TREE PIPIT

945              TREE PIPIT             Anthus trivialis

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)          674

Breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia; long-distance migrant to Africa and south-eastern Asia.

NOTE:  this is the first record, and first photographs, of this bird in Australian territory.

SAUNDERS'S TERN

944                    SAUNDERS'S TERN             Sternula saundersi

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)           673

Not very well known tern, also called Black-shafted Tern, and often mistaken for Little Tern. Inhabits coastal areas, and up to two kilometres inland, ranging up to 15 kilometres out to sea when feeding. Found in Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kenya, Madagascar, Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Small flock appears on South Island in the Cocos Islands, this may be just a few birds or up to 20.

Photographed Cocos Islands, January 2023

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

(see  864)             BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON             Nycticorax nycticorax

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)            672

Found in marshes, swamps, rice paddies, mangroves. 58-65 cm. Found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia.

CHINESE SPARROWHAWK

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

(see 861)          CHINESE SPARROWHAWK            Accipiter soloensis

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)           671

Found in open country, wooded areas; often seen in migrating flocks over forests. 29-35 cm. Breeds W,C,E,S China, taiwan, N,S Korea, S Ussuriland; winters Sundas, Philippines, Sulawesi, N Moluccan, rarely New Guinea.

NORTHERN PINTAIL

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

943           NORTHERN PINTAIL          Anas acuta

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)           670

Found in coastal wetlands, farmlands, reservoirs. 50-65 cm. Breeds Eurasia, North America; migrates to Africa, China, Central America. First record in Australia, Chandala Swamp, NE of Perth, WA 1985, other records since.

BLUE-AND-WHITE FLYCATCHER

Photographed on Cocos Islands, December 2016

942            BLUE-AND-WHITE FLYCATCHER               Cyanoptila cynomelana

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)           669

Found in forests on hills near streams. Breeds Japan and Korea; winters to SE Asia, Indonesia. In Australia first found beach washed specimen at Cossack, WA 1995, then recorded at Broome, WA 2002.

CHINESE POND HERON

Photographed on Cocos Isand December 2016

941          CHINESE POND HERON                Ardeola bacchus                                             

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)              668

Found in fresh and saltwater wetlands and ponds in China and adjacent temperate and subtropical East Asia. 47 cm.

WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

940           WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD             Phaethon lepturus

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Island)          667

Subspecies Golden Bosunbird were previous   :   lepturus: found in Indian Ocean;  fulvous (Golden Bosunbird) found Christmas Island; dorotheae found Pacific Ocean; catesbyi found in Bermuda and the Carribbean; ascension found Ascension Island; and europa found on Europa Island, s Mozambique Channel.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

   

Subspecies fulvus, photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

DRONGO CUCKOO

(see   862)           DRONGO CUCKOO      Surniculus lugubris

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)              666

Found in broad-leafed evergreen and deciduous forest, secondary growth, occasionally parks, gardens, mangroves. 24.5 cm. Breeds N, NE Indian subcontinent, S India, Sri Lanka, SE Tibet, W and southern China, Greater Sundas, Philippines, Sulawesi, N Moluccas; northern population winter to south, Sumatra.

Note: first Australian record.

COMMON (EURASIAN) TEAL

                 Photographed on Cocos Island, December 2016     

939         COMMON (EURASIAN) TEAL           Anas crecca

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)            665

Found on lakes, large rivers, marshes and various wetlands. 34-38 cms. Breeds across northern Eurasia and mostly winters south of its breeding range

BROWN SHRIKE

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

(see   928)         BROWN SHRIKE               Lanius cristatus 

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)         664

Found in open country, cultivation, gardens, secondary growth, forest edges. 19-20 cm. Breeds in temperate Asia and migrate to tropical Asia.; vagrant to Christmas and Cocos Islands.

ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

(*see 917)             ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER            Musicicapa dauurica

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)          663

 Found in open forests, secondary growth, plantations, parks, gardens, mangroves; breeds open forest inland. 12.5- 13.5 cm. Breeds in Japan, eastern Siberia and the Himalayas; migratory and winters in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia.  

WESTERN REEF EGRET

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

938             WESTERN REEF EGRET           Egretta gularis

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)           662

Also known as Western Reef Heron. Found in southern Europe, Africa and parts of Asia.

YELLOW BITTERN

Photographed on Cocos Islands December 2016

(*   866)          YELLOW BITTERN             Ixobrychus sinensis

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)             (661)

Found in roadbeds, swamps, streams and estuaries. 30-40 cm. Breeds India, SE to NE Asia, Japan, Indonesia; has colonised some islands in Indian Ocean, SW Pacific. Rare in Australia, first record in Kalgoorlie 1967.