AUSTRALIAN 106 WATCHER AUSTRALIAN BIRD WATCHER 1999, 18, 106-120 Notes on the Diet of Some in New South Wales 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows

by A.B. ROSE, Associate, The Australian Museum, 6-8 College Street, Sydney, N.S.W. 2000 (present address: 61 Boundary Street, Forster, N.S.W. 2428)

The following notes are incidental records of the food of some species, from personal observations and from an examination of the stomach contents of found dead (road-kills, window-kills and cat-kills). They are intended to supplement the lists of Barker & Vestjens (1990) and Lepschi (1993) for the respective species. Records listed by Rose (1973, 1974) are not included here. Notes on non-nectar foods of some are published separately (Rose 1999). Stomach contents were examined microscopically, and identified by comparison with reference material and, for , with the aid of a manual (CSIRO 1970). nomenclature follows CSIRO (1980) and, for , Common (1990).

Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus Stomachs: Eight stomachs, from various locations, contained the following unquantified material: (Coleoptera); ant (Formicidae); cricket/ (Orthoptera); fly (Diptera); butterfly/ (); bug (Hemiptera); and (Araneida).

Splendid Fairy-wren Malurus spkndens Stomach: Rankin Springs (33°53'S, 146°14'E), 23 September 1973 (K. Muller): one small click-beetle (Elateridae ).

Variegated Fairy-W..en Malurus Iamberti Stomachs: Nine stomachs, from various locations, contained the following unquantified material: beetle; ant; orthopteran; fly; butterfly/moth; bug; and spider.

White-winged Fairy-wren Malurus kucopterus Stomach: Tibooburra (29"20'S, 142003'E), 1 August 1982 (R. Holmes): ants; psocids (Psocoptera); ; bugs; and one seed.

Southern Emu-wren Stipiturus malachurus Stomachs: 1. Medowie (32°41'S, 151°53'E), 28 March 1980 (J.W. Trudgeon): beetles; bugs; and orthopterans. 2. Forster (32°13'S, 152°31'E), 1987 (D. Turner): 16 bugs; one beetle; two seeds; and one leaf. 3. Black Head (32005'S, 152"33'E), 30 July 1991 (0. Storey): lepidopteran scales; one caterpillar; three beetle larvae; one beetle; spider and hymenopteran (not ant) remains. VOL. 18 (3) Diet of Passerines SEPTEMBER 1999 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows 107

Rockwarbler Origma solitaria Plate 27 Photo: N. Chaffer AUS1RALIAN 108 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus Twelve specimens, from various locations, included the following un<\uantified material: (i) hemipteran; (ii) spider and beetle; (iii) hemipteran and spider; (iv) mamly hemi{'teran and one spider; (v) and (vi) small ant; (vii) and (viii) beetles; the remainder, insect remams.

Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus Stomach: Windsor (33°37'S, 150°48'E), 4 July 1975 (D. Larkins): spider; bug; fly; mantis (Mantidae) eggs and part of a small mantid ootheca.

Pilotbird Pycnoptilus jloccosus Stomach: 1984, no other data: four different unidentified seeds; insect remains including one weevil (Curculionidae), one other beetle and several ants.

Rockwarbler Origma solitaria Stomachs: 1. Bobbin Head Road (33°41'S, 151°09'E), 8 March 1968 (T. Barratt): small ants and their eggs. 2. Ku-ring-gai Chase Road (33°40'S, 151 °09'E), 25 January 1970 (T. Barratt): one small moth; one beetle; some ants; and a spider. 3. Bobbin Head (33°39'S, 151 °09'E), 5 August 1971 (Mrs Ibbotson): three unidentified seeds; one beetle; one caterpillar; and several flies. Observations: Bobbin Head, 11 October 1967: one bird was collecting insects from walls and under benches, then flew off with a bill full of insects. 12 September 1973: one bird was searching a sandstone wall; it flushed a moth rep/ana, pursued it into a room, caught it, took it outside and ate it (except for one forewing) on a path.

Yellow-throated Scrubwren Sericornis citreogularis Stomachs: I. Levers Plateau, Border Ranges National Park (28°19'S, 152°52'E), 20 July 1977 (B. Miller): four different species of seeds (three unidentified and one Acacia); one weevil; one caterpillar; one ant; and some quartz grit (some glass-like). 2. Levers Plateau, July 1977 (B. Miller): mainly ant and beetle remains; one fly larva; one landhopper Talitrus; and one unidentified berry. 3. !980, no other data: insect remains, mainly the eggs of a stick-insect (Phasmatidae).

White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis Stomachs: I. Bobbin Head, 10 January 1968 (K. Ayers): mainly small ant eggs and some ants. 2. Bobbin Head, 17 September 1973 (ABR), desiccated dead nestling in a robbed nest: insect and spider remains. 3. Smiggin Holes, Kosciuszko National Park (36°24'S, 148°25'E), 5 March 1974 (ABR): five small weevils and two other beetles; one caterpillar; and one hymenopteran. ~ . Wahroonga (33°43'S, 151 °08'E), 13 October 1974 (M. Lovell): several leafhol'pers (Eurymelidae ); one weevil Rallus; one caterpillar; and one net-casting spider (Deinop1dae ). 5. Dorrigo (30°21 'S, 152°43'E), 19 February 1975 (I. Archibald): small beetles including weevils; one moth; one small grasshopper (Orthoptera); one hymenopteran; one bug; and one mite (Acarina). VOL. 18 (3) Diet of Passerines SEPTEMBER 1999 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows 109

White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis Plate 28 Photo: B. Stokes

Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla Plate 29 Photo: B. & K. Richards AUSTRALIAN 110 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

6. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park (33"39'S, 151°15'E), 10 May 1976 (ABR): one beetle; one grasshopper; one cockroach (Blattodea); one moth; one spider; and three unidentified seeds. 7. Bellbird Hill (33°34'S, 150°40'E), 28 July 1976 (B. Gall): several ants; one spider; and one seed.

Brown Gerygone Gerygone mould Stomach: Dorrigo, 4 September 1974 (1. Archibald): small beetles including one weevil; small hymenopterans; flies; and one very small scorpion-fly (Mecoptera).

Brown Thornhill Acanthiza pusil/a Stomachs: 1. Bobbin Head, 24 June 1971 (ABR): bug remains; beetle remains; one ant; one caterpillar; flies (Tipulidae and Sciaridae); and small seeds. 2. McCarrs Creek Road, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, 6 August 1974 (S. Foster): one net­ casting spider; two caterpillars; one small moth; one beetle; and remains of other small, unidentified flying insects. 3. West Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park (33.35'S, 151°16'E), 1 September 1974 (R. Perrott): two net-casting ; one jumping spider (Salticidae ); one unidentified spider; one caterpillar; one fly; one grasshopper; and one small mantis ootheca containing developing young. 4. Dorngo, no other data: ants; bugs; one moth; one caterpillar; and one spider. 5. Comboyne Plateau (31.39'S, 152"23'E), 2 November 1976 (ABR): two beetles and several ants.

Yellow Thornhill Acanthiza nana Stomach: Colleambally (34.46'S, 145.56'E), 20 July 1979 (J. Brickhill): small insects including beetles; and one seed husk.

White-fronted albifrons Stomach: 60 km south of Hay on Cobb Highway (35.03'S, 144°46'E), 3 April 1977 (K. McNee): Acacia seeds; homopterans; one moth; and one caterpillar.

Gihherhird Ashbyia lovensis Stomachs: Fortville, Tibooburra (29.00'S, 141.10'E), 1 March 1975 (K. Blade): two road-kills together; both had the same wing moult and, by dissection, both were immature with a little pneumat1sation around the edges of the skull. The larger bird weighing 26 g was a male, and the other a smaller female weighing 14 g. A remarkable difference was noted in the stomach and contents. The male had a muscular seed-eater type of gizzard full of three species of seeds, some sprouting. The female's stomach was less muscular, and of an insect-eater type full of insects mcluding many leafhopper nymphs (Homoptera), beetle remains including two weevils, one ant and one spider.

Jacky Winter Microecafascinans Stomach: Griffith (34°15'S, 146°02'E), 9 October 1976 (R. Moffatt): one weevil and one caterpillar. VOL. 18 (3) Diet of Passerines SEPTEMBER 1999 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows 111

Brown-plumaged Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea with spider Plate 30 Photo: Bob Shepherd

Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii Stomachs: 1. Griffith, 8 October 1976 (R. Moffatt): one caterpillar; beetle remains including weevil; ants; one small mantis; and remains of more than one spider. 2. Buckingbong State Forest (34°55'S, 146°25'E), 16 December 1979 (B. Gall): many beetles, some bugs and other insect remains.

Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea Observation: Ben Lomond (30°00'S, 151°36'E), 10 January 1974: one bird was fluttering to a tree trunk and back to its perch. Leafhoppers (Eurymelidae) were abundant on the tree trunk. See also Plate 30.

Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis Stomachs: 1. Darrigo, 1 May 1973 (R. Barry): stomach full of at least three species of flying ant; and one spider. 2. Mt Colah (33°41'S, 151°07'E), 14 March 1975 (F.K. Hersey): two species of ant; one beetle; and one moth. 3. Darrigo, 10 April1975 (N. Fenton): ants includingPheidole; beetles; one moth; one caterpillar (Tineidae); and one green seed. . 4. Levers Plateau, 18 July 1977 (W. Rohan-Jones): ants; one weevil; and one millipede (Diplopoda). 5. Mt Parrabef (30°56'S, 152°29'E), 21 February 1978 (M. Dodkin): one spider; one millipede; one beetle; and one caterpillar. AUSTRALIAN 112 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

Pair of Spotted Quail-thrushes Cinclosoma punctatum Plate 31 Photo: D. Selby

Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus Stomach: 20 km north of Gloucester (31°45'S, 151°55'E), 27 May 1980 (ABR): seeds; ants; bugs; beetles including weevil.

Spotted Quail-thrush Cinclosoma punctatum Stomachs: 1. Cowan (33°35'S, 151 °12'E), 1 March 1973 (R. Walker): six different seeds (one Acacia, and one pea Fabaceae); unidentified insect remains including beetle. 2. Bobbin Head, 22 August 1978 (C. Bennett): four different seeds; beetles; one moth; and other unidentified insects.

Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Stomachs: 1. Bobbin Head, 7 June 1968 (K. A>;ers): leafhoppers (Homoptera). 2. Coonabarabran (31 °16'S, 149°17 E), 20 June 1978 (E. Edmondson): insect remains, mainly beetles. 3. 1987, no other data: one grasshopper. Obsetvation: Gloucester (31°59'S, 152°01'E), 28 August 1988 (S.M. Hooke): one bird fed on winged ants. VOL.18 (3) Diet of Passerines SEPTEMBER 1999 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows 113

Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica Plate 32 Photo: B. Stokes

Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rujiventris Stomachs: 1. Griffith area, 13 October 1976 (J. Brickhill): one bull-antMynnecia; one beetle; and several flies. 2. Dora Dora State Forest (35°55'S, 147"25'E), 29 October 1979 (B. Gall): bugs; beetles; one caterpillar; and one spider. Observation: Gloucester (31 °59'S, 152°01'E), 29 August 1991 (S.M. Hooke): one bird fed on flying ants.

Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica Stomachs: 1. Mt Colah, 3 April1974 (S. Forster): one mantis (Orthoderiinae ); ants; moths; and caterpillars including a cocoon. 2. Dorrigo, 1975, no other data: stomach full of caterpillars including a case-moth larva (Psychidae); one moth; ants; one weevil and another beetle; one orthopteran; one spider; and one earthworm (Lumbricidae). 3. Ku-ring-gai Chase Road, 22 July 1975 (ABR): one moth and one beetle. 4. Bellbird Hill, 28 July 1976 (B. Gall): one weevil; ants; bugs; caterpillar and cocoon; skin and seed of an unidentified berry. 5. Mt Colah, 29 May 1981 (E. Whittingham): mainly bull-ants; one cockroach; and one caterpillar. 6. Bobbin Head, 27 August 1_983 (ABR): beetles including weevil and scarab (); one ant; and caterpillars includmg one case-moth. · Observations: 1. Wahroonga, 2 September 1972: one bird ate a cup-moth caterpillar (Limacodidae). 2. Wahroonga, 5 December 1973: one bird ate a Christmas beetle Anoplognathus. AUSTRALIAN 114 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

3. Gloucester, 30 April 1979: one bird had a snail on the ground, making three attempts to break it, then flew up and dropped it on a concrete rath, picked it up unbroken, flew higher and dropped it again. On the last attempt the snail s shell was cracked, so the bird finished opening it with its bill. 23 August: one bird ate small snails.

Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula Stomach: Mt Kaputar National Park (30°17'S, 150°10'E), summer 1981 (1. Brown): two leafhoppers (Eurymelidae ). Observation: Horseshoe Creek, Kyogle (28°30'S, 153°04'E), 29 March 1980: one bird in privet Ligustrum eating caterpillars.

Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta Stomach: Gloucester, 29 November 1975, dead fledgling in nest, feet entangled by horsehair nest-lining: a few insect remains; small pieces of eggshell and mollusc shell; spider fangs and a ball of spider web. Observations: Gloucester, 18 May 1973: one bird took spiders off a wall and insects in flight. 10 May 1979: one bird tried to eat a Black Cricket Teleogryl/us commodus, but dropped and left it.

Magpie-lark GraUina cyanoleuca Stomachs: 1. Dorrigo, February 1974: one stick-insect; one grasshopper (Tettigoniidae); and one moth. 2. Gloucester, 25 December 1974: one large scarab beetle; several ants; and one orthopteran. 3. Dorrigo, 1974, no other data: three blowflies (Calliphoridae); one moth; one beetle; one ant; one spider; and one small frog. 4. Griffith, 16 March 1975 (J. Brickhill): 13 Wheat kernels Triticum aestivum; one beetle; and one ant. 5. Dorrigo, 29 May 1975 (M. Sawtell): many beetles (mainly weevils); one blowfly; one grasshopper; and one spider. 6. Wahroonga, 7 August 1975 (M. Mason): one beetle and detritus. Observations: 1. Bobbin Head, 2 March 1971: one bird fed on bread, then ate one grasshopper, one millipede, and three caterpillars of a moth Manulea rep/ana. 2. Bobbin Head, 12 March 1971: one bird ate mothsAmata annulata and Tigroides alterna off a wall where they had been attracted to a light, then ate some caterpillarsManulea rep/ana. 3. Bobbin Head, 26 March 1971: a juvenile bird ate four mothsManulea rep/ana and a piece of chewing gum. 4. Bobbin Head, 4 June 1971: one bird ate an earthworm. 5. Bobbin Head, 22 June 1971: one bird ate caterpillars Manulea rep/ana off the walls of a house. 6. Bobbin Head 13 July 1971: one bird fed on leafhoppers Siphanta acuta. 7. Forster (32°1l'S, 152°32'E), 3 December 1998: a juvenile bird on a veranda ate one beetle, one cockroach, one moth, and one lacewing Nymphes myrmeleonides.

Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Stomach: Dorrigo, 10 October 1974 (M. Sawtell): flying ants; and beetles including weevils. VOL.18 (3) Diet of Passerines SEPTEMBER 1999 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows 115

Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta with insect Plate 33 Photo: Bob Shepherd

Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Plate 34 Photo: B. Stokes AUSTRALIAN 116 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

Obsetvation: Dorrigo, 22 December 1970: one bird from a perch took one of two Common Grass Blue butterflies Zizina /abradus that were circling each other, and then swooped in the opposite direction to take the other, apparently swallowing them whole as there was no sign of them in the bill after the bird returned to its perch.

Willie Wagtail Rhipirlura leucophrys Obsetvations: 1. Wee Jasper (35°08'S, 148°40'E), 6 December 1979: one bird fed a dragonfly (Odonata) to a juvenile. 2. Forster, 18 October 1993: one bird walked about in grass, feeding on winged black ants not yet in flight.

Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus Obsetvations: Most of my observations of this species are reported elsewhere (Rose 1989). Forster: on some days a bird fed on nectar from Grevillea and Banksia flowers, Ignoring bees alongside it; on other days it took nectar-laden HoneybeesApis mellifera returning to their hive. Near Bowraville (30°40'S, 152°51'E), January 1994 (S. Debus): one bird struggled with a very large (25 + em) stick-insect as long as itself; the bird pecked repeatedly at the insect and removed some of its legs, while the prey tried to cling on or defend itself with its front legs, before the bird was able to fly off heavily with the subdued prey dangling from its bill.

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae Stomachs: 1. Grenfell (33°55'S, 147°10'E), 12 November 1973: four locusts Chonoicetes terminifera; and one beetle. 2. Wahroonga, 1 August 1974: snail shell; one beetle; one mantis; and unidentified insect remains. Obsetvations: 1. Gloucester, 26 February 1956: one bird caught and ate a huntsman spider (Sparassidae) at the front of a bushfire. 2. Wahroonga, 26 August 1972: one bird caught insects flushed by other bird species feeding in a tree. 3. Wahroonga, 3 September 1972: one bird ate a cup-moth caterpillar from a eucalypt. 4. Gloucester, 24 September 1978: one bird hovered close to the ground, moving on with short hovers and a pounce to the ground. 5. Bobbin Head, 3 February 1981: one bird fed a Privet Hawk-Moth caterpillar Psilogramma menephron to a fledgling. 6. Bobbin Head, 3 March 1982: an immature bird flew out of a PortJackson Fig Ficus rubiginosa with a fig in its bill, and an adult took a fi~ while in flight. 7. Forster, 26 June 1984: one bird landed w1th a palm fruit, then beat and mouthed it before dropping it. 8. Forster, 10 September 1985: two birds with five Spans.Ied Drongos attended a ~rass-fire. 9. Forster, 10 March 1986: four birds fluttered over a H1ll's Fig Ficus hillii, droppmg down to pick off figs. One bird landed on wires with a fig in its bill. 10. Forster, 29 August 1988: one bird fed on Strawberries Fragaria. 11. Forster, 28 October 1988: one bird took fat from a bird table, then later fed on winged termites (lsoptera). 12. Forster, 2 November 1988: one bird flew at eucalypt flowers and snatched a Bogong Moth Agrotis infusa, flushing others which a waiting Spangled Drongo caught. I have often observed these two species foraging together. 13. Forster, December 1992: one bird on Coastal Beard-heath Leucopogon parvijlorus, feeding on the fruit. VOL. 18 (3) Diet of Passerines SEPTEMBER 1999 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows 117

Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina novaehollandiae Plate 35 Photo: Bill Labbett

Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagitta/us Plate 36 Photo: Bob Shepherd AUS'IRALIAN 118 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

14. Forster, 27 November 1996: an immature bird swallowed a 20-25 em long stick-insect after prolonged beating and manipulating of the prey, then sat still for some minutes.

Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus Observations: 1. Wahroonga, 10 NoveRlber 1972: one bird fed on Black Mulberries Morus nigra. 2. Wahroonga, 24 Auf!USt 1975: one bird held a cup-moth caterpillar, but dropped it. (These larvae have spiny stmging hairs). 3. Woko National Park, near Gloucester (31°48'S, 151°48'E), 4 June 1980: one bird fed on White Cedar Melia azedarach fruit. 4. Kyogle (28°35'S, 152°55'E), 5 November 1984: one bird fed on native figs Ficus. 5. Forster, 25 August 1985: one bird perched within 2m of a Honeybee hive in a hollow limb of a eucalypt. As bees flew around its head, it tried to catch them, succeeding twice. One bee dived down on the bird and flew straight into its upturned bill. The bird flew after two others and caught them before returning to the same perch. Then suddenly it leapt up and flew very fast high in the air and away over the tree tops, much faster than normal flight, suggesting that it had been stung. 6. Casmo (28°52'S, 153°02'E), 25 November 1986: one bird ate figs and defecated remains in a Moreton Bay Fig Ficus macrophylla.

Figbird Sphecotheres viridis Observations other than eating figs: 1. Forster, 2 December 1984: 12 birds feeding on Coastal Beard-heath fruit. 2. Forster, 1 February 1985: one bird with a Blackberry Rubus vulgaris in its bill. 3. Forster, 14 November 1987: one picked up a fruit of a Queen PalmArecastrum romanzoffiana from the ground and carried it away. 4. Forster, 29 August and 26 September 1988: one bird ate Strawberries. 5. Forster, 30 October 1988: a male bird continuously caught winged termites during a large emergence, by fluttering up from its perch to seize one then moving to another perch. 6. Forster, 18 November 1988: pellets contained fig, Lantana Lantana camara and Strawberry seeds, and one large unidentified seed. 7. Forster, 30 November 1988: six birds fed on Tall Blueberries Vaccinium corymbosum. 8. Kyogle, 11 October 1991: one bird fed on pomegranate (Punicaceae) fruits. 9. Forster, 30 August 1998: one bird fed on Ardisia Ardisia crispa berries after feeding on White Cedar fruit. 10. Forster, November 1998: one bird fed on White Mulberries Morus alba.

Masked Woodswallow Artamus personatus Stomach: Yathong Nature Reserve (320Z5'S, 1450Z5'E), 27 September 1979: ants (Pheidole and one other unidentified species).

Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus Stomach: Cocoearra National Park (34°05'S, 146°1l'E), 12 February 1975 (R. Moffatt): the stomach of a juvemle bird was full of ants, all of the same unidentified species (some winged), and one small (Cicadidae).

Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus Stomachs: 1. 1973, no other data: one ant. 2. Bungwahl (320Z3'S, 1520Z5'E), 20 December 1977 (G. Bertram): beetles; ants; and one grasshopper. VOL. 18 (3) Diet of Passerines SEPTEMBER 1999 1: Fairy-wrens to Woodswallows 119

Dusky Woodswallow Anamus cyanopterus with spider Plate 37 Photo: Bob Shepherd

Obsetvations: 1. Forster, 22 January 1987: one bird pecking at ants on a road. 2. Forster, 19 January 1988: a pair of birds on the road; one picked up a Christmas beetle Anoplognathus. 3. Forster, 7 June 1988: several birds settled on Swamp Mahogany robusta flowers, appearing to feed on nectar, and moved from tree to tree. There were no insects in flowers examined, but the cups of the large flowers contained water or diluted nectar. There had been a shower of rain two days before, but otherwise it was a dry period, so the birds may have been drinking. See also Plate 37.

Discussion The results of this study were generally similar to the food categories recorded by Barker & Vestjens (1990) and Lepschi (1993) for these species, with the addition of many specific food records. What little quantification was possible (> 10 stomachs per species; Tables 1 and 2) shows that beetles, lepidopterans and spiders were most frequent in the diet of the Grey Shrike-thrush; and beetles, ants, spiders, lepidopterans and orthopterans were most frequent in the diet of the Magpie­ lark. The latter species also ate a notable though small number of small vertebrates. Although the Gibberbird is known to eat some seeds (Barker & Vestjens 1990), standard references (e.g. Schodde & Tidemann 1986) emphasise the dominance of in its diet. The apparent in digestive morphology and diet has hitherto gone unremarked, and raises questions about possible intraspecific niche-partitioning in this species in a harsh environment where food may be scarce. AUS1RALIAN 120 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

Table 1: Occurrence of food items in stomachs of the Grey Shrike-thrush from eastern New South Wales, incorporating the data of Rose (1973, 1974): contents of 11 stomachs. Number (n) and percentage of stomachs with each food type shown.

Food type Stomachs (n) Stomachs(%)

Beetles 4 36 Lepidopteran adults and lmvae 3 27 Orthopterans 1 9 Mantids 1 9 Ants 1 9 Spiders 3 27 Millipede 1 9

Table 2: Occurrence of food items in stomachs of the Magpie-lark from eastern New South Wales, incorporating the data of Rose (1973): contentsof 15 stomachs. Number (n) and percentage of stomachs with each food type shown.

Food type Stomachs (n) Stomachs(%)

Beetles 10 67 Ants 7 47 Lepidopteran adults and laiVae 5 33 Orthopterans 4 27 Stick-insect 1 7 Flies 3 20 Unidentified insects 3 20 Spiders 7 47 Snails 1 7 Fish 1 7 Frog 1 7 Unidentified small vertebrate 1 7 Wheat grains 2 13 Grass 1 7

Acknowledgements I gratefully acknowledge N.S.W. National Parks & Wildlife Service staff for collecting dead specimens, and the Departments of Entomology and Arachnology at the Australian Museum for their assistance. I also thank Susie & Stephen Debus for their assistance with the manuscript.

References Barker, R.D. & Vestjens, W.J.M. (1990), The Food of Australian Birds 2, Passerines, CSIRO, Melbourne. Common, I. F. B. (1990), Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. CSIRO (1970), The Insects of Australia, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. -- (19SO), Scientific and Common Names of Insects and Allied Forms Occurring in Australia, CSIRO, Melbourne. Lepschi, B.J. (1993), 'Food of some Australian birds in eastern New South Wales: additions to Barker & Vestjens', Emu 93, 195-199. Rose, A.B. (1973), 'Food of some Australian birds', Emu 73, 177-183. --(1974), 'Birds that include ants in their diet',Aust. Birds 9, 26-30. --(1989), 'Spangled Drongo', Bird Observer 685, 35. -- (1999), 'Notes on non-nectar foods of some honeyeaters in eastern New South Wales', Aust. Bird Watcher 18, 26-34. Schodde, R. & Tide mann, S.C. (Eds) (1986), Reader's Digest Complete Book ofAustralian Birds, 2nd edn, Reader's Digest Services, Sydney. Received 4 March 1999 •