BOKMAKIERIE

429        BOKMAKIERIE             Telophorus zeylonus

South Africa      (99)

Bird of the bushshrike family; it is endemic to Africa, found mainly in South Africa, Nambia, with isolated population in mountains of eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique. Found in open habitats, including karoo scrub, fynbos and parks and gardens. 22-23 cm.

DARK-BACKED WEAVER

428         DARK-BACKED WEAVER           Ploceus bicolor

South Africa         (98)

Also known as the Forest Weaver. 15 cm. Found in forest areas, including ravine and gallery forests in open country, and secondary growth forest. Range along eastern side of Southern Africa. Lives in solitary pairs, the pairing lasting several years with the two birds singing together as a duet  and synchronising their song. They live for over 5 years in the wild

THICK-BILLED WEAVER

427          THICK-BILLED WEAVER           Amblyospiza albifrons

South Africa          (97)

Also known as Grosbeak Weaver. Found in small colonies over marshes, rivers, dams with rank grass and reed/papyrus beds. Range up eastern edge and in central north of Southern Africa. Polygynous. 18 cm.

THREE-BAND PLOVER

426           THREE-BANDED PLOVER              Charadrius tricollaris

South Africa        (96)

Also known as Three-banded Sandplover. Range much of eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar. Found on inland pools, rivers, and lakes. 18 cm. 

GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW

425         GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW               Pseudhirundo griseopyga

South Africa             (95)

14 cm. Found in open areas in tall, dense woodlands, frequently burnt and cleared areas, ploughed fields and flood plains. Range below Sahara, in southern Africa found in ne third.

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER

Photographed near Shoalhaven Heads, NSW

424           PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER         Pluvialis fulva

Australia          (298)

Also known as Eastern or Lesser Golden Plover. Found in estuaries, mudflats, salt marshes, mangroves, rocky reefs and stranded seaweed on beaches, margins of shallow open inland swamps, sewerage ponds, short-grassed paddocks, airfields. Breeds in ne. Siberia and w. Alaska, summer migrant to PNG and Australia; mostly coastal, all Australian coast, but sometimes inland.

This and the picture below were photographed at Lincoln National Park, South Australia March 2015

RUFOUS SHRIKE-THRUSH

                    RUFOUS SHRIKE-THRUSH         Colluricincla rufogaster

Australia          ( 297)          

Was part of the Little Shrike-thrush complex. 17-19 cm. Found in rainforest (mainly lowland in ne. NSW and se. Q), watercourse vegetation, paperbarks, coastal open forest, mangroves, katana thickets. Ranges along coastal e. Aust. from c. Nambucca Heads-Coutts Crossing (NSW) to w. coast Cape York Peninsula; Mangroves of sw Gulf.

YELLOW-THROATED MINER

422           YELLOW-THROATED MINER          Manorina flavigula

Australia         (296)

Also known as White-rumped Miner and Dusky's Miner. 25-27.5 cm. Range mainland Australia except coastal e. and se. Just., Cape York Peninsular, e.coast NT, driest deserts. Habitat is drier woodlands, scrubland, grassland with flowering shrubs, drier coastal scrubs, banksia-woodlands, heaths, golf courses and gardens.

SOUTHERN FIGBIRD

421           SOUTHERN FIGBIRD               Sphecotheres vieilloti 

Australia          (295)

Traditionally Figbirds were all considered part of the one species, then divided into three: Australian Figbird, Timor Figbird and Wetar Figbird. Now there is consideration of the Australian Figbird being further divided into the Norther or Yellow Figbird and the Southern or Green Figbird. 27-29.5 cm. Range from c. Proserpine (Q) s. to Cowra on s. coast (NSW).

CLAMOUROUS REED-WARBLER

Photographed at Bendigo, Victoria, November 2014.

420         CLAMOUROUS REED-WARBLER        Acrocephalus stentoreus

Australia              (294)

Also known as Australian Reed Warbler, Redbird, Reedlark, Water Sparrow. 16-17 cm. Habitat reeds, cumbungi, pencil rush, over water; river red gum regrowth; weeping willows, bamboos, crops near irrigation channels, public gardens. Widespread e. and coastal WA, mostly south of Tropic; uncommon in Tasmania. 

INLAND THORNBILL

Photographed at Burrendong, NSW, November 2014

419           INLAND THORNBILL          Acanthiza apicalis

Australia       (293)

9.5-11.5 cm. Found in dry scrubs, woodlands, in sw. WA wetter forests, coastal scrub, heaths, mangroves. Widespread inland Aust mainland, nw Vic, w. NSW, w. Q. west to all southern WA, all SA except se corner.    

SPECKLED WARBLER

Photographed while bird banding at Burrendong, NSW, November 2014

418            SPECKLED WARBLER            Chthonicola sagittata    

Australia         (292)

11.5-12.5 cm. Found in drier woodlands with tussocks, branches, rocks; in Q. mulga, brigalow, vine scrub. Range: se Aust. on and inland of Divide e. to Brisbane, from inland Mackay to w. Vic, to Grampians NP.

COMMON GREENSHANK

417         COMMON GREENSHANK                Tringa nebularia

Australia          (291)

30-34 cm. Found on mudflats, estuaries, salt marshes, margins of lakes, wetlands, claypans, fresh and saline, commercial salt fields, sewerage ponds. Breeds from Scotland to s. and ne. Siberia, winters s. Europe, Africa, s. and se. Asia to PNG, Aust and NZ; in Australia mostly on coast of Tasmania and mainland but also inland except to driest central WA, sw NT, nw SA.

Darwin January 2024

EASTERN CURLEW

416          EASTERN CURLEW           Numenius madagascariensis

Australia         (290)

Also known as Australian, Far Eastern and Sea Curlew. 60-65 cm. Range: breeds ne Asia, summer visitor to coasts of Australia, including Tasmania, seldom inland. Found in estuaries, tidal mudflats, sand spits, salt marshes, mangroves, and sometimes fresh or brackish lakes, bare grassland, near water.

MARSH SANDPIPER

Photographed Lake Cargelligo, NSW, November 2014

415           MARSH SANDPIPER            Tringa stagnatilis

Australia        (289)

Also known as Little Greenshanks. Found in salt, brackish or freshwater wetlands, sewerage ponds, commercial salt fields, bore drains, tidal mudflats, mangroves, estuaries. Breeds Austria to Northern Mongolia, migrates to Africa, India, se Asia, Indonesia, NZ, regular summer visitor to all Australia, mostly coastal but found inland e. half of Australia. 

Photographed Lake Cargellico, November 2014.

Photographed Lake Tutchewop, Victoria, November 2014

CURLEW SANDPIPER

Photographed Lake Tutchewop, Victoria, November 2014

414         CURLEW SANDPIPER            Calidris ferruginea

Australia          (288)

20-22 cm. Found on tidal mudflats, salt marsh, saltfields, brackish or saline wetlands, sewerage ponds. Breeds ne Siberia, migrates to Africa, s and se Asia, Indonesia, NZ, PNG and widespread to Australia, mainly coastal but many inland, all of Australia except driest inland central e WA.