WESTLAND PETREL

Photographed on Eaglehawk pelagic, Tasmania, June 2018

1254                      WESTLAND PETREL               Procellaria westlandica

AUSTRALIA                 749

Also known as Westland Black Petrel. Large member of petrel family. Majority of life spent at sea but breeds in forests of west coast of South Island New Zealand. Nocturnal and hunt at night, preying on fish, squid and crustaceans.

GREY PETREL

Photographed on Eaglehawk Neck pelagic, Tasmania, June 2018

 1253                  GREY PETREL                  Procellaria cinerea

AUSTRALIA              748

Also known as Brown Petrel, Pedlunker, and Grey Shearwater. Occurs in open seas of Southern Hemisphere, mainly between 49 degrees South and 32 degrees South. Numbers are decreasing and believed to be only 400,000 left. Breed in burrows in the ground, laying only one egg.

RUSTY GRASSWREN

Photographed at Larks Quarry, Queensland, April 2018

1252                   RUSTY GRASSWREN                  Amytornis rowleyi 

AUSTRALIA                   747

Restricted to spinifex associations, with or without light tree cover. Was subspecies of Striated until recent split into full species. Found in central Queensland.

LITTLE BUTTON-QUAIL

Photographed near The Three Ways, Northern Territory, April 2018

1251                  LITTLE BUTTON-QUAIL                   Turnix velox

AUSTRALIA                746

Widely distributed over most of mainland except extreme north, sw and se. Found in dryish grasslands and grassy woodlands; can be common in crops, pasture and stubble. Partly migratory, tending to be more common in inland in winter.

Chick, photographed near Bedourie, Queensland, April 2018

YELLOW-RUMPED MANNIKIN

Photographed at Katherine, Northern Territory, April 2018

1250                 YELLOW-RUMPED MANNIKIN                  Lonchura flaviprymna

AUSTRALIA              745

Also known as Yellow-rumped Munia. Found in eastern Kimberley, WA, and nw NT. Usually in subtropical to tropical mangroves, moist savanna and wetland habitat.

Katherine January 2024

SANDHILL GRASSWREN

Photographed near Uluru, Northern Territory, April 2018

744                  SANDHILL GRASSWREN                  Amytornis oweni

AUSTRALIAN                 744

Found in southern NT, western SA, eastern WA. Was considered a subspecies of Striated Grasswren, now split to full species. Restricted to spinifex associations, with or without shrubs or light tree cover, preferring areas with tall dense spinifex cover.

THICK-BILLED GRASSWREN

Photographed at Coober Pedy, South Australia, April 2018

1248              THICK-BILLED GRASSWREN                   Amytornis modestus

AUSTRALIA              743

Restricted to chenopad shrubland, sometimes with widely scattered trees, both on plains and low rocky ranges. Mostly found in the drainage basins of Lake Eyre (sap indulkanna), Frome (sup curnomona), and Flinders Ranges (sup raglessi) and newly rediscovered in nw NSW (sap obscurer).

GOULD'S BRONZE-CUCKOO

Photographed on Saibai, Torres Straits, March 2018

1247                   GOULD'S BRONZE CUCKOO                Chrysococcyx minutillus russatus

AUSTRALIA                   742

Found in north-eastern Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea. Taxonomic distinctiveness is uncertain and often lumped with the Little Bronze Cuckoo. Habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

COLLARED IMPERIAL PIGEON

Photographed on Boigu Island, Torres Straits, March 2018.

1246                COLLARED IMPERIAL PIGEON                 Ducula mullerii

AUSTRALIA                 741

Native to New Guinea and adjacent islands; found in northern and southern New Guinea and the Art Islands, and recorded on Boigu and Saibai. Inhabits lowland rainforest, swamp forest, mangroves and riverine vegetation. Feeds on fruit from forest trees and insects.

Photographed on Saibai, Torres Straits, March 2018

RED-CAPPED FLOWERPECKER

Photographed on Boigu Island, Torres Straits, March 2018.

1245                    RED-CAPPED FLOWERPECKER                  Dicaeum geelvinkianum

AUSTRALIA                   740

Also known as Papuan Flowerpecker; recently split from Olive-crowned Flowerpecker. Endemic to New Guinea and adjacent islands; in Australia found on Saibai and Boigu. Found in woodlands, including secondary growth and mangroves. Eats small fruits, especially mistletoe, insects and spiders.

SINGING STARLING

Photographed on Boigu Island, Torres Straits, March 2018.

1244                 SINGING STARLING                   Aplonis cantoroides

AUSTRALIA                739

Found in New Guinea and some adjacent islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Admiralty Islands and Solomon Islands; have been recorded in Australia on Boigu and Saibai Islands. Inhabit forest edges, gardens and cultivated areas with trees, urban areas and coconut groves. Eats figs and other soft fruit, sometimes insects.

HOUSE SWIFT

Photographed on Boigu Island, Torres Straits, March 2018.

(* 875)                  HOUSE SWIFT                    Apus nipalensis 

AUSTRALIA                  738

Found in Japan, Nepal and Southeast Asia; vagrant to Australia. Capable of flying long distances by shutting off hemispheres of their brain in-flight. used to be considered a subspecies of Little Swift.

UNIFORM SWIFTLET

Photographed on Boigu Island, Torres Straits, March 2018.

1243                  UNIFORM SWIFTLET                 Aerodramus vanikorensis 

AUSTRALIAN             737

Also known as the Vanikoro or Lowland Swift. Widespread form Philippines through Wallace, New Guinea and Melanesia; vagrant to Australia, recorded in Cape York and Torres Strait Islands. Forages for insects on the wing primarily in lowland forests and open areas. Nests in caves, uses echolocation, rare in birds, to navigate.

ASHY-BELLIED WHITE-EYE

Photographed on Little Tuesday Island, Torres Straits, March 2018

1241             ASHY-BELLIED WHITE-EYE                Zosterops citrinella

AUSTRALIA                  736

Sometimes called Pale White-eye or Pale-bellied White-eye. Found in Lesser Sundra Islands and northern Cape York Peninsula. Inhabits subtropical or tropical moiast lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest.