COMMON SWIFT

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

958                COMMON SWIFT                   Apus apus

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)                688

16-17 cm; 38-40 wingspan.  Migratory; breed from Spain and Ireland in west across to China and Siberia in the east, as far south as North Africa, the Middle East, the Near East across Turkey, the whole of Europe and most of sub-attic Russia; migrate to Equatorial and Sub-Equatorial Africa.

NOTE: This is the first ever record and photograph of the Common Swift in Australia.

COMMON EMERALD DOVE

Photographed on Christmas Island

957                  COMMON EMERALD DOVE                    Chalcophaps indica    

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)               687

Also called Asian Emerald Dove, Grey-capped Emerald Dove, Green Dove and Green-winged Pigeon. Found in rainforest and similar dense woodlands, farms, gardens, mangroves and coastal heaths. 23- 28 cm. Widespread resident in tropical and subtropical parts of Indian Subcontinent and east through Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, the Sakishma Islands (Japan), and Indonesia.

JAVA SPARROW

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

956                JAVA SPARROW                 Lonchura oryzivora

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)                686

Also known as Java Finch, Java Rice Sparrow, Java Rice Bird. Found in grassland and cultivation, especially rice fields. 15-17 cm. Resident in Java, Bali and Bawean; popular cage and aviary bird introduced into many countries; introduced into Christmas Island.

GREY WAGTAIL

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

(see  313)              GREY WAGTAIL                   Motacilla cinerea

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)             685

In Australia found near running water in disused quarries, sandy, rocky streams in escarpments and rainforests, sewerage ponds, ploughed fields, airfields. 18-19 cm. Breeds from w Europe to Asia; migrates to Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia and NG.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND THRUSH

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

955              CHRISTMAS ISLAND THRUSH            Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)            684

Also known as Christmas Thrush. Subspecies of Island Thrush. Endemic to Christmas Island.21 cm; 34 cm wingspan. Found in most habitat on the island, including rainforest and gardens; less common in Pandanus, dense regrowth and post-mining wasteland.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND GOSHAWK

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

954               CHRISTMAS ISLAND GOSHAWK          Accipiter fasciatus natalis

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)              683

Also called Christmas Goshawk. Found in tropical rainforests, regrowth forest and edges of clearings on Christmas Island. Endemic to Christmas Island.

ASIAN HOUSE MARTIN

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

953             ASIAN HOUSE MARTIN              Delichon dasypus

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)                  682

There are three subspecies, all breed in the Himalayas and in central and eastern Asia, and winter lower in the mountains or southeast Asia. Migratory.

One of the first records of this bird in Australian territory.

CHRISTMAS SWIFTLET

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016.

952             CHRISTMAS SWIFTLET                Collocalia esculenta natalis

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)               681

Also known as Christmas Island Swiftlet, Christmas Glossy Swiftlet and Christmas Cave Swiftlet. 9-11 cm. Restricted to Christmas Island where it is commonly seen above the tropical rainforest; nests in caves in the limestone cliffs in complete darkness.

ABBOTT'S BOOBY

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016.

951            ABBOTT'S BOOBY           Papasula abbotti

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)               680

c. 80 cm. Breeds Christmas Island and maybe elsewhere in region, dispersing into nearby seas and n to Java. World population eat. at c. 7000 only; endangered.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND WHITE-EYE

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016.

950          CHRISTMAS WHITE-EYE            Zosterops natalis

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)            679

Also known as Christmas Island White-eye. Found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist scrubland. Endemic to Christmas Island. 

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CHRISTMAS FRIGATEBIRD

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

949            CHRISTMAS FRIGATEBIRD             Frigata andrewsi

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Island)            678

Also known as Christmas Island Frigatebird.   Found in tropical seas, oceanic islands, coasts. Breeds April-June, Christmas Island; ranges through tropical Indian Ocean to coasts of India, se Asia to Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines. Critically endangered.

CHRISTMAS IMPERIAL PIGEON

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2016

948           CHRISTMAS IMPERIAL PIGEON                Ducula whartoni

AUSTRALIA (Christmas Island)               677

Inhabits rainforests and secondary growth with fruiting trees. 39 cm length. Endemic to Christmas Island.

EYEBROWED THRUSH

Photographed on Cocos Islands, December 2016

947              EYEBROWED THRUSH         Turdus obscurus

AUSTRALIA (Cocos islands)         676

Found in dark, coniferous forests and taiga eastwards from Siberia. Strongly migratory, wintering south to southeast Asia and Indonesia. First sighting on mainland was at Malinda (Q) 2011.

RED-FOOTED BOOBY

Photographed on Cocos Islands, December 2016

946                 RED-FOOTED BOOBY                  Sula sula

AUSTRALIA (Cocos Islands)            675

In Australian Region breeds on Raine Island, cays in sw Coral Seaand on Gt Barrier Reef s to Capricorn Group; also Ashmore Reef, Christmas Island; stragglers to coastal waters of se Q. -ne NSW, especially after cyclones. 66-80 cm; span c. 1.4 m.