Pocket guide to bird watching in quairading by jengreen

POCKET GUIDE

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BIRD WATCHING

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QUAIRADING Western Australia

Proudly provided to you free of charge by Friends of the Quairading Community Nature Reserve.

The Quairading Community Nature Reserve covers 527 hectares of unique remnant bushland and runs both north and south of the York to Quairading Road and is adjacent to the western boundary of the town.

The north side of the Reserve has many walk trails, interspersed with information signage pertaining to the flora and fauna of the particular area. The longer walks include Nookaminnie Rock and the stunning view of Quairading and the surrounding landscape.

The open woodland areas of the Reserve have outstanding examples of Wandoo, York and Salmon Gum forests that are unique in the Central Wheatbelt. There is also much native fauna such as reptiles, echidnas and kangaroos such as the Western Grey and the Euro.

This booklet is your guide to assist in the recognition of over 70 species of birds that may be seen in the Reserve. All of the birds listed here have been sighted within 1km of the Quairading town site.

The Reserve Committee is extremely grateful to the Shire of Quairading for its continual support; to Lotterywest for its assistance; to Phil Lewis (WWF) for his magnificent photographs and to Mike Griffiths for his support and encouragement for this project.

Photos by: Phil Lewis

Design and Layout by: JILL HAYES communications

Information from: “Field Guide to the Birds of Australia”. Simpson & Day. Sixth Edition. “A Field Guide To The Birds of Western Australia”.G. M. Storr & R. E. Johnstone.

Australasian ! Grebe! 25-27cm, red eye, cheeks and throat white with dagger like bill, black ear tufts on dark brown head. Generally found on fresh water.

Australasian ! Pipit ! 17-18 cm, shrill, trilling call, habitat is open country, waves tail up and down.

Australian ! Hobby ! 30-‐35 cm, black capped and mask, half collar is whi8sh, blue-‐grey upper and rufous underparts. Lives in open forest woodlands and scrub.

Australian ! Magpie ! 36-‐44 cm, glossy black and white, varia8on in colour between male and female. Lives in open forest, woodlands, farms and urban areas.

Australian ! Owlet-nightjar! 21-‐24 cm, black bill and large brown eye, black collar, grey tail, ﬁnely barred with pink feet. Lives in woodlands with tree hollows.

Australian ! Raven! 52 cm, glossy black plumage that glistens in sunlight. Lives almost everywhere except closed forests.

Australian ! Ringneck! 33-40cm, all four sub-species mostly green, with an obvious yellow band on hind-neck. Wings and tail green and blue. Found in pairs or small flocks over lightly timbered areas, open woodlands, tree-lined watercourses.

Australian ! Shelduck! 56-‐68 cm, yellowish chestnut breast. Lives in large open brackish or fresh lakes, dams, pastures and open woodlands.

Australian ! Wood Duck! 44-‐50 cm, small black bill, head brown with mainly grey body and speckled breast. Lives in 8mbered areas near water, short pasture, inland tanks and dams.

Black-faced ! Cuckoo-shrike! 33 cm, bluish grey plumage with black forehead, cheeks and throat. Lives in open woodland and forest

Black-faced ! Wood Swallow! 18 cm, smoky grey-‐brown all over with a black face. Lives in open forests, plains and farmland.

Black-fronted ! Dotterel! 16 cm, brown upperparts, bright red bill, white face, black forehead and eyeline, white under. Lives in fresh water lakes and farm dams.

Black-winged Stilt! 36-‐38 cms, overall white with black nape and wings. Lives in fresh and saltwater marshes and ﬂooded paddocks.

Blue-breasted ! Fairy-wren! 12-‐13 cm, thin, glossy purplish-‐blue, scapulars are chestnut red with lower back and tail coverts black. Lives in sand plains, heath, mallee and mulga-‐eucalypt.

Brown Falcon! 45-‐56 cm, chaHers and screeches, glides on slightly drooped wings. Lives in woodland, scrubland, shrubland and grassland.

Brown ! Honeyeater! 12-‐16 cm, dull olive-‐brown, black bill, yellow or white behind eye. Lives in forests, heaths with emergent trees and suburbs.

Brown-headed Honeyeater! 13-‐15 cm, upper parts olive-‐ brown, buff on neck, under is pale grey buff. Lives in small flocks in woodland, mallee and ac8ve in canopies.

Chestnutrumped Thornbill! 10cm, short, forehead is light brown and speckled white, underparts are dull brown, rump is chestnut with mainly black tail. Lives in dry woodland, mallee and mulga.

Collared Sparrowhawk!

29-‐38 cm, grey head, yellow eye, dark brown back, underparts are ﬁnely barred rufous and white. Lives mostly in terrestrial habitats.

Common Bronzewing! 28-‐35 cm, cream forehead with sides of neck purple-‐ brown, back is brown with metallic wing feathers. Lives in woodlands, wet forests, heathlands and mallee.

Crested Pigeon! 31-‐35 cm, eye ring is red, grey body, black crest, brown wings with black bars. Lives in lightly wooded grassland near water, farms, rail yards and towns in grain crop areas.

Eastern ! Barn Owl!

35cm, small black eyes, rounded white heart shaped mask, brown and orange white spoHed back. Lives in grasslands, farmlands, woodlands, roosts in tree hollows, caves or dense foliage.

Elegant Parrot! 22cm, two toned blue winged with brown above, bright yellow rump. Lives in open country and semi-‐arid shrubland.

Galah! 36cm, pink and grey cockatoo. Lives in woodlands, open shrubland, grasslands and parks.

Golden Whistler! 17cm, black head, nape and neck band, yellow breast and abdomen, back and wings olive green. Lives in open forest and woodlands and mallee.

Grey Butcherbird! 24-‐30cm, black head, white collar, black tail. Lives in scrubland and open forests.

Grey Fantail! 15-‐17cm, mid grey in colour with white eyebrows, very ac8ve bird. Lives in forests, woodlands and mulga.

Grey ! Shrike-thrush! 24cm, grey head, white stripe from beak to eye, brown back. Lives in forests, woodlands, scrub, mallee and gardens.

Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo!

15-‐17cm, head, neck and ears brown, back, wings and tail bronzy green, barred whi8sh underparts. Migrates north in winter and returns in summer.

Laughing ! Kookaburra! 45cm, large bill, cream-‐white head, wings brown with moHled blue. Lives in open woodlands and forests. Introduced (feral) to WA.

Laughing ! Turtle-Dove! 25cm, head and neck mauve-‐pink, back brown with mauve-‐pink 8nge, black spoHed band on lower throat. Introduced (feral) to WA.

Little ! Button Quail! 12-‐15cm, small, reddish colour with thick bill, feathers ﬁnely barred with black.

Little Corella ! 36-‐39cm, short crest, bluish eye skin, salmon pink with under wing and tail sulphur yellow, moves in large ﬂocks. Lives in woodlands, shrubland, farms and water courses.

Little Eagle! 45-‐48cm, blackish short crest, upper parts brown with dis8nct white band across wing. Lives in open forests, woodlands and agricultural areas.

Magpie-lark! 27cm, dis8nc8ve glossy black and white. Lives in open areas and roadsides near water. Also known as Mudlark.

Mistletoebird! 10-‐11cm, blue-‐black back, throat, breast and under tail bright scarlet. Very fast ﬂight. Lives wherever mistletoe grows.

Nankeen Kestrel!

30-‐35cm, grey head and pale rufous back and wings, mostly slightly streaked with black, yellow feet. Hovers with body horizontal. Lives in most land surface types except forests.

Pallid Cuckoo! 33cm, yellow eye-‐ring, grey above and white below, tail is dark grey and notched white. Lives in woodlands.

Pied ! Butcher Bird! 32cm, bold black and white, black bib, white bar on back wing, beau8ful ﬂute like song. Lives in open woodland and scrubland.

Pink-eared ! Duck! 36-‐45cm, square spatula like bill, small pink patch behind eye, brown back and white with barred black stripes under side. Breeds on inland ﬂoodwaters and permanent open water.

Rainbow ! Bee-Eater! 23-‐28cm (including tail), black beak and eye stripe, black band on yellow throat, tail with extended feathers. Spends the winter in the north and returns in October. Lives in open country and nests in banks.

Red Wattlebird! 31-‐39cm, grey brown bird with white streaks, black crown and silvery-‐white face, red eye with dark pink waHle, yellow belly. Lives in forest, woodlands and town sites.

Red-capped Robin! 12cm, scarlet cap and breast, bold white wing bar. Lives in drier scrubland and woodlands.

Regent ! Parrot! 39cm, smokey yellow head, neck and underparts, yellow shoulder patch, dark green back with blue-‐ black tail feathers and tail and red band across wings. Lives in river gum, black box and casuarina woodlands; mallee and acacia shrublands.

Rock Dove ! (Feral pigeon)! 33cm, paHern of blue-‐grey and glossy sheen on neck, black wings with a chequered paHern. Lives mostly in urban areas, crop margins along roads and railway yards. Introduced (feral) to WA.

Rufous Songlark! 16-‐19cm, streaky brown upper parts, whi8sh under parts and dark brown tail. Lives in woodlands and lightly 8mbered grasslands.

Rufous ! Whistler! 17cm, head and back grey, black from eye through to upper breast, throat white, lower breast and abdomen deep buﬀ with blackish tail and wings. Lives in open forests, woodlands, mallee and scrub.

Silvereye! 12cm, throat is green-‐yellow and breast is pale grey, ﬂanks are pale buﬀ and undertail is yellow. Lives in all types of habitats, orchards and gardens.

Singing Honeyeater! 17-‐22cm, grey-‐brown, broad black band from bill to eye and trough to neck, yellow streak below eye, pale grey breast, streaked with grey. Lives in woodlands and town sites.

Southern ! Boobook! 30cm, dis8nct dark facial disc contras8ng sharply with pale borders, eyes green-‐yellow, upper parts are dark chocolate brown with moHled buﬀ breast. Lives in woodlands, forests and scrubland.

Spiny-! cheeked ! Honeyeater! 22-‐27cm, pink skin under eye, grey-‐brown crown with white cheek spines, back is moHled grey brown and cinnamon throat and breast. Lives in mallee, woodland and orchards.

Striated ! Pardalote! 9-‐12cm, mostly olive-‐grey with yellow throat and eyebrow, white stripe with yellow or red dot on wings, back brown. Lives in eucalypt forests and woodlands.

Stubble ! Quail! 18cm, grey-‐brown above with cream streaks and dark brown, buﬀ and grey markings; orange throat. Lives mostly in grasslands.

Tawny Frogmouth! 34-‐48cm, broad grey bill with black plumes, yellow eyes, grey to reddish brown above and paler underneath. Lives in woodlands.

Tree Martin! 13cm, black bill with glossy blue-‐black crown, head and lower back, wings and tail brown, wings, throat and chest creamy white. Lives in open woodland.

Wedgetailed Eagle!

87-‐91cm, sooty black and tawny on neck, pale brown wing and under tail which is wedge shaped. Wing span is 210cm (approx.). Lives in most habitats except closed forests.

Weebill! 8-‐9cm, pale eyebrow, bill and face, olive back with yellow abdomen. Lives in drier forests and woodlands.

Welcome ! Swallow!

14-‐15cm, rufous throat and forehead, glossy blue-‐black underparts, whi8sh to dull grey-‐ brown below, browner on wings with deeply forked tail. Lives in all habitats in large ﬂocks.

Western ! Corella! 38-‐41cm, white bird with small crest, bluish eye skin and salmon pink surrounds, underwing and under tail is sulphur yellow. Lives in woodlands and farms, oZen in very large ﬂocks.

Western ! Gerygone! 11cm, dull white eyebrow with red eye, greyish-‐brown above with bold black and white tail. Lives in open woodland and mallee.

White-backed ! Swallow! 13-‐15cm, moHled brown-‐white crown with narrow cream eyebrow, white throat and upper back, rest of body dull black, deeply forked tail. Lives mainly in inland sandy country in large ﬂocks.

White-browed Babbler! 18-‐22cm, dark brown crown with prominent white eyebrow and brown eye stripe; back and wings greyish brown and dark brown rump; white breast and throat. Lives in open forests and mallee and mulga scrubs.

White-cheeked Honeyeater! 16-‐19cm, streaked black and white with yellow wing patch, large white cheek patch and black upper tail. Lives in woodlands and gardens.

White-fronted ! Chat!

11cm, white forehead, face, throat and belly, black band from back of crown and neck across breast, back grey and wings blackish brown. Lives in low vegeta8on and crops.

White-winged ! Fairy-wren ! 11-‐14cm, bright cobalt blue plumage with white wings, tail is deep blue. Lives in saltbush areas.

White-winged Triller! 18cm, upper parts are black with light grey rump, underparts are white. Lives in open woodlands.

Willie ! Wagtail!

15-‐16cm, white eyebrow and under parts. Head, upper parts, chest and tail are glossy black, Lives everywhere except wet forests. Runs on ground and wags tail like a fan.

Yellow-rumped Thornbill!

10-‐12cm, black forehead, spoHed white, grey and white cheek spots, back is olive grey with bright yellow rump. Lives in open woodlands and farms.

Yellow-! throated Miner!

23-‐28cm, two streaks of yellow skin from bill, crown and most of face is black, yellow bill, back and rump are grey with pale grey underparts. Lives in dry woodlands and mallee.

Zebra Finch ! 10cm, red bill with black and white tear stripes under eye; white rump and zebra barred tail. Lives in most open country and farms.

INDEX OF BIRDS (Page 1 of 3)

Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) ………….… 2 Australasian Pipit (Anthus australis) ……………………….…… 2 Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis) ……………………….…… 2 Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen) ……………………………. 2 Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) ……..….….. 3 Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides) ……………………………. 3 Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius r. zonarius) …… 3 Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) ……………………. 3 Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) …………….……… 4 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) ……. 4 Black-faced Wood Swallow (Artamus cinereus) ……….…… 4 Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) ……….…… 4 Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) ……….…… 5 Blue-breasted Fairy-wren (Malurus pulcherrimus) ……………. 5 Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) ………………………………….… 5 Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta) ……………………. 5 Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris) .…… 6 Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis) ……. 6 Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus) …………….… 6 Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera) ………….………… 6 Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) ………………….………… 7 Eastern Barn Owl (Tyto javanica) ………………….………… 7 Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans) ………………………….… 7 Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus) …………………………..…..…… 7 Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) ……………………. 8 20

INDEX OF BIRDS (Page 2 of 3)

Grey Butcherbird (Craticus torquatus) ……………….…………… 8 Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) ……………………………. 8 Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricinla harmonica) ………………….… 8 Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) ……….…… 9 Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) …….……… 9 Laughing Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) ………….… 9 Little Button Quail (Turnix velox) …………………….……… 9 Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea) ………………………..… 10 Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) ………………………….. 10 Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) ………………………..… 10 Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) ………………….. 10 Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) ………………………….. 11 Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus) …………………..……… 11 Pied Butcher Bird (Craticus nigrogularis) ……………..…… 11 Pink-eared Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) …………..……… 11 Rainbow Bee-Eater (Merops ornatus) ………………………..… 12 Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata) ……………..…… 12 Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii) ………………….. 12 Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus) ………………………..… 12 Rock Dove or Feral pigeon (Columba livia) ……………..…… 13 Rufous Songlark (Inclorhamphus mathewsi) ………………….. 13 Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) ………………..… 13 Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) ……………………………..…… 13 Singing Honeyeater (Lichenostomus virescens) ………..… 14

INDEX OF BIRDS (Page 3 of 3)

Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) ………………………..… 14 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis) ….. 14 Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) ……………..…… 14 Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis) ………………………….. 15 Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) ……………..…… 15 Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans) ………………………..… 15 Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax) …………………….……. 15 Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris) ………………………………..… 16 Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) ………………………..… 16 Western Corella (Cacatua pastinator subsp. butleri) ………..… 16 Western Gerygoye (Gerygone fusca) ……………………..…… 16 White-backed Swallow (Cheramoeca leucosterna) ………..… 17 White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus) ..… 17 White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger) ………….. 17 White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons) ……………..…… 17 White-winged Fairy-wren (Malurus leucopterus) ……..…… 18 White-winged Triller (Lalage sueurii) ……………………..…… 18 Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) ……………………..…… 18 Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) ………..… 18 Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula) ……………..…… 19 Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) ………………..………… 19

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Shire of Quairading

The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Friends of the Quairading Community Nature Reserveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are proud to present the Pocket Guide to Bird Watching in Quairading, Western Australia. Become familiar with the large variety of bird life in this unique location in the Central Wheatbelt.

This guide, walking trail maps and much more can be found at the Quairading Shire Office or the Quairading Community Resource Centre.

Find us on Facebook for Reserve news and events: www.facebook.com/quairadingnaturereserve

This guide is also available on your smart phone or tablet: www.quairading.wa.gov.au