In January 2011 a good score of 94 species of birds were recorded in the
catchment area of the Gazette with a very pleasing 17 species recorded as
breeding. Thanks to several observers
in: Hoskinstown; the Molonglo Valley, Captains Flat Road, and Widgiewa Road.
There
continue to be reports of a good number of cuckoo species in the area. As they call frequently they, and thus their
host species, may still be breeding.
Waterbirds continue to be very low in diversity. Apparently all the ibis at least are breeding
in the Riverina! Migrants are shown in italics
below and species for which breeding (broadly defined) has been observed this
month are underlined.
1 Waterbirds: Musk Duck; Black Swan; Australian Wood Duck; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe;
Little Pied Cormorant; Great Cormorant; White-faced Heron; Eurasian Coot;
Masked Lapwing
2 Birds of Prey: Brown Goshawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little
Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon; Australian Hobby; Peregrine Falcon.
3 Parrots and
Relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo; Gang‑gang
Cockatoo; Galah; Sulphur‑crested Cockatoo;
Australian King-parrot; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped
parrot
4 Kingfishers
and other non-songbirds: Emu; Stubble Quail; Rock Dove; Common Bronzewing;
Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Australian Owlet-nightjar; White-throated Needletail; Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo;Shining
Bronze-cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Southern Boobook;
Laughing Kookaburra;Sacred Kingfisher;
5 Honeyeaters: Eastern
Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared
Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird;
Brown‑headed Honeyeater; White-naped
Honeyeater; Noisy Friarbird
6 Flycatchers
and similar species: Rufous
Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail;
Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark;
Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Fairy Martin; Tree Martin
7 Thornbills, Finches
and similar species: Superb
Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Weebill; White-throated Gerygone; Striated Thornbill; Yellow‑rumped Thornbill;
Buff-rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Southern Whiteface; Spotted Pardalote; Striated
Pardalote; Silvereye; Double-barred Finch; Red‑browed Finch; Diamond
Firetail; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch
8 Other, smaller
birds: White-throated Treecreeper; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive-backed
Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; Australian
Reed-warbler; Rufous Songlark; Common
Blackbird; Common Myna; Common Starling; Mistletoebird; Australasian Pipit;
9 Other, larger birds: Satin Bowerbird;
Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Pied Currawong; Grey Currawong;
Australian Raven; Little Raven; White-winged Chough
A brief annual summary
The list for the
area now totals 161 species. We added 16
species to the list in 2010. In part
this reflects an increasing number of people reporting, and increasing
familiarity with the birds of the area. Reports
for other areas indicate a decreased diversity of birds in 2010 as they
followed the floodwaters to the inland areas.
In 2010,
144 species of birds were recorded at least once in the Gazette catchment
area. 40 of these were recorded breeding
(using a wide definition, covering all stages from “Display” to “Dependent
Young”).
We recorded
42 species in every month of this year while 21 species have been recorded
every month since we moved here in 2007.
