In late July to the end of August 2008, 73 species of birds have
been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species
reported by observers in Hoskintown and Wanna Wanna (especially the
Olive-backed Oriole). Clearly, species
diversity is on a seasonal rise reflecting the return of migrants (and the
birds being more obvious as they advertise the boundaries of their territories
– notably Skylarks).
Waterbirds:
Pacific Black Duck; Grey teal; Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood duck;
White-faced heron; Masked Lapwing; Little Pied Cormorant; Australasian Grebe;
Purple swamphen
Birds
of Prey: Collared
Sparrowhawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel
Parrots
and Relatives: Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella;
Gang-gang Cockatoo; Galah; Sulphur-crested cockatoo; Yellow‑tailed black‑cockatoo;
Kingfishers
and other non-songbirds: Crested pigeon; Common bronzewing; Rock
dove; Brown quail; Laughing Kookaburra; Tawny Frogmouth; Horsfield’s
Bronze-cuckoo
Honeyeaters;
Brown-headed honeyeater; White-naped honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; Yellow‑faced
honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird
Flycatchers
and similar species: Magpie-lark; Grey fantail; Welcome
swallow; Willie
wagtail; Scarlet robin; Flame Robin; Golden whistler; Rufous whistler; Grey
shrike-thrush
Other,
smaller birds; White-throated treecreeper; Silvereye;
Weebill; Buff-rumped thornbill; Brown thornbill; Striated thornbill;
Yellow-rumped thornbill; Southern Whiteface; White-browed scrubwren; Superb
Fairy-wren; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive-backed Oriole; Striated pardalote;
Spotted pardalote; Dusky Woodswallow; Richard's pipit; Skylark; Diamond Firetail; European goldfinch; House
sparrow; Common starling; Common blackbird;
Other,
larger birds; Satin bowerbird; Pied Currawong; Grey currawong;
Australian Magpie; White-winged chough; Grey butcherbird;
Little Raven; Australian 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.
Silvereye:
Zosterops lateralis
Appearance: Small
silvery-grey and yellowish-olive with distinctive silver eye-ring (hence the
name!). See also comment under habits.
Voice: When breeding beautiful warbling song, some
mimicry; (otherwise) thin sometimes mournful contact calls.
Habits: Pairs when breeding; otherwise in flocks,
moving actively together through trees and bushes, calling constantly. Migratory species. Local birds leave in autumn but are replaced
by Silvereyes from Tasmania (which show a chestnut patch on their flanks).
Food: Insects,
berries, fruit, nectar.
Nest: Delicate
cup, of grass, moss horsehair, bound with spider web; suspended from thin twigs
usually hidden in low shrub.
Occurrence in Revegetation: Found in 41% of sites from small and narrow
to large, older than 4 years of age.
(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens
of members of COG, records this bird as
very common, only being observed in over 90% of the sites, and in every
week of the year.)
