In February 2008 I recorded 73 species of birds in the
catchment area of the Gazette (this month the list benefits from a large list
of species reported by an observer in Hoskintown). A hash (#) in the list below indicates a species
reported to me by someone else. An * shows those species which have been
noticed undertaking breeding activities which usually means seeing an adult
feeding a dependent young bird.
Water
birds:
Australasian Grebe#; Little Pied Cormorant; Australian White
Ibis#; Australian Wood duck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey Teal#
Birds
of prey: Brown Goshawk, Wedgetailed Eagle#,
Nankeen Kestrel#
Parrots
and relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo:
Gang-gang Cockatoo; Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Galah; Crimson Rosella; Eastern
Rosella; Red-rumped Parrot
Kingfishers
and other non-songbirds: Brown Quail#
Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Laughing Kookaburra; White-throated
needletail#; Pallid Cuckoo#; Fan-tailed Cuckoo;
Brush Cuckoo
Honeyeaters:,
Brown-headed honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater*;
White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird*; Noisy friarbird*
Flycatchers
and similar species:
Welcome swallow; Tree Martin; Dusky Woodswallow*; Rufous Fantail*#:
Grey fantail*; Willie wWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher”; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin;
Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike‑thrush; Magpie-lark,
Other,
smaller, birds: Spotted
Quail-thrush#; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White-throated
Gerygone; Western Gerygone; Weebill*; Striated Thornbill; Buff-rumped Thornbill*;
Yellow-rumped Thornbill; White-browed Scrubwren; Superb Fairy-wren;
White-throated Treecreeper; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye;
Richards Pipit, Double-barred Finch; Red-browed Finch*; Diamond Firetail#;
Olive-backed Oriole; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch; Common Starling
Other,
larger, birds: White-winged chough; Pied Currawong;
Grey Currawong, Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie*; Australian Raven; Little
Raven
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.
Straiated Pardalote: Pardalotus striatus.
Appearance: Small
stubby bird, pale olive back, black wings with white streak, black cap with
white streaks (striations), strong white eyebrow and yellow throat.
Voice: Hard two note “chip-chip” or stuttered note
“wid-a wit”. (The three note call is
sometimes represented as “rig-by dick” while the similar, albeit more
colourful, species Spotted pardalote has a call with different stress “Sleep
Ba-by”)
Habits: Singly, pairs or small groups, may form
larger groups in autumn-winter with other small insect-eating birds. Difficult to see amongst foliage, usually
located first by calls or the sound of the beak clicking as it picks lerps off
the leaves.
Food: Insects,
particularly lerp and scale insects, other small invertebrates.
Nest: Cup or
dome shaped, of grass or bark shreds (but rarely seen as it is made) in
hollow of tree 10 metres or higher or (less commonly in this area) in burrow in
earthbank.
Occurrence in Revegetation: Found in 57% of sites, both large and small
but rare in narrowest of windbreaks.
Found in fast growing tubestock sites from 3 years of age onwards, other
sites from 5 years onwards, increasingly common as trees mature (note preferred
breeding sites?)
(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens
of members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group, records this bird as fairly
common, being observed in about 75% of
sites each year and usually recorded in at least 1 site every week of the
year.)
