GREAT CRESTED GREBE

Photographed near Bowral, NSW, Grebe in breeding plumage.

466         GREAT CRESTED GREBE                 Podiceps cristatus

Australia            (308)

Found in lakes, larger lagoons and swamps, reservoirs, floodways, bays, inlets. Range around coast of Australia and far inland, most of NSW, Tasmania, Victoria, eastern half Queensland but not Cape York, coast of WA, top of NT, se of SA; also Eurasia, Africa, but not Indonesia and Borneo and PNG. 48-61 cm. 

SABOTA LARK

465           SABOTA LARK             Calendulauda sabota

South Africa            (123)

Found in dry savannah, moist savannah and subtropical or tropical shrubland. 15 cm. Near endemic to Southern Africa.

EURASIAN ROCK PIPIT

464            EURASIAN ROCK PIPIT                    Anthus petrosus

Britain         (13)

16 cm. Breeds on the rocky coasts of Western Europe, mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, and in the east Scandinavia and Russia. Found along rocky coastlines.   

SOUTHERN BLACK FLYCATCHER

463           SOUTHERN BLACK FLYCATCHER               Melaenornis pammelaina

South Africa             (122)

18-20 cm. Found in broadleaf woodlands, savanna and forest edges. Range across top and east of Southern Africa.

YELLOW-BILLED KITE

462            YELLOW-BILLED KITE               Milvus parasitus or Milvus aegyptius

South Africa           (161)

50-58 cm. Summer visitor to most of Southern Africa. Found in forest edges to grasslands, common in densely populated areas, scavenges, roadkill and picnicers, attracted by fires.

LESSER MASKED WEAVER

Photographed in Mkhuze, female Lesser Masked Weaver

461           LESSER MASKED WEAVER           Ploeceus intermedius

South Africa             (120)

Builds nests in large colonies, often with other types of weaver birds. Used as a host bird by Diderik cuckoo. Range across northern part of Southern Africa. Found in savanna and woodland. 

SOUTHERN MASKED WEAVER

Photographed in Mhkuze, female Southern Masked Weaver

460        SOUTHERN MASKED WEAVER               Ploceus velatus

South Africa       (119)

Also known as African Masked Weaver. 16 cm. Found in wide range of habitat including scrubland, savanna, grassland, open woodland, inland wetlands and semi-desert areas, suburban gardens. Range over most of Southern Africa.

YELLOW HONEYEATER

459          YELLOW HONEYEATER                Lichenostomus flavus

Australia         (307)

17.5 cm. Found on watercourses, pandanus, paperbark, eucalypt woodlands, rainforest margins, tropical scrubs, mangroves, orchards, gardens. Ranges across ne Queensland from coast, Tablelands and across to Gulf, recently been seen further south to Bribie Island.

RED-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO

458         RED-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO               Calyptorhynchus banksii

Australia       (306)

50-64 cm. Found in tall open forests, woodlands, grasslands, scrubland, floodplains, river margins, wetlands, river red gums on watercourses. Range sw WA up as far as inland from Shark Bay, small pocket bottom of SA/Vic border, very central of Australia, across north from Kimberley, Top End, most of Queensland and across into NSW to Bourke.

Subspecies graptogyne, photographed at Little Desert NP, Victoria June 2016

CHESTNUT-RUMPED THORNBILL

457        CHESTNUT-RUMPED THORNBILL             Acanthiza uropygialis

Australia           (305)

10-11.5 cm. Range is widespread s. inland and w Australia, to s. coast w. from Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas (SA); absent from humid sw. WA. Found in drier woodlands, scrubs, thickets, saltbush, bluebush, lignum, open pastoral country, among dead trees and stumps

BLACK FALCON

Photographed near Coonamble, NSW December 2014

456         BLACK FALCON              Falco subniger   

Australia       (304)

Endemic to Australia mainland, found in most areas except driest se WA, w SA and sw NT. Found on plains, grassland, foothills, timbered watercourses, wetland environments, crops, occasionally over towns and cities. 45-55 cm, wingspan to 1.2 m.  

YELLOW-PLUMED HONEYEATER

Photographed on Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

455        YELLOW-PLUMED HONEYEATER              Lichenostomus ornatus

Australia          (303)

Also known as Mallee Honeyeater.  13-16 cm. Endemic to mainland Australia from western NSW and Victoria through SA to sw WA. Found in mallee and open woodland of temperate and semi-arid areas, also in freshwater wetlands. 

STRIPED KINGFISHER

454          STRIPED KINGFISHER             Halcyon chelicuti

South Africa           (118)

16-18 cm. Found in woodlands, thorn scrub, dry bush and open savanna, avoids intensively farmed land, and not found in dense forests. Range sub-Saharan Africa, in southern Africa in the ne half of the area.  extremely territorial and will drive off its own species as well as other birds.

BLACK-BELLIED BUSTARD

453      BLACK-BELLIED BUSTARD            Lissotis melanogaster

South Africa            (117)

Also known as Black-bellied Korhaan. 58-65 cm. Found in woodlands and tall open grasslands. Range sub-Saharan Africa, in southern Africa across north-eastern and eastern.

YELLOW BREASTED APALIS

452           YELLOW-BREASTED APALIS         Apalis flavida

South Africa              (116)

Found in subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowlands forest, dry savanna and moist savanna. In southern Africa ranges across n. and down the east. 12 cm.

SOUTHERN GREY-HEADED SPARROW

451          SOUTHERN GREY-HEADED SPARROW        Passer diffusus

South Africa          (115)

Found in savanna and woodlands. Range Angola and Zambia, spreading south into South Africa, now found over most of Southern Africa, where it is also kept as a cage bird. 15 cm.

YELLOW-THROATED PETRONIA

450           YELLOW-THROATED PETRONIA          Gymnoris superciliaris

South Africa            (114)

Found indoor woodland, savanna and riverine bush. 15 cm. Found across n. and down eastern third of Southern Africa.

RED-BILLED QUELEA

449           RED-BILLED QUELEA       Quelea quelea

South Africa          (113)

Range over most of Southern Africa except sw coast. Abundant in savanna and cereal fields. Usually found in large flocks, sometimes numbering millions. 12 cm.