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Home , Australasian darter, Australian brushturkey, Brown honeyeater, Butcherbird, Conopophila, Dendrelaphis punctulatus

GRAND PART I: & THE SEPTEMBER 28–OCTOBER 14, 2019

A knock out Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove we found in Darwin perched out unusually brazenly. LEADERS: DION HOBCROFT AND JANENE LUFF LIST COMPILED BY: DION HOBCROFT

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM Our Australia tours have become so popular that we ran two VENT departures this year around the continent. The first was led by great birding friend and outstanding leader Max Breckenridge, well assisted by Barry Zimmer, one of our most highly regarded leaders. Janene and I led the second departure starting a week later. As usual, we started in at a comfortable hotel close to city attractions like the Opera House, Botanic Gardens, Art Gallery, and various museums. This included some good birding sites like Sydney Olympic Park some five miles west of the city.

This young male Superb Lyrebird came walking past us in at Royal National Park.

Our tour began with great cool weather, and in the park we were soon amongst the attractions with nesting a good start. There were plenty of waterbirds including Black Swan, Chestnut Teal, Hardhead, Australasian , four of , and three species of large rails (swamphen, moorhen, and coot). On the tidal lagoon, good numbers of Red-necked Avocets mingled about with a small flock of recently arrived migrant Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, while a dapper pair of adult Red-kneed Dotterels was very handy. Participants were somewhat “gobsmacked” by colorful Galahs, Rainbow Lorikeets, raucous Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, and their smaller cousin the Little Corella. It all seemed rather exotic. Unusual was a solitary Australian Brushturkey.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 A big day in the superb Royal National Park (40,000 acres of forest and heath) is a major introduction to the delights of forest birding on the east coast of the sunburnt country. We were joined by my friend Steve. A sing-off between two male Superb Lyrebirds was a great natural history experience. The powerful repertoire of this giant is mingled with complex mimicry, and we could identify ten species as the males competed for who had the most operatic voice. Whipbird, , shrike-thrush, and black cockatoos were mixed in with surges of computer-generated spacecraft pulses! The views were great. Spring was in full effect, and the came by at a great rate of knots. Wonga Pigeon, Brown -Dove, , Channel-billed Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo (including a juvenile being fed by Brown Thornbills), Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Australian King-, Eastern Whipbird, Satin Bowerbird, Green Catbird, Crested Shrike-tit, stunning Golden Whistler, and Variegated Fairywrens were amongst the temptations on offer. After lunch we worked the coastal heathlands at Wattamolla, and our good luck continued with Rockwarblers, Southern Emuwren, Beautiful Firetail and, perhaps best of all, an Echidna we found crossing the road. Our last hurrah for the day saw us searching for and finding successfully a family of Powerful that included a large well-grown chick.

A stunning adult Antipodean Wandering joined the off the continental shelf of Sydney.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Our pelagic day started with glassy smooth seas and light breezes, perfect for us to see Striped Tuna chasing baitfish, a Fur Seal, Humpback Whales, and a pod of Common Dolphins. Once out at the shelf break we produced a mass of chum and oil, and with a stiffening breeze we soon had a great collection of seabirds attracted to our vessel. Short-tailed Shearwaters were on migration with hundreds of birds coming past, some doing their falcon-like fitness display flights—quite spectacular. built up in numbers, and we had three Wandering Albatrosses, an adult Campbell Albatross, several White-capped Albatross, a juvenile Black- browed Albatross, and a fleeting Yellow-nosed Albatross to record. A hundred or so Providence Petrels attended the slick, and we had repeat visits from a single Gray-faced Petrel, plus a couple of brief Wilson’s Storm-Petrels. Wedge-tailed and Fluttering shearwaters and Australasian added to the day’s takings. After dinner we took a short walk and admired our first Common Brushtail Possums and Gray-headed Flying-foxes.

Silver-backed is generally uncommon and inconspicuous in the .

Leaving Sydney we crossed the Blue Mountains on a perfect spring day. A strategic stop produced a fine Chestnut-rumped Heathwren that showed superbly, as did our first White- eared . A handsome Red-bellied Black was watched cruising across the road. It is a shy, yet highly venomous species that is reluctant to bite. Lithgow turned up good numbers of Pink-eared Ducks and several breeding plumaged Hoary-headed . Our waterbird list had another big move along at nearby Wallerawang where the long-staying Freckled Ducks kept quite asleep most of the time. More active were the Australasian

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Shovelers, Musk Ducks, a pair of Blue-billed Ducks, and several spectacular Great Crested Grebes that were a big hit with the group! Latham’s Snipe was feeding out in the open while glowing Eastern Rosellas kept that exotic feeling lingering. We made a few strategic stops in the Capertee Valley, where another surge of new Australian birds connected with our binoculars. Good ones included , Hooded Robin, and beautiful Yellow-tufted Honeyeater with great numbers of nomadic White-browed Woodswallows with the odd Masked Woodswallow mixed in.

We covered a lot of territory in the Capertee Valley the next day, but our good run with the weather conditions came to an end with a hot day with strong winds. We spent a couple of hours in an area where Regent Honeyeater had been reported the previous week but despite a thorough grilling had no luck with this rapidly disappearing species. Birding was pretty good despite the drought conditions that had prevailed now for several years, and we squeezed some good birds like Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Little Lorikeet, and Diamond Firetail, with more widespread species like Wedge-tailed and Little eagles, Brown Goshawk and Collared Sparrowhawk, Rainbow -eater, White-browed Babbler, Double-barred and Zebra finches, , and Brown Treecreeper to mention some. Several fence posts were decorated with Eastern Bearded Dragons. With the wind unrelenting, we returned to Sydney and set up in a comfortable airport hotel.

Red Goshawk performed not only at the nest, it was seen in flight—a rare event.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Our flight to Darwin went smoothly, enlivened by a drunken heckler when I did the list! Our first stop was Knuckey Lagoon, a tropical freshwater about 20 km south of Darwin. It was yet another “liferfest” for all the good people on our tour! Hundreds of Geese, good numbers of Radjah Shelducks, Bar-shouldered Dove and Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, flocks of Royal Spoonbills, dapper Pied Herons, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, a dashing Australian Hobby, Olive-backed Oriole, plenty of sulphur-bellied Australasian Figbirds, and flowering trees attracting Blue-faced and White-gaped and Silver-crowned and Little . Migrant shorebirds included Black-tailed Godwit and Common, Marsh, and Wood sandpipers. Dozens of Black and Whistling kites sailed over us while a White-bellied Sea- Eagle watched proceedings.

Australia has many rare and enigmatic birds like this Northern Shrike-tit. It was only my third sighting of this mysterious bird that disappears into vast tropical woodland but is adversely affected by fire.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Our first morning in the Darwin district was dedicated to Howard Springs Nature Reserve— normally a reliable site for Rainbow Pitta but not today! Despite every trick in the book, I could not crack a sighting: a combination of drought, cyclone, and fire seeming to have hit the population quite hard. Birding was good though, and a big surprise was an amazing Black- breasted Buzzard well spotted by Janene. A perched Pacific Baza, beautiful Silver-backed , and a steady roll call of monsoon forest birds kept us on our toes. Included in the morning’s takings were Brahminy Kite, Forest , Red-collared Lorikeet, Dusky , White-throated Honeyeater, Green-backed , Varied , Gray Whistler, Green Oriole, and Shining Flycatcher. A big highlight for me was sighting three magnificent Merten’s Water Monitors. After lunch and a good siesta we continued exploring the birding sites around Darwin. This session also proved lively with a fantastic Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove perched in the sun, tame Bush Thick-knees, a surprise vagrant Gray-fronted Honeyeater, wonderful Torresian feeding on the mud in front of us, and a big list of shorebirds including such luminaries as Terek Sandpiper, Eastern Curlew, and Great Knot.

A stroke of fortune to find this rare Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon feeding its chick in a rock crevice in a still smouldering Ubirr Rock. Our luck held with the rare trifecta of Top End pigeons this year: great views of all.

Our good karma came back with a vengeance when not only did we find and enjoy superb views of , Red-headed Myzomela, and Australian Yellow White- in record time, shortly thereafter we had a cracking Rainbow Pitta teed up and singing away. It kept on trucking with a fine Golden Whistler and lovely Broad-billed Flycatcher. What is

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 more, Rick only donated one pint of blood to the ravenous mosquito population. We thought he might be faster than Yussein Bolt over 100 meters! We entered , where iconic tropical Australian wetland birds like , Black-necked , Comb-crested Jacana, and Plumed and Wandering whistling-ducks kept the momentum. Colorful Crimson Finches fed out in the open, and Paperbark Flycatchers zipped about. In the evening we spent a bit of time out after dinner picking up by torchlight a Large-tailed and enjoying the nocturnal antics of Black Flying-foxes and a shy Northern Brushtail Possum.

This big male Saltwater is called Max. He is about 4 meters long, close to 14 feet, keeping his territory in Yellow Water.

Our private boat trip on Yellow Water is always a tour highlight. The cool of the morning, superb light, and an extraordinary volume of wildlife that is tame and approachable make it a definite wow event. Travis was our guide, and we enjoyed his insight very much. The low water levels made it advantageous for the usually elusive giant Great-billed Heron, one even roaring in front of us. If you get the chance, listen to its call! Little Kingfisher made a critical appearance before being bombed off its perch by an Azure Kingfisher. Buff-sided Robins perched side by side for good looks at this often difficult species, while Bar-breasted Honeyeaters were attracted to profusely flowering mistletoe in a paperbark tree. A came snooping past, and Golden-headed Cisticola popped out for good views. We saw another 60 species! Post breakfast, we squeezed in another good short session with great encounters with

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Pigeon, Leaden Flycatcher, and Black-tailed Treecreeper at a nest. After a lengthy siesta to ride out the heat of the day, we ventured to the far north of the park and the aboriginal rock art galleries of Ubirr. A high intensity fire was still smoldering as we walked around the caves—a disaster for the local wildlife! Apart from taking in the paintings—some 4,000 years old—we had good luck, first with a great encounter with the delightful Wilkin’s Rock-Wallaby. Then, as if by magic, a Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon flew and landed directly in front of me, wandered into a rock ledge, and started feeding a large chick. We watched the whole event, somewhat shocked to have seen this scarce bird that is endemic to this park and adjoining Arnhem Land. Some people were up for a short spotlight walk after dinner, and we had great views of a Sugar Glider (this population appears to be an undescribed species currently called Savanna Glider) and also a great view of a .

A yellow-eyed female Black-necked Stork works the floodplains of the Alligator Rivers region of Kakadu.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 One last morning in Kakadu, and we made an early start to be at a lookout in the rock country at first light. It paid dividends when a fine Black-banded Fruit-Dove was well located by Rick and gave lengthy scope views. Another bonus was scope views of the male Black Wallaroo, and, after it seemed all was lost, we jagged a great pair of White-lined Honeyeaters. The “Sandstone” Helmeted Friarbirds were another new bird for us—surely good for elevation to full species status. We took our leave of Cooinda, making a visit to the excellent Aboriginal Cultural Centre, showcasing the survival techniques of the local people.

Winging south, we overshot our hoped-for Red Goshawk due to confusion on GPS coordinates versus Google maps coordinates! Back in the land of phone reception, the confusion was figured out and we headed back. This time we had great success watching both the male and female perched and, as we were leaving, the male was found flying over us, hunting over the forest. Few birds in the world are as enigmatic and rare as the Red Goshawk, and it was the first time I have ever seen a Red Goshawk in flight. It is some measure of its rarity that I have never seen the bird away from a stake-out. Later, in Pine Creek, we were quickly enjoying close-ups of the turquoise, golden-shouldered Hooded Parrot, a specialty of the district. It was off to Katherine for the night.

We finally cracked a Rainbow Pitta where the population had crashed from drought, fire, and damage following a cyclone.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Our earliest start of the tour had us at River at dawn, but it was a scene of disaster as a fire had rolled through for the second year running, destroying almost all the vital cane grass habitat of the Purple-crowned Fairywren. The publican at the roadhouse told us they had nearly lost the lot and had evacuated the buildings on Tuesday—we arrived on Thursday morning. With two fire trucks of their own, they saved the roadhouse and generators (about a quarter of a million dollars worth). If that had gone up, it would have been the end of them. Amazingly though, we found two pairs of Purple-crowned Fairywrens feeding in the crowns of Eucalypts: one male still having a purple crown! Quite a relief. Other good birds included a pair of Australian and perched Varied Lorikeets, while other stops turned up Apostlebirds, Long-tailed and Masked finches, hundreds of Cockatiels, and smaller numbers of Diamond Doves. After a siesta in the baking heat of the day, we ventured south with friend and gifted birder Josh, who had just staked out the rare Northern Shrike-tit—a very poorly known and endangered species. The patch of tropical woodland held good bird diversity including our first Varied Sittellas, Red-backed Kingfisher, and Red-backed Fairywrens, and then the shrike-tit vocalized, seeing us chase the sound across the landscape. There it was and the views were great. It was only my third sighting ever—thanks Josh!

Our final morning in the Top End had us placed at a small waterhole soon after sunrise. It worked well when about forty Gouldian Finches arrived to drink with a similar number of Hooded . There was a lot of color in the trees! An Australian Owlet-nightjar was a definite bonus, and the Red-winged Parrots literally glowed. We made a last minute dash into the Darwin Botanic Gardens where we found a large white morph Gray Goshawk chick sitting in a nest: very fluffy. We bade farewell to Janene temporarily and winged our way south to Alice Springs. Here we squeezed a visit into the Alice Springs Wastewater Plant finding our first Black- tailed Native-hens, White-winged Fairywrens, and Little Crows in the process.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 11 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019

After 18 years we finally cracked the rare Gray Honeyeater in central Australia. This quiet and inconspicuous species holds its place in the big five honeyeaters.

Alice was in the grip of a severe dry spell—well, it is a desert; however, the birding was notably subdued, and the numbers of everything right down to the carrying capacity of the arid lands. Still we did all right with beautiful Red-capped Robins and displaying Purple-backed Fairywrens a highlight in the morning, with great views of Western Bowerbird and Spinifex Pigeon in the afternoon. We visited spectacular gorge country in the West McDonnell Ranges like Simpson’s Gap and Ormiston Gorge, admiring quite a variety of desert plants, butterflies, , and the delightful Black-flanked Rock-wallabies.

A quick stop in a prime location near Alice in the morning scored with great views of a pair of Gray Honeyeaters. Small and definitely gray, these are a desert rarity, much coveted by Australian birders—one of the big five honeyeaters that can see thousands of kilometers traversed before the vital visual connection is made. It was the first time I had shown them to a VENT group. Another stop delivered another great sighting of some ten Bourke’s Parrots feeding tamely in the mulga and giving great scope views of their pastel pink and blue hues. A male Mulga Parrot was another big hit. We motored through to Uluru, making a visit to the Cultural Centre before taking a visit to Mutitjulu Waterhole at the rock where Gray-headed Honeyeater made a vital appearance. As the sun set on the rock, we had champagne and

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 12 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 canapés, toasting a successful tour. Despite varying conditions, we had done well with the remarkable birds and wildlife on this itinerary—some truly rare sightings.

Our final morning added a bonus Thorny Devil—amongst the most bizarre on the planet. A Black-breasted Buzzard showed very well. We visited both Kata Tjuta and Uluru again and took many photos in varying light conditions. After lunch we flew to Brisbane with all participants staying on, in fact, for all 35 days—worthy of a medal! It was a lot of fun. Thanks for being a great bunch of travelers and so much fun to travel with. Rarely have I laughed this much on a tour!

The Eastern Bearded Dragon holds territory on a fence post in Capertee Valley—one of many interesting Australian reptiles seen on this trip.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 13 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 BIRDS

Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmatus)

Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)

Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)

Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa)

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)

Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah)

Green Pygmy-goose (Nettapus pulchellus)

Maned Duck (Chenonetta jubata)

Australasian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis)

Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Introduced

Australian Grey Teal (Anas gibberifrons)

Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)

Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)

Hardhead (Aythya australis)

Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura australis)

Musk Duck (Biziura lobata)

Australian Brushturkey (Alectura lathami)

Orange-footed Scrubfowl (Megapodius reinwardt)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 14 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Brown Quail (Synoicus ypsilophora)

Australasian (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)

Great Crested Grebe ( cristatus)

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) Introduced

Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) Introduced

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella)

Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris)

Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)

Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

Partridge Pigeon (Geophaps smithii)

Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera)

Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon (Petrophassa rufipennis)

Wonga Pigeon (Leucosarcia melanoleucos)

Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)

Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida)

Bar-shouldered Dove (Geopelia humeralis)

Black-banded Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus alligator)

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina)

Torresian Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula spillorhoa)

Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 15 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Australian (Ardeotis australis)

Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)

Pacific Koel (Eudynamys orientalis)

Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)

Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis)

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus)

Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus)

Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus)

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)

Tawny Frogmouth ( strigoides)

Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopodus argus)

Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus)

Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus)

Buff-banded (Gallirallus philippensis)

Black-tailed Native-Hen (Tribonyx ventralis)

Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)

Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 16 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Brolga ( rubicunda)

Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius)

Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)

Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)

Black-bellied (Grey) Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)

Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus)

Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)

Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea)

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)

Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 17 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

Latham’s Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii)

Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes)

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)

[Australian] Gull-billed (Gelochelidon nilotica macrotarsa)

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos)

White-capped Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)

Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)

Campbell Albatross (Thalassarche [melanophris] impavida)

Antipodes Wandering Albatross (Diomedea [exulans] antipodensis)

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 18 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Gray-faced Petrel (Pterodroma gouldii)

Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri)

Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica)

Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris)

Fluttering Shearwater (Puffinus gavia)

Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

Australasian (Morus serrator)

Australasian Darter ( novaehollandiae)

Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos)

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia)

White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 19 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra)

Pied Heron (Egretta picata)

Eastern (Bubulcus [ibis] coromandus)

Rufous Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis moluccus)

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis)

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)

Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon)

Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata)

Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)

Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)

Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)

Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)

Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrhocephalus)

Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)

Red Goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus)

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 20 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

Powerful (Ninox strenua)

Barking Owl (Ninox connivens) Heard only

Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus)

Little Kingfisher (Ceyx pusillus)

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii)

Red-backed Kingfisher ( pyrrhopygius)

Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)

Torresian Kingfisher (Todiramphus sordidus)

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)

Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides)

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 21 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)

Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Australian King-Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)

Bourke’s Parrot (Neophema bourkii)

Australian Ringneck [Port Lincoln] Parrot (Barnardius zonarius)

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans)

Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus)

Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius)

Hooded Parrot (Psephotus dissimilis)

Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla)

Varied Lorikeet (Psitteuteles versicolor)

Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)

Red-collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus [haematodus] rubritorquis)

Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris)

Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)

Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 22 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)

Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata)

Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis)

White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea)

Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)

Black-tailed Treecreeper (Climacteris melanurus)

Southern Emuwren (Stipiturus malachurus)

Purple-crowned Fairywren ( coronatus)

Purple-backed Fairy- (Malurus assimilis)

Variegated Fairywren (Malurus lamberti)

Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus)

White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)

Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)

Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)

Lewin’s Honeyeater ( lewini)

White-lined Honeyeater (Meliphaga albilineata)

White-gaped Honeyeater (Stomiopera unicolor)

Yellow-faced Honeyeater ( chrysops)

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater ( melanops)

Noisy Miner ( melanocephala)

Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 23 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)

Little Wattlebird ( chrysoptera)

Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)

Singing Honeyeater ( virescens)

White-plumed Honeyeater ( penicillatus)

Yellow-tinted Honeyeater (Ptilotula flavescens)

Fuscous Honeyeater (Ptilotula fuscus)

Grey-headed Honeyeater (Ptilotula keartlandi)

Grey-fronted Honeyeater (Ptilotula plumula)

Bar-breasted Honeyeater (Ramsayornis fasciatus)

Rufous- ( albogularis)

Rufous-throated Honeyeater (Conopophila rufogularis)

Grey Honeyeater (Conopophila whitei)

Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura)

Red-headed Myzomela (Myzomela erythrocephala)

Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta)

Brown Honeyeater ( indistincta)

New Holland Honeyeater ( novaehollandiae)

White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis)

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)

White-throated Honeyeater ( albogularis)

White-naped Honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus)

Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris) Heard only

Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 24 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Little (Philemon citreogularis)

Helmeted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides)

Silver-crowned Friarbird (Philemon argenticeps)

Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)

Spotted (Pardalotus punctatus)

Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)

Rockwarbler (Origma solitaria)

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)

Speckled Warbler (Pyrrholaemus sagittatus)

Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (Hylacola pyrrhopygia)

Buff-rumped Thornbill ( reguloides)

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis)

Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)

Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)

Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)

Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)

Green-backed Gerygone (Gerygone chloronota)

White-throated Gerygone (Gerygone olivacea)

Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris) Heard only

Brown Gerygone (Gerygone mouki)

Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 25 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019

Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis)

White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus)

Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)

White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorhynchus)

Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus)

White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus)

Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus)

Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)

Little Woodswallow (Artamus minor)

Grey Butcherbird ( torquatus) Heard only

Silver-backed Butcherbird (Cracticus argenteus)

Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

Pied (Strepera graculina)

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuensis)

White-winged Triller ( tricolor)

Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 26 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Varied Sittella (Daphoensitta chrysoptera)

Eastern [Crested] Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)

Northern [Crested] Shrike-tit (Falcunculus whitei)

Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)

Golden Whistler ( pectoralis)

Mangrove Golden Whistler (Pachycephala melanura)

Grey Whistler (Pachycephala simplex)

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)

Olive-backed Oriole ( sagittatus)

Green (Yellow) Oriole (Oriolus flavocinctus)

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)

Northern (Rhipidura rufiventris)

Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)

Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)

Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas)

Black-faced Monarch ( melanopsis)

Magpie-lark ( cyanoleuca)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 27 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Leaden Flycatcher ( rubecula)

Broad-billed Flycatcher (Myiagra ruficollis)

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)

Paperbark Flycatcher (Myiagra nana)

Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto)

Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)

Little Crow (Corvus bennetti)

Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides)

Little Raven (Corvus mellori)

White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)

Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)

Jacky-winter (Microceca fascinans)

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (Microeca flavigaster)

Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii)

Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata)

Eastern Yellow Robin ( australis)

Buff-sided Robin (Poecilodryas cerviniventris)

Australasian Bushlark (Mirafra javanica)

Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 28 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)

Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans)

White-backed Swallow (Cheramoeca leucosterna) Leader only

Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) Introduced

Australian Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus australis)

Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis) Heard only

Rufous Songlark (Megalurus mathewsi)

Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis)

Australian Yellow White-eye (Zosterops luteus)

Silver-eye (Zosterops lateralis)

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) Introduced

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Introduced

Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirndinaceum)

Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Introduced

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 29 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019

Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella)

Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)

Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)

Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton)

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii)

Masked Finch (Poephila personata)

Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae)

MAMMALS

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus)

Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Northern Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus arnhemensis)

Sugar [Savanna] Glider (Petaurus breviceps)

Euro (Macropus robustus)

Black Wallaroo (Macropus bernardus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 30 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)

Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)

Agile Wallaby (Macropus agilis)

Antilopine Kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus)

Wilkin’s Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale wilkinsi): Recent split from Short-eared Rock-Wallaby (P. brachyotis)

Black-flanked Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale lateralis)

Black Flying-fox (Pteropus alecto)

Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Fur-seal sp. (Arctocephalus sp.)

Asian Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Introduced

Pig (Sus scrofa) Introduced

REPTILES

Eastern Longneck (Chelodina longicollis)

Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 31 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019 Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni)

Gilbert’s Dragon (Lophognathus gilberti)

Central Netted Dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis)

Coastal Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbatus)

Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii)

Jacky Dragon ( muricatus)

Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus)

Red-throated Skink (Acritoscincus platynotum)

(Ctenotus alacer)

Green Tree Snake ( punctulatus)

Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus)

Dwarf Tree (Litoria fallax)

Bicolor Tree Frog (Litoria bicolor)

Wotjulum Tree Frog (Litoria wotjulumensis)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 32 Grand Australia Part 1, 2019