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Waterbirds of the Eastern Metropolitan Region

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Waterbirds of the Eastern Metropolitan Region GREBES BIRDWATCHING TIPS Tiny waterbirds, sharp-billed, almost tailless with lobed • Birds are more active early in the morning. Waterbirds of the rather than webbed feet. Often mistaken for ducklings. • There are often clues in the location (trees, They dive for tadpoles, insect larvae and small fish. fringing reeds or grassland, open water) and in the Nests are floating rafts of weeds; small young are black behaviour. Eastern Metropolitan and white striped. Rarely seen on land. • Don’t overlook dead trees – they may contain hollows suitable for nesting, even by ducks. • Be careful not to disturb waterbirds. Some are Region AUSTRALASIAN GREBE easily spooked, especially when nesting. Tachybaptus novaehollandiae • Be aware that mosquitoes may be present. In fresh or brackish water. Dives to escape danger. Yellow cheek patch, brighter when breeding. Acknowledgements: C Illustrations: Pam Agar, John Anderson, Robin Ashford, Michael Bamford, Judy Blyth, Milly Formby, Pam Free, Keith Lightbody, Michael Morcombe, Frank O’Connor, Allan Rose, Georgina Steytler, Chris Tate, Susan Tingay, Ian Wallace. HOARY-HEADED GREBE Poliocephalus poliocephalus All content is subject to copyright ©. Streaked head more Queries to BirdLife Western Australia. conspicuous when breeding; Bird Guide No. 72 dark nape stripe; silver eye; flanks are grey rather than brown. U, N Abundance Status C Common * Introduced M Moderately common N Nomadic GREAT CRESTED GREBE U Uncommon O Of conservation Podiceps cristatus R Rare concern Largest grebe. Conspicuous Mi Migratory white neck, black crest and IA Protected by rufous and black neck frill. male bird international agreement Georgiou Athena by Purple Swamphen R Mi Migratory Australia’s voice for birds since 1901 BirdLife Australia is dedicated to achieving RAPTOR outstanding conservation results for our native birds SWAMP HARRIER and their habitats. With our specialised knowledge Circus approximans and the commitment of an Australia-wide network of Large dark bird of prey with volunteers and supporters, we are creating a bright pale rump. Cruises above future for Australia’s birds. swampy areas searching for Kalamunda, Mundaring Shires and prey. Nests on ground in dense birdlife.org.au reeds. City of Swan U BirdLife Western Australia 167 Perry Lakes Drive, Floreat WA 6014 T 08 9383 7749 | [email protected] facebook.com/BirdLifeAustralia | @BirdlifeOz ABN 75 149 124 774 birds are in our nature Western Australia BLUE-BILLED DUCK AUSTRALIAN SHOVELER FRECKLED DUCK Oxyura australis Spatula rhynchotis Stictonetta naevosa Stiff-tailed duck species, Has a spoon-shaped bill fringed Distinctively sloped forehead; usually found in deeper fresh with lamellae for filtering small slight crest at nape. In breeding water. When breeding, male aquatic animals. Female plainer. plumage, male has red base to is rich chestnut with blue bill. U N bill; otherwise like female and Otherwise, like female: plainer immatures. blackish-brown. R U PINK-EARED DUCK PACIFIC BLACK DUCK MUSK DUCK Malacorhynchus membranaceus Anas superciliosa Biziura lobata Filter feeder of microscopic Feeds by upending in shallow Stiff-tailed duck; prefers deep plants, animals and small seeds. water for plant or animal food. water. Dives for food. When Sometimes seen rotating in Often nests in a tree hollow courting, the male splashes pairs to stir up insects. near water. and whistles, while inflating a U N C leathery lobe beneath his bill. U BLACK SWAN NORTHERN MALLARD / AUSTRALIAN Cygnus atratus DOMESTIC DUCK WOOD DUCK Use their long necks to reach Anas platyrhynchus Chenonetta jubata underwater plants. Need open Limited to a few Perth wetlands. Enjoys dams and pastures. water for flight take-off. Male has orange legs and curled Often feeds on grassy margins U tail feathers. Female & immature of a wetland. Female more much harder to separate from heavily mottled with pale Pacific Black Duck. Colouring of stripes above and below eye. other domestic ducks varies. C R AUSTRALIAN SHELDUCK GREY TEAL Tadorna tadornoides Anas gracilis OLD WORLD WARBLER Large boldly marked duck; on More wary than Pacific Black AUSTRALIAN fresh or salt water. Sifts mud Duck. Feeds by upending. REED-WARBLER and water for food or grazes on Disperses widely after good Acrocephalus australis grasslands. Female has white rains. Lives among reed-beds but not eye. C N often seen. In spring its rich, C loud call is conspicuous. M HARDHEAD CHESTNUT TEAL LITTLE GRASSBIRD Aythya australis Anas castanea Poodytes gramineus Prefers deeper water where it Prefers more saline waters. Secretive; sneaks to top of dives for molluscs and seeds. Female & immatures are similar dense vegetation to view Only the male has a white eye. to Grey Teal – the latter has a intruders. Presence indicated by M whiter throat & slightly lighter a melancholy, three-note call. colouring but not easy to U separate. R HERONS, EGRETS, IBIS & LITTLE EGRET CORMORANTS & DARTER Egretta garzetta Diving birds whose wings are extended to dry out feathers SPOONBILL Similar to Great Egret but after fishing as they are not water-proofed like ducks’ Herons and egrets are medium to tall birds with long necks smaller, more slender with feathers. They roost and breed in colonies. and legs and straight sharp bills for seizing slippery prey. Most shorter neck. Much more active, nest in tree-top colonies. dashing about after prey in Ibis have a long down-curved bill while spoonbills have a shallow water. straight bill with the end flat and broad. R AUSTRALASIAN DARTER Anhinga novaehollandiae Specially jointed neck enables it NANKEEN NIGHT HERON AUSTRALIAN WHITE IBIS to suddenly stab at prey (fish), Nycticorax caledonicus Threskiornis moluccus or to submerge with barely a Feeds dusk to dawn; shelters Has moved south from the ripple. in trees by day. Sometimes Kimberley since 1952. Eats Nest is a platform of sticks and seen standing statue-like in crustaceans and small aquatic leafy twigs. Female much paler. surrounding vegetation but animals; probes water-logged C often goes unnoticed. Juvenile areas, sometimes lawns and is mottled brown. ovals. U C CATTLE EGRET STRAW-NECKED IBIS LITTLE PIED CORMORANT Bubulcus ibis Threskiornis spinicollis Microcarbo melanoleucos Stocky build. Usually seen in Iridescent wings, white neck & Has a stubby yellow bill. pasture with grazing stock; underparts; feeds in grasslands Usually fishes alone. Often seen snaps up disturbed insects. or shallow wetlands; prefers perched while drying their Orange crown, neck & breast irrigated pastures, often in wings. in breeding plumage. Similar to large numbers; sometimes seen C Little Egret but this is less stocky circling high. & always has a black bill. U C N WHITE-NECKED HERON YELLOW-BILLED Ardea pacifica SPOONBILL Irruptions occasionally occur, Platalea flavipes GREAT CORMORANT such as in 2002 when the Sweeps its flattened bill from Phalacrocorax carbo herons were seen regularly. side to side, in search of small Larger than Little Black Seen only occasionally since. aquatic animals. Cormorant with a conspicuous R N M yellow facial patch. Usually seen singly or in small groups. U GREAT EGRET GLOSSY IBIS Ardea alba Plegadis falcinellus Stately bird, usually found Small dark ibis; iridescent wings singly. Waits, motionless, before but no white areas. Found on making a lightning thrust at shallow fresh water. Uncommon prey. visitor to Swan Coastal Plain. LITTLE BLACK M IA R N IA CORMORANT Phalacrocorax sulcirostris Common in both fresh and WHITE-FACED HERON AUSTRALIAN PELICAN brackish water. Very active Egretta novaehollandiae Pelecanus conspicillatus when fishing in flocks; more Feeds on frogs, insects, small Often gregarious when fishing; likely in small numbers in these fish and crustaceans found singles more likely on dams. areas. in shallow wetlands or open Soars on thermals. Breeds in C grassy areas. huge colonies in remote areas Nest is a platform of sticks in a when conditions are suitable. tree. M C BUFF-BANDED RAIL DUSKY MOORHEN BLACK-FRONTED DOTTEREL Hypotenenidia philippensis Gallinula tenebrosa Elseyornis melanops Usually seen singly in Grazes aquatic vegetation by Prefers shallow margins or vegetation along the water’s upending like a duck. Also mudflats. Bobs its head, tips and edge; sometimes in open feeds on land plants, insects runs. Nests on ground, relying on grassland. and frogs. Note white outer tail cryptic colouring and distraction R feathers. displays. U M BLACK-TAILED BANDED LAPWING NATIVE-HEN Vanellus tricolor Tribonyx ventralis Upright posture. Feeds in short Highly irruptive. Usually singles grasses, often far from water CRAKES: or pairs in metro area. Note but may occur on bare, dry mud All three are secretive, feeding among dense vegetation at green frontal shield, white at margins of wetlands. margins, sometimes venturing beyond shelter to feed, usually marks on flanks, no white under R early morning or late afternoon. tail. R AUSTRALIAN SPOTTED RED-KNEED DOTTEREL CRAKE EURASIAN COOT Erythrogonys cinctus Porzana fluminea Fulica atra Prefers natural or modified Constantly flicks tail to reveal Has flattened lobed toes and freshwater wetlands. Probes patch of white under tail (unlike feeds in water or on land. Their muddy shorelines; often feeds other crakes). If disturbed, runs call is a sharp loud “kyik”. in water. crouched with tail cocked. C R N R N BAILLON’S CRAKE COMMON SANDPIPER Zapornia pusilla Actitis hypoleucos Tiny crake. Note mottled brown Occasionally seen wandering back, pale grey face & breast. solitarily along margins. Bobs Prefers vegetated freshwater SHOREBIRDS nervously. Note white of breast wetlands. Many waders and shorebirds breed in the Northern Asian/ forms a slight ‘hook’ round R Alaskan summer and travel annually between breeding bend of wing. grounds and Australia. A few may over-winter here. R IA Mi PIED STILT SPOTLESS CRAKE Previously Black-winged Stilt COMMON GREENSHANK Zapornia tabuensis Himantopus leucocephalus Tringa nebularia Like a small dark hen as it Feeds on aquatic plants, insects Found solitarily along the dashes between rushes. Note and shrimps. Breeds in Australia. water’s edge, searching for red legs and eye. (NB Banded Stilt is less likely.
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