 65 cm, wingspan 112 to 135 cm. Found in tall, humid forests, wooded mountain gullies,forested ravines, wetter, well-timbered sub-coastal ranges, coastal forests and woodlands, coastal scrub, also found in urban parks.  Hunts at night but will often be seen in day roosting with prey hanging from claw, feeds mainly on small mammals.       

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

Photographed near Bowral, NSW, Grebe in breeding plumage.

466         GREAT CRESTED GREBE                 Podiceps cristatus

Australia            (308)

Found in lakes, larger lagoons and swamps, reservoirs, floodways, bays, inlets. Range around coast of Australia and far inland, most of NSW, Tasmania, Victoria, eastern half Queensland but not Cape York, coast of WA, top of NT, se of SA; also Eurasia, Africa, but not Indonesia and Borneo and PNG. 48-61 cm. 

SABOTA LARK

465           SABOTA LARK             Calendulauda sabota

South Africa            (123)

Found in dry savannah, moist savannah and subtropical or tropical shrubland. 15 cm. Near endemic to Southern Africa.

EURASIAN ROCK PIPIT

464            EURASIAN ROCK PIPIT                    Anthus petrosus

Britain         (13)

16 cm. Breeds on the rocky coasts of Western Europe, mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, and in the east Scandinavia and Russia. Found along rocky coastlines.   

SOUTHERN BLACK FLYCATCHER

463           SOUTHERN BLACK FLYCATCHER               Melaenornis pammelaina

South Africa             (122)

18-20 cm. Found in broadleaf woodlands, savanna and forest edges. Range across top and east of Southern Africa.

YELLOW-BILLED KITE

462            YELLOW-BILLED KITE               Milvus parasitus or Milvus aegyptius

South Africa           (161)

50-58 cm. Summer visitor to most of Southern Africa. Found in forest edges to grasslands, common in densely populated areas, scavenges, roadkill and picnicers, attracted by fires.

LESSER MASKED WEAVER

Photographed in Mkhuze, female Lesser Masked Weaver

461           LESSER MASKED WEAVER           Ploeceus intermedius

South Africa             (120)

Builds nests in large colonies, often with other types of weaver birds. Used as a host bird by Diderik cuckoo. Range across northern part of Southern Africa. Found in savanna and woodland.