PARTRIDGE PIGEON

Photographed at Darwin River, May 2016

771           PARTRIDGE PIGEON               Geophaps smithii

Australia        (615)

Found in woodlands with short grass; open, rocky or sandy ground by streams, watercourses; roadsides; areas of newly burned grass or bush; seldom far from water. 25-28 cm. Range: coastal nw Aust., from Kimberley (WA), s to Cockatoo Spring; Top End (NT), s. to Mataranka-Mallapunyah; possibly into extreme nw Q. Locally common, sedentary.

RUFOUS-BANDED HONEYEATER

Photographed at Fogg Dam, Northern Territory May 2016

770             RUFOUS-BANDED HONEYEATER                 Canopophila albogularis

Australia          (614)

Found in watercourse vegetation, mangroves, paperbark, monsoon forests, eucalypt woodlands, coastal scrubs, cultivation, gardens. 12-13 cm. Range: coastal n. Aust. and islands: from Top End (NT), s. to Victoria R. Downs-Katherine-Roper R.; e. on Gulf coast to w. and ne Cape York Pen. (Q), s to c. Lakefield NP. Common.

RAINBOW PITTA

Photographed at Douglas River Crossing, Northern Territory May 2016

769            RAINBOW PITTA             Pitta Iris

Australia           (613)

Also known as Black-breasted Pitta. 16-19 cm. Found in monsoon rainforest, vine scrubs on watercourses, bamboo thickets, mangroves. Range: pockets of suitable habitat from coastal nw Kimberley and islands (WA) to Top End (NT) e to Groote Eylandt. Fairly common, sedentary.

HOODED PARROT

Photographed near Mataranka, Northern Territory April 2016.

768             HOODED PARROT               Psephotus dissimilis

Australia           (612)

Found in dry, open woodlands; paperbarks, spinifex; eucalyptus in rocky, open grasslands bordering  watercourses; usually with termite mounds. 25-27 cm. Range: confined to Top End (NT), e to w. edge of Arnham Land escarpment. Patty, uncommon.

FLOCK BRONZE-WING

Photographed near Winton, Queensland April 2016

767              FLOCK BRONZEWING           Phaps histrionica

Australia      (611)

Also known as Flock Pigeon. Found on treeless grassy plains, saltbush, spinifex, open mulga, tanks, bore drains, flooded playpens, watercourses, river pools. 26-31 cms. Range: Barkly Tablelands, e NT, and adjacent Q., e. to c. Hughenden-Longreach, casual to e. coast near Townsville; w. to Kimberley Region (WA)

LITTLE KINGFISHER

Photographed at Centenary Lakes, Caines,  April 2016

766      LITTLE KINGFISHER          Alcedo pusilla 

AUSTRALIA         (610)

Found in well-vegetated coastal creeks; streams in rainforests; tidal mangrove-lined creeks, swamps. 11.5-13 cm. Range: coastal Top End(NT); coastal n and ne Q, from Normanton-C. York to s. of Mackay. Sedentary; with local movements

BUFF-BREASTED PARADISE-KINGFISHER

Photographed at Kingfisher Park, Julatten April 2016

765      BUFF-BREASTED PARADISE-KINGFISHER           Tanysiptera sylvia

AUSTRALIA         (609)

Also known as White-tailed Kingfisher. Found in rainforests with open ground; scrubby mountain gullies; riverside vine scrub; well vegetated gardens. 29-35 cm, incl. tail. Range: summer breeding migrant (Oct.-Apl) to coastal ne Q from PNG, from Cape York s to Mt Spec, near Townsville; some overwinter. Locally common.

YELLOW CHAT

Subspecies macgregori, Photographed at Marmor, Queensland March 2016

 764          YELLOW CHAT             Epthianura crocea

AUSTRALIA         (608)

Found in bullrushes, pencil rush, sedges, swamp canegrass, lignum on seasonal wetlands, artesian bore dams, saltbush, bluebush on plains. 10-11.5 cm. Range: from Roebuck Plains (WA) - Barkly Tablelands (NT) - Gulf lowlands (Q) - e. to c. hughenden (Q); Pocket of sub-species at Marmor (Q). Rare, sedentary, nomadic.

Note: There are currently three subspecies of Yellow Chat recognised in Australia: (1) Epithianura crocea crocea, found in Kimberley to the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Lake Eyre Basin; (2) Epithianura crocea tunneyi: restricted to small area in floodplains from Adelaide River to East Alligator River; (3) Epthianura crocea macgregori: Also known as the Capricorn yellow chat, occurs in coastal region of central Queensland (Considered critically endangered).

Subspecies crocea photographed on Roebuck Plains, WA, September 2016

TAHITI PETREL

Photographed on pelagic trip off Mooloolaba, Queensland march 2016

763        TAHITI PETREL           Pseudobulweria rostrata

AUSTRALIA         (609)

Breeds in New Caledonia, Society and Marquesas Islands; wide pelagic dispersal across pacific from Japanese waters to sw N. America. Offshore sight records from Gt Barrier Reef to Sydney. 39 cm, wingspan c. 95 cm. Regular visitor, uncommon.

EURASIAN HOBBY

Photographed at South Lake, Perth, Western Australia February 2016

762            EURASIAN HOBBY          Franco subbutteo            

Australia          (606)

Found in open wooded area, has been recorded up to 4,00 kms. 29-36 cm, wingspan 74-84 cm. Range: found over most of Europa, not found in Iceland, Ireland, northern Scandinavia and Russia. From Europa east to the Pacific Ocean and Northern Japan. Migrates and spends winter in Africa south of the Sahara. 

Note: when not breeding it is crepuscular, hawking in the morning and evenings. It flies hard and fast taking large insects, small bats and small birds like swallows, swifts and pipits.