May 2009

In May2009, 83 species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species reported by an observer in Hoskinstown, and other observers in the Molonglo Valley, Wanna Wanna, Widgiewa, and Plains Roads.  

1  Waterbirds:  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron; Australian White Ibis; Purple Swamphen; Masked Lapwing

2 Birds of Prey:  Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon; Peregrine falcon.

3 Parrots and Relatives:  Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo; Gang-gang cockatoo; Galah; Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped parrot

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Brown quail; Rock Dove; Spotted Dove; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Laughing Kookaburra;

5 Honeyeaters: Eastern Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Fuscous Honeyeater; White-plumed Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird; New Holland Honeyeater; Brown‑headed Honeyeater; White-naped Honeyeater

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler; Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Rufous Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow;

7 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Weebill; Striated Thornbill; Yellow Thornbill; Yellow-rumped Thornbill; Buff-rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Southern Whiteface; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Spotted  Quail-thrush; Varied Sitella; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Dusky Woodswallow; Silvereye; Common Blackbird ; Common Starling; Zebra Finch; Double-barred Finch; Red-browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow; Richards Pipit; European Goldfinch

8  Other, larger birds: Satin Bowerbird; Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Pied Currawong; Grey Currawong; Australian Raven; Little Raven; White-winged Chough

Bird of the Month

From the Greening Australia book “Bringing Birds Back”.   Comments in brackets are by this author.  

Common Starling: Sturnus vulgaris

(This species is introduced to Australia, and is sometimes referred to as a “rat with wings”.)

Appearance: Shiny black plumage with bronze-green and purple sheen.  In Autumn-Winter feathers are tipped buff-white giving a finely spotted appearance.  (Juveniles are much plainer brown).

Voice: Variety of rates, whistles, wheezes clicks.  Harsh alarm call.  Good mimic.

Habits: Flocks large (often hundreds of birds) in Autumn.  Bold, jaunty walks or runs with rapid jabs of bills into ground.

Food: Omnivorous: insects, fruit, carrion.

Nest: In hollow of tree, also holes or cavities in buildings .

Occurrence in revegetation: Found in 27% of sites but nearly always observedin mature remnant trees incorporated within the revegatation.

(Garden Bird Survey: Undertaken by COG in the gardens of members of that Group records this species as very common.  It is now usually recorded in about 80% of sites.  However both abundance and frequency have dropped recently, possibly due to competition from the Common Myna – which has fortunately not appeared in this area.)