WELCOME SWALLOW

 

 173          WELCOME SWALLOW             Hirundo Nixon

Australia      (173)

Also known as Australian Swallow or House Swallow. 15 cm. Range is across Tasmania and mainland Australia except w of Queensland, most of NT (only found in central s. NT), nw of SA and ne two thirds of WA. Found open woodlands, grasslands, coasts, rivers, wetlands, urban areas.

BROWN QUAIL

172              BROWN QUAIL              Coturnix ypsilophora

Australia          (172)

Also known as Silver, Swamp or Tasmanian Quail. 16-22 cm. Largest of the native Quail. Eyes are red on the mainland, yellow in Tasmania. Found in rank grasses beside wetlands, drains, pastures, swampy coastal heaths, bracken, thickets, tropical grasslands and spinifex savannah. Range across n. e. se. and sw. mainland, and Tasmania.

BUFF-BANDED RAIL

171      BUFF-BANDED RAIL          Gallirallus philippensis

Australia        (171)

Also known as Banded Landrail or Banded Rail. Ranges across mainland Australia except in central Australia. Found on fringes of rain forests, swamps, wet paddocks, scrubby woodlands, heathlands, crops and near tourist resorts. 28-33 cm.

HOARY-HEADED GREBE

170             HOARY-HEADED GREBE             Poliocephalus poliocephalus

Australia            (170)

29-30 cm. Ranges all over Australia. Found in brackish and saltwater swamps, open lakes and reservoirs, and sheltered bays and inlets

GREAT CORMORANT

169           GREAT CORMORANT          Phalacrocorax carbo

Australia      (169)

Also called Black or Big Black Cormorant, or Black Shag. 72-92 cm, wingspan 1.2 m. Range most of Australia, except interior central w. WA. Found in large waters, coasts, bays, rivers, lakes, farm dams.

BLUE-BILLED DUCK

168     BLUE-BILLED DUCK         Oxyura australis

Australia      (168)

Range across se. and sw. Australia, including Tasmania. Found in well-vegetated swamps, large dams, lakes, and in winter more open waters. 37-44 cm, wingspan c. 60 cm.

Photographed near Altona, Victoria February 2015

CHESTNUT TEAL

167      CHESTNUT TEAL        Anas castanea

Australia        (167)

Range across se. Australia from Rockhampton to Eyre Peninsular, and sw. WA, all of Tasmania. Found in coastal swamps, inlets, wetlands, lakes. 40-48 cm.

PINK-EARED DUCK

166            PINK-EARED DUCK             Malacorhynchus membranaceus

Australia       (166)

Also known as Wigeon and Zebra Duck. 38-45 cm, wingspan 58-72 cm. Range all over mainland, mainly inland, except e. WA. found in shallow temporary waters, swamps, flooded clay pans, wetlands, lakes, coastal wetlands. Feed by turning in tight circles. Photographs in Forbes Wetlands, June 2014.

LEWIN'S HONEYEATER

 165           LEWIN'S HONEYEATER             Meliphaga lewinii

Australia          (165)

19-21.5 cm. Range along the e. coast of the mainland, from Melbourne to Cape York and inland as far as Mount Kaputar and Mount Kosciusko. Found in rain forests, lowland forests/woodlands, scrub, mangroves, cane fields, orchards, gardens.

LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT

164         LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT              Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Australia       (164)

Also known as Little Black Shag. 58-64 cm, wingspan c. 1 m. Range across most of Australia, except driest interior. Found in coastal waters, bays, inlets, rivers, swamps, lakes.

GREY SHRIKE-THRUSH

 163          GREY SHRIKE-THRUSH            Colluricincla harmonica

Australia     (163)

Widespread throughout Australia except pocket around Birdesville and pocket in central n. WA. Found in eucalyptus forests/woodlands, coastal scrubs, mallee, mulga, saltbush, watercourses, farms. 22-26 cm.

Subspecies strigata, photographed Tasmania February 2017

FLAME ROBIN

162              FLAME ROBIN               Petroica phoenicea

Australia            (162)

Ranges across se Australia and Tasmania. In summer found in forests, woodlands, scrub; in winter open woodlands, plains, paddocks, golf courses and parks. 12.5 - 14 cm.

YELLOW-RUMPED THORNBILL

161         YELLOW-RUMPED THORNBILL       Acanthiza chrysorrhoa   

Australia          (161)

Largest of Thornbills. Found in short grass on edges of woodlands, scrubland, paddocks, golf-courses, farms, gardens. 11-13 cm. Ranges across Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and sw half WA, central Queensland, sw NT, and all SA except ne.

PIED BUTCHERBIRD

160        PIED BUTCHERBIRD         Cracticus nigrogularis

Australia    (160)

Found in drier woodlands, sub-inland, drier scrub, watercourses, pastoral land, roadsides, gardens. Range is mainland except drier deserts, Sydney and s. coast, e. and s. Victoria, much of SA, sw WA. Beautiful singing voice. 32-36 cm.

GREY BUTCHERBIRD

 159             GREY BUTCHERBIRD             Cracticus torquatus

Australia        (159)

Also known as Silver-backed Butcherbird, Derwent or Tasmanian Jackass. 24-30 cm. Range includes Tasmania, SA, Victoria, NSW, se half of Queensland, bottom half and top fifth of WA, areas to north and to south of NT. Found on margins of rain forests, vine-scrub, paperbarks, woodlands, coastal scrub, roadsides, parks.

Three subspecies in Australia:
torquatus:              over much of Australia, from southern half of WA to most of Q, NSW
leucopterus:          east coast of NSW, east and se of Victoria
cinereus:               eastern half of Tasmania.

Subspecies torquatus, photographed near Whyalla, South Australia, September 2018

BAR-SHOULDERED DOVE

158            BAR-SHOULDERED DOVE              Geopelia humeralis

Australia         (158)

Also called Pandanus Pigeon. 26-30 cm. Range across e. and n. coastal Australia from Shark Bay to Illawarra. Found in vegetation near water: tropical, sub-tropical scrubs, inland and coastal, gullies, gorges, mangroves, woodlands, lantana, Pandanus thickets.

HOODED ROBIN

157       HOODED ROBIN          Melanodryas cucullata

Australia       (157)

Ranges across drier woodlands/forests on mainland except Cape York, driest deserts and wetter coast.  Found in drier forests, woodlands, scrub with fallen logs, debris; mallee, cypress pines, mulga, cleared paddock, banksia dominated coastal regions. 14-17 cm, smaller in the n.  Photos taken near Rylston, June 2014.