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AUSTRALIAN 146 WATCHER

AUSTRALIAN BIRD WATCHER 1986, II, 146-149

Relative Frequency of Bird in the Harvey Irrigation Area, Western

By ERIC H. SEDGWICK, 20 Herbert Road, Harvey, W.A 6220

Summary During a ten-year survey of the Harvey Irrigation Area (), 78 species of were recorded. The most frequently recorded species (Australian Raven Corvus coronoides 85%, Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen 81%, Australian Magpie- Grall ina cyanoleuca 73%) are abundant in open pasture. Eight species are regular migrants: Pallid Cuckoo Cuculus pallidus, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis, Shining Bronze­ Cuckoo C lucidus, Sacred sancta, Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus, White-winged Triller Lalage sueurii, Rufous Cinclorhamphus mathewsi and C crura/is. Roadside native vegetation is considered to be important in retaining some bird species in the irrigation area.

Introduction The following paper describes the avifauna of the Harvey Irrigation Area (Western Australia), and the relative frequency with which each of the bird species was observed. This survey supplements previous data on birds of the Harvey district (Sedgwick 1973, 1984).

Study area and methods The area examined was an approximate half circle of 10 km radius, centred on the Harvey town site (33° OS'S, 115° 54'E) and bounded on the east by the South West railway line which runs within 2 km of the foot of the Darling Range. The town area and sewage farm, each of which has a specialised avifauna, were excluded from the survey area of c. 13 000 ha of irrigated pasture land. The Harvey Irrigation Area is restricted to the Pinjarra Plain, which is alluvial clay from the Darling Scarp, and is within the Clay Zone described in Sedgwick (1984). In a more extensive and general survey of the area I remarked that 'Utilization is mainly as irrigated pasture, so that this zone is the best watered, but the most denuded of native vegetation' (Sedgwick 1984). While this is generally true, it is evident that roadside vegetation (dominated by sp. and Marri Eucalyptus calophylla), irrigation channels and low-lying areas which at least in winter contain pools, influence the avifauna. Observations were made mainly from the roads within the area. Five hundred observations, each of approximately five minutes duration, were made between 1975 and 1984 inclusive. Observations were made over all seasons in all years but were not uniformly spread. VOL. 11 (5) MARCH 1986 Bird Species in the Harvey Irrigation Area, W.A 147

Results All species observed in the study area are listed in Table 1. The species are ranked according to their frequency of observation, i.e. the number of times the species was recorded as a percentage of the total number of observations (500). The percentage values are rounded off to the nearest whole number. Species which have a marked migratory pattern are indicated. Figures for these have not been adjusted because the period of occurrence varies from year to year and, although observations were fairly evenly spread through the year, coverage was not uniform. Species shown with a zero frequency were recorded in the prescribed area but not during an observation period. One case (Restless Flycatcher) is based on reliable reports and not on personal observation.

Table 1

Bird species observed in the Harvey Irrigation Area, Western Australia, 1975 to 1984 inclusive. Data from 500 five-minute counts; species ranked according to frequency of observation.

Species No. times % Species No. times % observed observed

Australian Raven Little Pied Cormorant Corvus coronoides 426 85 Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 62 12 Australian Magpie Black-fronted Plover Gymnorhina tibicen 405 81 Charadrius melanops 59 12 Australian Magpie-lark Tree Martin Grallina cyanoleuca 364 73 Cecropis nigricans 57 11 Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus 274 55 Zosterofs latera/is 44 9 White-faced Heron Richard s Pipit Ardea novaehollandiae 223 45 Anthus novaeseelandiae 39 8 Red Wattlebird Sacred Ibis Anthochaera carunculata 198 40 Threskiornis aethiopica 36 7 Willie Wagtail Grey Fantail Rhipidura leucophrys 172 34 Rhipidura fuliginosa 29 6 Rufous Whistler Australian Shelduck Pachycephala rufiventris 118 24 Tadorna tadornoides 29 6 Laughing Sacred Kingfisher Dacelo novaeguineae 109 22 Halcyon sanctaa 28 6 Welcome Swallow Port Lincoln Ringneck Hirundo neoxena 95 19 Barnardius zonarius 23 5 Pacific Black Duck Grey Teal Anas superciliosa 94 19 Anas gibberifrons 23 5 Western Gerygone Pallid Cuckoo Gerygone fusca 85 17 Cuculus pallidu~ 22 4 Striated Pardalote Yellow-rumped Thornhill Pardalotus striatus 85 17 Acanthiza chrysorrhoa 15 3 Red-capped Parrot Stubble Quail Purpureicephalus spurius 77 15 Coturni.x novaezelandiae 14 3 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike White-winged Triller Coracina novaehollandiae 76 15 Lalage sueurica 14 3 Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicol/is 67 13 Cinclorhamphus mathewsca 13 3 Brown Honeyeater Little Black Cormorant Lichmera indistincta 64 13 Phalacrocorax sulcirostn·s 12 2 AUSTRALIAN 148 SEDGWICK BIRD WATCHER

Table 1 continued

Species No. times % Species No. times % observed observed

Black-faced Woodswallow Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Artamus cinereus 11 2 Chrysococcyx basali~