In November 2007 I have recorded 69 species of birds in a 3
hectare area around our house on Whiskers Creek Road (or, for those in
brackets, other parts of the area). An *
in the list below shows those species which I have noticed undertaking breeding
activities, while a # indicates a species reported
to me by other observers.
Water
birds:
White-faced heron, Australian wood duck, (Little pied cormorant, (Masked
Lapwing, Australasian grebe*, Pacific black duck, Grey teal, Nankeen Night-heron#)
Birds
of prey: Little Eagle, (Brown goshawk, Nankeen
kestrel)
Parrots
and relatives:, Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Galah*,
Crimson rosella*, Eastern rosella, Gang-gang cockatoo, Yellow-tailed
black-cockatoo.
Kingfishers
and other non-songbirds:, Pallid Cuckoo*, Sacred kingfisher,
Crested pigeon, Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo, (Laughing kookaburra , Southern
Boobook, Australian Owlet-nightjar, Dollarbird)
Honeyeaters:,
White-eared honeyeater, Yellow faced honeyeater, Red wattlebird, Noisy
friarbird, (Noisy Miner, Brown-headed honeyeater ).
Flycatchers
and similar species: Rufous whistler, Welcome swallow*,
Willie wagtail, Grey fantail (Tree martin, Dusky woodswallow, Scarlet robin, Magpie-lark, White-winged
Triller, Rufous songlark)
Other,
smaller, birds: Western gerygone, ,White-browed
scrubwren, Weebill, Striated thornbill, Yellow-rumped thornbill, Buff-rumped
thornbill* , Superb fairy-wren, White-throated treecreeper, Silvereye, Spotted
pardalote, Striated pardalote*, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole,
Red-browed finch (Common starling, House sparrow*, Richard’s Pipit,
White-throated Gerygone, Speckled warbler,
European goldfinch)
Other,
larger, birds: Pied Currawong*, Grey currawong, Grey
butcherbird, Australian Magpie*, Australian Raven, Little Raven (White-winged
chough, Satin bowerbird#)
Bird of the Month
This is based upon material in the
very good book “bringing birds back” published by Greening Australia. Comments in brackets are by this author.
Brown thornbill: Acanthiza pusilla
Appearance: One of a group of small grey‑brown birds,
this one distinguished by dark streakings on the chest, dark brown eyes and
tawny brown rump. (Perhaps the archetype of “small brown bird” this author
finds that the ‘plainer’ brown crown is also helpful.)
Voice:.Wide range of calls from a loud deep song to
fussy squeaks and a harsh scolding. Also
an excellent mimic.
Habits: Common in shrubs and understorey. Singly pairs or small groups often with other
small insectivorous birds. Constantly
active, feeding in shrubbery, hanging from foliage, fluttering after
insects. Bold and curious, often
attracted to a disturbance , scolding loudly ar intruders.
Food: Insects
and other invertebrates
Nest: Untidy
dome with side entrance; of grass, shreds of bark green moss bound with spider
web, usually near the ground.
Occurrence in Revegetation: Found in 66% of sites from 3 years of age
onwards including small and narrow sites, isolated sites and large sites.
(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens
of members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group, shows that the bird has
increased steadily in numbers from the start of the Survey in 1980 and
continues to do so. Perhaps this
reflects the increasing scrubbiness of gardens?.)
