September 2008

In September 2008, 78 species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species reported by observers in Hoskintown and Widgiewa.).  Clearly, species diversity continues the seasonal rise reflecting the return of migrants.  We have also added 3 species to the list: White-bellied Sea-eagle, Royal Spoonbill and New Holland Honeyeater.  A great joy was seeing a brood of 13 baby Shelduck on a dam off Woolcara Lane: a very unusual event in this area.  I have underlined breeding birds.

Waterbirds: Pacific Black Duck; Grey teal; Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood duck; White-faced heron; Royal Spoonbill;Masked Lapwing; Little Pied Cormorant; Australasian Grebe.

Birds of Prey:             Brown Goshawk, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel

Parrots and Relatives: Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Galah; Sulphur-crested cockatoo;

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Crested pigeon; Common bronzewing; Brown quail; Laughing Kookaburra; Pallid Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo; Southern Boobook.

Honeyeaters; Brown-headed honeyeater; White-naped honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; Yellow‑faced honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; New Holland Honeyeater, Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird, Noisy Friarbird.

Flycatchers and similar species: Magpie-lark; Grey fantail; Welcome swallow;        Tree Martin; Willie wagtail; Scarlet 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; White-browed scrubwren;  Western gerygone, Hhite-throated Gerygone; Superb Fairy-wren; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive-backed Oriole; Spotted Quail-thrush; Striated pardalote; Spotted pardalote; Dusky Woodswallow; Mistletoebird; 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.   I have departed from the main section of the book, to “birds to look out for” for this month since I feel the constant calls of the Pallid Cuckoo truly make it a bird of the month!

Pallid Cuckoo:  Cuculus pallidus

Appearance:  Slender long-tailed cuckoo, grey with faint dark curving line through eye, prominent white markings on edge of tail.  In flight underwings speckled white and tail barred white.  Immatures grey with buff, black and white mottling.

Voice: Call of the male is ascending scale of 8 – 10 notes. Female has harsh whistle.

Habits: Single or pairs.  Usually first noted by call. Swift undulating flight.  (They parasitise many species, but most commonly Honeyeaters.)

Food:  Insects, especially hairy caterpillars – one of few birds able to eat these.

Nest:  Parasitic bird lays one egg in the nest of host species (see above).

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 9% of sites from small and narrow to large, from 4 years of age onwards. 

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of COG, records this bird as uncommon, only being observed in about 10% of the sites, and about 10% of week of the year.  The low rate probably reflects them being recorded when calling mates in the early breeding season.)