CRIMSON CHAT

Photographed near Cue, Western Australia April 2015

 567           CRIMSON CHAT          Epthianura tricolor

Australia         (410)

10-12 cm. Found in open woodlands, plains, scrubs, grasslands. Range inland Aust. to coastal s. in WA-SA. Nomadic.

CHIMING WEDGEBILL

Photographed near Cue, Western Australia April 2015

566          CHIMING WEDGEBILL              Psophodes nigrogularis

Australia        (409)

Extremely shy. 19-22 cm. Found in acacia scrubs on stoney country; mallee-spinifex; broom bush on sandhills. Ranges across w. interior Aust.: from Toomba Ras.-Glenormiston-Urandangi (far w. Q), across s. NT, n. to Tanami; to w. coast (WA) from c. Onslow s. to Murchison R; s. inland to c. Payne's Find-Leonora, e. through Gt Victorian Desert to Tarcoola-Coober Pedy (SA).

REDTHROAT

Photographed near Cue, Western Australia April 2015

 565           REDTHROAT           Pyrrholaemus brunneus

Australia        (408)

11.5 cm. Found in inland scrub, mulga, other acacias; mallee associations with spinifex, eucalyptus with regrowth, tea-tree, saltbush, bluebush. Range inland Aust from near Winton (Q) w. across. NT and s. to Balranald (NSW)-nw. Vict.-Murray mallee (SA); w. to L. grace-moors (WA), thence coastal n. to Pilbara.

RUFOUS SONGLARK

Male Rufous Songlark photographed in Mount Magnet, Western Australia April 2015

564       RUFOUS SONGLARK                Cinclorhampus mathewsi

Australia           (407)

Male 19 cm; female 16-17 cm. Ranges across most of mainland Australia except top Cape York and driestvcentral west of WA, and corner of sw Q/NT/SA. Found in open grassy woodlands/scrublands with dead or living trees.

LONG-BILLED BLACK-COCKATOO

Photographed on the outskirts of Perth in the last light of day, April 2015

563        LONG-BILLED BLACK-COCKATOO            Calyptorhynchus baudinii

Australia       (406)

Also known as Baudin's Cockatoo. 53-60 cm. Endemic to sw. WA; in heavier forested areas of sw. from Gin Gin, n. of Perth, through Darling Ranges to Stirling Ranges NP. Found in forest, woodlands, pine plantations, orchards.

GREY PLOVER

Photographed on Rottnest Island, Western Australia April 2015

562           GREY PLOVER             Pluvialis squatarola

Australia          (405)

Also known as Black-bellied Plover. 28-31 cm, wingspan 71-83 cm. Found on mudflats, salt marshes, tidal reefs and estuaries, rarely inland. Breeds around the Arctic, migrates to s. hemisphere Aug-April, usually to regular spots around the coast and islands.

Darwin, January 2024

RUDDY TURNSTONE (Australia)

Photographed on Rottnest Island, Western Australia April 2015

(Already 269)          RUDDY TURNSTONE               Arenaria interpres

Australia                (404)

Also commonly known as Turnstone, even though there are two types of Turnstones. It breeds in the northern parts of Eurasis and North America and migrates to countries in the southern hemisphere. 22-24 cm. In Australia found around the coastline of the mainland and Tasmania.

MUTE SWAN (Australia)

Photographed in Northam, Western Australia April 2015

(Already 270)          MUTE SWAN           Cygnus olor

Australia                (403)

A native to much of Europe and Asia, and infrequent visitor to northern Africa; introduced to North America, Australia and southern Africa. In Australia range is Northam Weir, Avon River, WA and reported at Lake Leake (TAS). 125-170 cm. Called 'mute' as not as noisy as other swans. The total native population of swans is about 500,000, of these 350,000 are in the former Soviet Union, 22,000 in the UK. For many centuries in Britain swans were breed for food, the owners would mark or brand the beak or feet and these marks were registered with the crown. A Royal Swanherder was appointed and any birds not branded were considered property of the crown.

WESTERN CORELLA

Photographed at Beverley, Western Australia, April 2015

  561            WESTERN CORELLA             Cacatua pastinator

 AUSTRALIA          (402)

Also known as Western Long-billed Corella. c. 47 cm. Found in wheat; sheep farming country, with remnant native forest; woodland, scrub, sand plain heath. Endemic to sw. WA, Albany-Boyup Brook region of far s. WA, ne. of Perth, between Northam and Dongara; Moora and Burkina in w. and e.

Note: The Western Corella occurs in the SW of WA. It consists of two geographically separated subspecies: Butler's Corella (Cacatua pastinator butleri) found in the northern wheat fields of SW WA; and Muir's Corella (Cacatua pastinator pastinator) in a small pocket around Lake Muir, in the far south. The Lake Muir population was down to 100 hundred birds but has recovered considerably. The northern birds are smaller than the southern birds.

Photographed near York, Western Australia April 2015

Butler's Corella, photographed at Beverley November 2016

 

Muir's Corella, photographed at Lake Muir, November 2016

WESTERN THORNBILL

Photographed in Dryandra Woodlands, Western Australia April 2015

560            WESTERN THORNBILL             Acanthiza inornata

Australia         (401)

This is the plainest of the hornbills. It is endemic to sw. WA: from c. Hill R. -Moora s. and e. to Stirling Ras. NP. Found in tall forests to open woodlands; coastal scrubs.

WESTERN GERYGONE

Photographed in Dryandra Woodlands, Western Australia April 2015

559          WESTERN GERYGONE        Gerygone fusca

Australia        (400)

10-11 cm. Found in drier open forests, woodlands; coastal, inland eucalypt, mulga, other acacia scrubs. Ranges in e., c. and w. Aust: e. to near coast between c. Rockhampton (Q) and Sydney (NSW); s. coast Vic; Eyre Pen. (SA); w. coast from Esperence-NW Cape (WA)