AUTRALIAN LITTLE BITTERN

Photographed at North Lakes, Queensland, September 2015

 650            AUSTRALIAN LITTLE BITTERN           Lxobrychus dubius

Australia         (492)

Also known as the Black-backed Bittern or the Black-backed Least Bittern. One of the smallest herons in the world, it is 25-36 cm. Ranges mainly in the south-east of the mainland with patches along the east coast and in south-west WA. Mainly found in freshwater wetlands in vegetation of reeds and sedges, and inundated shrub thickets; occasionally in brackish and saline wetlands, such as mangrove swamps.

CHESTNUT-BREASTED QUAIL-THRUSH

Adult bird hidden in the brush, photographed at Bowra, Cunnamulla, Queensland September 2015

649        CHESTNUT-BREASTED QUAIL-THRUSH           Cinclosoma castaneothorax

Australia      (491)

18-24 cm. Found in mulga-eucalypts, other acacia scrubs, on stony ground; tea tree/mallee/grevillia on rocky hillocks. Range: sw Queensland, s. to c. White Cliffs-Cobar (NSW). Western race was recently separated into Western Quail-thrush.

Young bird in the open, at Bowra

LITTLE GRASSBIRD

648            LITTLE GRASSBIRD                Megalurus gramineus

Australia          (490)

Found in dense wetland vegetation: cumbungi, reeds, rushes, canegrass, lignum, vegetation on bore-drains,; tidal-marshes, salt-lakes; mangroves. 13-15 cm. Range: e. and sw. Aust., Bass Strait islands, Tas., w. to Eyre Pen. (SA), Gulf Coast (Q). Patchy inland pockets of suitable habitats to Kununurra (n. WA). Locally common.

BARN SWALLOW

Photographed in Nepal.

647           BARN SWALLOW               Hirundo rustica

Nepal        (18)

The most widespread species of swallow in the world. Ranges across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. There are six subspecies of Barn Swallow, which breed in the northern hemisphere. Four of these species migrate heavily wintering in much of the southern hemisphere, including as far south as central Argentina, the Cape Province in South Africa and northern Australia. A bird of open country but uses man-made structures to breed in. National bird of Austria and Estonia. 17-19 cm.

TAWNY GRASSBIRD

Photographed at Samsonville, Queensland August 2015

646         TAWNY GRASSBIRD           Megalurus timoriensis

Australia         (489)

 Found in coastal heaths, rank grasses, cane grass, combing swamps, grassy dunes, crops. Range: mostly coastal n. and e. Aust., from Kimberley (WA) to Shoalhaven R. (NSW), inland to Atherton Tablelands-Charters Towers-Tambo-Carnarvon Ras. NP (Q); Moree-Macquarie Marshes-Gilgandra (NSW); vagrant King Island; Bass Strait. 17-19 cm.

HELMETED GUINEAFOWL

Photographed at Samsonvale Cemetery where they have been present since 2007, and locals reports pockets of them in surrounding valleys. August 2015

645          HELMETED GUINEAFOWL            Numida meleagris

Australia        (488)

Introduced into Australia. There are a few surviving populations on islands of the Great Barrier Reef and around Brisbane. 6cm. Found in scrub or woodland. 60 cm.

Photographed near Walkamin, Queensland October 2015

LESSER SAND PLOVER

Photographed at Kakadu Beach, Bribe Island, Queensland August 2015

644             LESSER SAND PLOVER           Charadrius mongolus

Australia         (487)

Also known as Mongolian Sand Plover, Mongolian Plover or Mongolian Dotterel. 19-21 cm. Found on tidal mudflats and sandblast; gently sloping sandy and shelly beaches; salt marsh, estuaries, atolls, reefs, mangroves, airfields. Occasionally on inland freshwater lakes, swamps, bore drains etc. Range: breeds in e. and ne Siberia; regular summer migrant (Aug.-May) to mostly coastal Aust., Tas., and NZ; scattered inland occurrences. Regular in low thousands in some areas, such as Gulf of Carpentaria and Moreton Bay (Q).

EMERALD DOVE

Emerald Dove, race chrysochlora, photographed at Redwood Park, Queensland August 2015.

643           EMERALD DOVE          Chalcophaps indica  

Australia        (486)

Also called Emerald Pigeon, Green Dove and Green-winged Pigeon. 23-28 cm. Found on the edges/clearings in rainforests; tropical, sub-tropical scrubs; wet eucalypt forest; lantana, coastal heaths, scrubs, mangroves, fruiting trees, farms, gardens; drier habitats in winter. Range: coastal n. and e. Aust. and islands: race longirostris from c. Walcott Inlet, Kimberley (WA) through Top End (NT); race chrysochlora from C. York Pen. (Q), s through coastal e. Aust. to c. Shoalhaven R. (NSW), casual s. Vic. and sw. WA; also Lord Howe and Norfolk Is. Common, nomadic. Also New Cal., PNG to se Asia.

Next 3 photographs taken Norfolk Island January 2016

FUSCOUS HONEYEATER

Photographed at Durikai State Forest, Queensland August 2015

642             FUSCOUS HONEYEATER          Lichenostomus fuscus

Australia       (485)

15-16 cm. Found in open forest/woodlands, river red gums on watercourses, rainforest margins; inland scrubs - bear, brigalow; tall mallee, coastal banksia-scrubs, heathlands, gardens. Range: e. and se. Just., from Cooktown-Atherton Tablelands (Q) to e. SA. In Q.  inland to upper Mt Garnet-Charters Towers-Chinchilla-Wallangarra; in NSW inland to Bingara-Warrumbungle NP-Lake Cargellico-s. Riverina, on river red gum forests; in Vict., widespread in ne. and central woodlands, s. to Melbourne, w. through Grampians NP; absent from coastal areas (except Gippsland Lakes) and mostly from nw. Vict; in SA n. to Sutherlands-s. Flinders Ras. Common.Blossoms nomad.

WOMPOO FRUIT-DOVE

Photographed at Ravensbourne National Park, Queensland August 2015.

641             WOMPOO FRUIT-DOVE               Ptilinopus magnificus

Australia          (484)

Also known as Bubbly Jock or Mary, Green or King Pigeon, Magnificent Fruit-Dove, Wompoo Fruit Pigeon or Wompoo Pigeon. 35-50 cm. Found in rainforests, monsoon forests, adjacent eucalypt forest, fruiting trees on scrubby creeks or in open country. Range: coastal e. Aust. and forested coastal islands: from C. York (Q) to c. lower Hunter R. region (NSW), formerly s. to Illawarra; mostly on and e. of Divide. Fairly common in Q., scarcer in NSW.