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.)
