Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Crimson Rosella

Superb Fairy-Wren

Rainbow Lorikeet

Produced by Illawarra Birders www.illawarrabirders.org of paddocks, parks and gardens creature on earth. great height,itisthe fastest swoops onitsprey froma escarpment cliffs. Whenit in ourarea,oftenaround common, butcanbeseen This awesomebirdisn’t Falcon Peregrine (32cm) white Black-shoulderedKite.) ground. (Anotheristhemainly whilst lookingforpreyonthe few birdsthatcanhover, ofprey. It’s oneofthe is thesmallest Australian The Kestrel,atypeoffalcon, Nankeen Kestrel when itflies. distinctive whistlingsound a different bird).Makesa a Topknot Pigeon(whichis Sometimes wronglycalled Pigeon Crested (42cm) (42cm) female. (25cm) attract thegreenish-brown it withtreasuresof blueto is notanest.Hedecorates The male’s famousbower Satin Bowerbird sometimes visible. of thewingspurswhichare winged Ploveronaccount previously knownastheSpur- world’s largest. This birdwas lapwings, andthisoneisthe Large ploversareknownas Masked Lapwing territory’. (40cm) their wayofsaying‘thisisour noisy chorusoflaughterit’s a familygroupstartstheir it doesn’tcatchfish.When of thekingfisherfamily–but One ofthelargestmembers Kookaburra Laughing (36cm) (35cm) a bitlikebarking dog. belly andacallthat sounds on itsneck.Ithas a yellow red ‘wattles’ or skin-flaps So namedbecauseofthe Red Wattlebird smaller birds. aggressively excludeother It livesincolonieswhich repertoire ofdifferent calls. This nativebirdhasalarge Noisy Miner their nectar. (16cm) deep insideflowerstoextract a beakdesignedforprobing A beautiful honey-eaterwith Spinebill Eastern (26cm)

(28cm) banksias, grevilleasetc. and heathland,feedingon wattles. Commoningardens A noisy wattlebirdwithno Little Wattlebird Wattlebird, same habitatastheLittle its presence.Sharesthe top ofbushesandadvertise Not ashybird,itlikestositon Honeyeater New Holland (33cm) it doeseverytime it lands. Shufflewing –which iswhat older (better!)name isthe Not acuckooorshrike,an Cuckoo-shrike Black-faced (18cm) beautifully! a handsomebirdandsings bite-sized chunks.Butit’s hooked beaktotearitupinto in atreefork,usingits So-called asitstoresprey Butcherbird Grey together. (28cm) male andfemalesinging chiming callsit’s usuallythe – whenyouheartheir metallic the fewbirdsthatsingsaduet A.K.A. thePeewee.Oneof Magpie-lark pretty creature’. some saysoundslike‘sweet alarm callithasonewhich its size. As wellasitsrattling take onothersmanytimes A feistylittlebird,readyto Wagtail Willie (28cm) (21cm) (15cm) vacuum upflyinginsects. aerobatics thatitusesto low level,high-speed A masterofflight,especially Welcome Swallow rumps. (12cm) because oftheirbrightred Firetails areso-called commonest localfinch. browed Firetail,thisisthe Also knownastheRed- Red-browed Finch (50cm) find intheIllawarra. the onlyoneyou’re likelyto crows, allverysimilar. This is ofRavenandtwo In therearethree RavenAustralian Water & Sea Birds

< Black Swan < White-bellied < Little Pied < Eastern Curlew Australia’s only native swan. Sea Eagle Cormorant The world’s largest It’s not all black - when it Watch out for it majestically Like all cormorants it’s not migratory shorebird. Every spreads its wings you will patrolling our coastline. With very waterproof, to make year it carries its massive see its white flight feathers. luck you might see it pluck a diving and catching downcurved bill all the way It uses its long neck to reach fish out of the ocean, hardly easier. So it has to to its arctic breeding grounds the aquatic plants that it getting its feet wet. hang its wings out to dry! and back. feeds on. (80cm) (60cm) (62cm) (120cm) < Australian Wood < Eastern Great Egret < Great Cormorant < Red-capped Plover Duck Its enormous neck is longer The largest of our four local A tiny shorebird found on Just as likely to be seen on than its body. Other white cormorants - black with a our beaches and estuaries. land as on water, sometimes Egrets you might see are yellow face. (The Little Black When it dashes across the even perching in trees. (Male the Little Egret (smaller Cormorant has an all-black sand it almost appears to be in foreground). and hyperactive when face.) moving on wheels. (46cm) feeding) and the Cattle Egret (82cm) (15cm) (following cows!) (90cm) < Pacific Black Duck < Dusky Moorhen < White-faced Heron < Pied Oystercatcher Also known as the Painted One of our commonest water A common sight near any Its orange bill doesn’t Duck because of its facial birds; in the breeding season body of water. Like all herons quite match its pink legs. markings – it looks as though its beak is red, with a yellow its neck has a ‘hinge’ - an Endangered in NSW, mainly it’s wearing makeup! tip. The similar Coot has a adaptation for spearing its because it builds its nest on (54cm) white beak. prey. beaches where it is open to (38cm) (68cm) many threats. (46cm)

< Wandering Albatross < Australasian < Australian White Ibis < Sooty Oystercatcher A magnificent winter visitor Swamphen Its close cousin the Sacred Unlike the Pied to our shores, its 3.5m Bigger and more colourful of Africa which was Oystercatcher, it prefers to wingspan is the largest of than the moorhen. Both worshipped by the ancient forage on rock platforms any bird. The Illawarra’s have a part of the beak that Egyptians. Look out also for where it uses its massive bill coastal waters are a global extends over the forehead the Straw-necked Ibis which to prise open shellfish. hotspot for seabirds. – this is called their shield. has a black back. (46cm) (120cm) (46cm) (70cm)

< Chestnut Teal < Pied Stilt < Royal Spoonbill < Silver Gull Only the male is chestnut. Stilts live up to their name The moves its bill Gulls are pirates, often And his head is green. by having the longest from side to side in shallow taking food from other birds, Or black – the colour is legs(relative to body length) water to catch fish and so if one steals your chips iridescent and changes with of any bird. Often seen other prey. Our other, rarer it’s only behaving naturally! the light. around Lake Illawarra. Spoonbill is the Yellow-billed (40cm) (43cm) (35cm) Spoonbill. (78cm)

< Australasian Grebe < Bar-tailed Godwit < Australian Pelican < Crested Tern A small waterbird often found Breeding in Siberia and A Pelican’s bill really can If you see a seagull diving with ducks but not related Alaska, it holds the record hold more than its belly can. into the ocean and catching to them. It dives to find food for the longest known non- And the Australian Pelican fish, then it’s probably not and is so well adapted to stop migration flight of over has the biggest bird bill in a seagull! It is most likely life on the water, it has great 11,000 kms. the world. to be a Crested Tern, our difficulty walking on land! (40cm) (170cm) commonest tern. (25cm) (46cm) Forest & Woodland Birds

< Brown Cuckoo- < Green Catbird < Grey Fantail Dove Named for its extraordinary A lively, inquisitive bird - A long-tailed bronze-coloured call which sounds like a cat closely related to the Willie pigeon. It can be hard to find miaowing – or even a baby Wagtail. Its call is very high- when sitting quietly in the for- crying! pitched - beyond the hearing est foliage. But its distinctive (40cm) of some people. call - ‘did-you-walk’ - gives it (16cm) away. (40cm)

< Wonga Pigeon < Lewin’s < Eastern Koel Most often seen walking along Honeyeater A member of the cuckoo fam- paths in the rainforest. Its One of many Australian hon- ily. It’s distinctive “cooo-ee, call is a continuous ‘whoop- eyeaters (nectar-feeders), this coooee” call is a well known whoop-whoop’ - a bit like a one has a yellow ear-patch. sound in the area in the reversing truck! Its rattling call has been warmer months. (37cm) compared to the sound of a (42cm) machine gun. (20cm)

< Superb Lyrebird < Eastern Whipbird < Australasian A spectacular bird and one Often heard but rarely Figbird of the world’s best mimics, seen. The ‘whipcrack’ is the The male has a patch of copying the calls of many male’s call; a ‘cheep cheep’ bare skin around its eye other birds. Captive birds afterwards is the reply of an which turns bright red in the have been known to copy the interested female. breeding season. Look out for sounds of cars, phones, and (28cm) this bird in fruiting fig trees. even chainsaws. (95cm) (28cm)

< White-throated < Golden Whistler < Eastern Yellow Treecreeper This is a classic example of Robin Hunts insects by walking up how in many birds the male is Yes we do have robins with tree trunks from bottom to very brightly coloured, but the red breasts in Australia, but top; it then flies down and female is a dull brown! they are uncommon here. starts again on the next tree. (18cm) This is the robin you are most Its call is a piercing, repetitive likely to see, often perching whistle. (17cm) on the side of a tree trunk. (16cm) Introduced Birds - These are some of the birds found locally that have been introduced to Australia by man.

Rock Dove Spotted Dove Red-whiskered Common Common House Sparrow (Feral Pigeon) Bulbul Starling (Indian) Myna

Over 350 different kinds of bird have been recorded around the Illawarra. These are some you’re most likely to come across – how many have you seen?

Eastern Rosella Pied Little Corella Australian Australian Currawong Magpie King-Parrot

Galah

KEY • Numbers in red = Approximate length of bird in centimetres from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail. • To take your interest to the next level… 1. Get some binoculars - the best you can afford. You’ll be amazed when you see the birds up close. 2. Buy a field guide, such as the CSIRO Australian Bird Guide, Pizzey & Knight, Slater etc. Email: [email protected] Some are available as apps for your phone. Web: www.illawarrabirders.org 3. Join us on a bird walk. We welcome guests and will be happy to help you learn more. Text and photos by Martin Potter artwork by Paul Charlier. Whilst all due care has been taken to ensure the contents of this brochure Check out our calendar at www.illawarrabirders.org. are accurate, no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. Our evening meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at Coniston Community Centre. Copyright material.