Birds of Cussen Park

BIRDS OF CUSSEN A comprehensive guide to the PARK birds of Cussen Park water reserve By Jacob Dedman Cussen Park is a bushland style park comprising 33 hectares of wetlands, CUSSEN woodlands and open area located on the northern outskirts of Tatura in Feature northern Victoria. The land in which Cussen Park is situated, is surrounded PARK P Car Park by industrial, residential and irrigated farm land. MAP N The information in this booklet provides the perfect opportunity to explore Rotunda our local wetlands. Discover for yourself the many birds on offer to view Toilet from our well developed paths, bird hides and observation decks. Walking pathsFeature

D DogP waste Car Park disposal bin By using the checklist in the back of the booklet, you can regularly tick Bird hide off sightings. Use our references and helpful resources also to assist with Path to N Rotunda identification and other bird information. Northlinks P estate Boardwalk Toilet Enjoy! Walking paths D Dog waste disposal bin Bird hide Bird hide Path to References Northlinks estate D P Birds Of Australia, A Photographic Guide, Iain Campbell, Sam Woods, Boardwalk Nick Leseberg, Princeton University Press, 2015 The Australian Bird Guide, Menkhorst, Rogers, Clarke, Davies, Marsack, P Franklin, CSIRO Publishing, 2017 Lookout Bird hide 100 m eBird Australia https://ebird.org/australia D Bridge Cussen Park https://cussenpark.wordpress.com P Feature

P Car Park Pump Photography Station Acknowledgments Jacob DedmanP Lookout 100 m N Rotunda We thank the Committee of Cussen Park for their generous support to Text Toilet produce this booklet. Jacob and Cheryl Dedman Walking paths Bridge P Path to town D Dog waste disposal bin Many thanks to Don Roberts for fact checking the information. Helpful Resources centre Bird hide Birdlife Australia www.birdlife.org.au Pump Path to Station Birds In Backyards www.birdsinbackyards.net Northlinks P estate National Field GuideBoa Appsrdwalk https://museumsvictoria.com.au/apps/national-field-guide-apps

Path to town Bird hide centre

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P Lookout 100 m

Bridge P

Pump Station

Path to town centre Bird Directory

Microcarbo COMMON NAME: COMMON Little Pied Cormorant SCIENTIFIC NAME: 55-61cm) (size melanoleucos Microcarbo GENUS: This is a small black and DESCRIPTION: abundant is very that cormorant white bill, white It has a yellow in Australia. and on its thigh. It is found the eye above both bodies of water, on small and large environments. and freshwater coastal Cygnus atratus (size 110-140cm) Cygnus atratus (size Anatidae COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Black Swan SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: black. is mostly that species in the world This the onlyswan is DESCRIPTION: on the fringes white bill and broad with a bold neck, reddish It has a graceful wings, which can be seen when in flight. It iscommon Australia. throughout on larger wetlands Jacob is a 13 year old Tatura resident who loves who loves resident old Tatura isyear a 13 Jacob photographing and has a passion for photography birds. Visiting CussenPark has been a constant included in his home and regularly part of his life education as a part of bird his love together brought has This booklet environmental of studies. It of the environment. and studies photography wetlands of the beauty of our local is a showcase Cussen Park that the importance and highlights our birdlife. for as a haven has in our region JACOB DEDMAN Bird Directory Porphyrio melanotus Porphyrio Rallidae COMMON NAME: COMMON Purple Swamphen SCIENTIFIC NAME: (36-39cm) GENUS: has The Purple Swamphen DESCRIPTION: a purple colouration along with a brightred Australia. all over in wetlands bill. It is found Himantopus leucocephalus (33-37cm) leucocephalus Himantopus Haematopus COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Stilt White-headed SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: on the nape, neck with a bold black patch Has long a white DESCRIPTION: the are long, bubblegum an all blackish pinkback and very legs that bright flocks. found in often Is most of stilts. feature common Egretta novaehollandiae (size 66-67cm) (size novaehollandiae Egretta Pelecanus conspicallatus (size 160-180cm) (size conspicallatus Pelecanus

Ardeidae Pelecanus This is a common and familiar heron, that is ashy-grey, has is ashy-grey, that heron, and familiar This is a common DESCRIPTION: in many legs. It is found and yellow pale eye piercing face, a bold white habitats. wetland GENUS: SCIENTIFIC NAME: COMMON NAME: COMMON White-Faced Heron The Australian Pelican is Australia’s only pelican and its only pelican is Australia’s Pelican The Australian DESCRIPTION: with black on markings the wings. It white, It is mostly waterbird. largest catching pouch for throat pink bill and a huge large has an easily recognised distances large isPelican can a and travel nomadic bird fish. TheAustralian inland in search it moves areas, in coastal found Mostly of water. in search breed. to of water GENUS: SCIENTIFIC NAME: SCIENTIFIC NAME: COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Australian Pelican Australian

Bird Directory Bird Directory Falco longipennis (30-36cm) Falco Elanus axillaris (size 34cm) Elanus axillaris (size

Falconidae Elanus GENUS: high speed. at and hunts long-tailed narrow-winged, is This falcon DESCRIPTION: grey wings and a dark sharply pointed with narrow, shape, falcon It has a typical upperpart colouration. It is usually observed in flight, when hunting theon wing areas. and scrubby habitats in open wooded widespread are They open areas. over COMMON NAME: COMMON SCIENTIFIC NAME: COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: by It hunts kite. slender-winged This is a small, black and white, DESCRIPTION: with pale white, It is mostly and grasshoppers. such as rodents prey for hovering in mostly It is found upperparts and has a bold black shoulder patch. ashy-grey and grasslands. farmlands open woodlands, Australian Hobby Black Shouldered Kite (Australian Kite) Kite (Australian Black Shouldered Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae (size 43-44cm) (size novaehollandiae Chroicocephalus Fulica atra (size 36-39cm) atra (size Fulica This is the smallest of the regular Australian gulls. It is slim andis It gulls. Australian regular the of smallest the is This Laridae Rallidae SCIENTIFIC NAME: DESCRIPTION: COMMON NAME: COMMON Silver Gull GENUS: on the upperparts. It is not only found silvery-grey with pale, bill, red has a bright lakes. and dumps city flats, tidal including habitats of variety a in occurs but coasts The Eurasian Coot is a slate-grey colour with an obvious ivory- with an obvious colour Coot is a slate-grey The Eurasian DESCRIPTION: food. for dives often it where water the on often most seen be can It bill. white vegetation. aquatic abundant have that wetlands in many It occurs COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Eurasian Coot SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS:

Bird Directory Bird Directory (Grass Parrot) (Grass Eolophys roseicapilla (size 36cm) (size roseicapilla Eolophys Psephotus haematonotus (size 24-29cm) (size Psephotus haematonotus Cacatuidae Psittacidae COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Parrot Red Rumped COMMON NAME: COMMON Galah SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: back grey has a powdery that This is a fuchsia-pink cockatoo, DESCRIPTION: cap. and uppperwings and pink underwings. It also has a solid creamy-white in open country, mainland Australia throughout be found The Galah can on the ground. in flocks feeding GENUS: belly and rump, yellow a red with green The male is bright DESCRIPTION: is a dull The female on the shoulder and forehead. blue wash and a slight vent brownish-green, with very littlecolour apart from some green on the rump. They are usually found in pairs or small flocks. woodlands. and open grassy trees, Itscattered occurs infarmlands with SCIENTIFIC NAME: SCIENTIFIC NAME: Platycercus eximius Platycercus Platycercus elegans (size 30-36cm) elegans (size Platycercus Psittacidae Platycercus SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: COMMON NAME: COMMON Crimson Rosella This DESCRIPTION: beautifullycoloured bird likesto inhabit rainforests, of Crimson Rosellas This picture and gardens. forests eucalypt woodlands, full crimson to will change and with age or immatures sub adult birds are colour. It has a royal blue cheek patch, blue tail and in groups. on the ground feed to blue wings. It likes flashes on its GENUS: and blue yellow red, bright Mostly parrot: A medium sized DESCRIPTION: Rosella Crimson the than built finely More cheeks. white conspicuous with and shrubs. in trees ground, feeds on the with. It co-occurs which it often COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Eastern Rosella SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Bird Directory Bird Directory Fairywren. Fairywren. This is a non-breeding This is a non-breeding plumaged male Superb plumaged

Pardalotus striatus (9-11.5cm) striatus Pardalotus Malurus cyaneus (size 11.5-14cm) Malurus cyaneus (size Pardalotidae Maluridae COMMON NAME: COMMON Superb Fairywren COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Striated Pardalote SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: black with The wings long red flashesare and ofa DESCRIPTION: white small warm a meets that eyebrow white broad has a It the shoulder. near mark of eucalypt in the crowns feeding found the bill. It is mostly over mark yellow in groups. trees SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: well- The male has two fairywren. eastern This is a common DESCRIPTION: line. black eye on each side of its head and has a broad blue areas separated with no males. It inhabits be challenging if encountered can The females salt marsh, include eucalypts, that of habitats in a wide variety thickets edges. and woodland areas scrubby heathlands, Smicrornis brevirostris (7.5-9cm) Smicrornis brevirostris Ocyphaps lophotes (size 30-36cm) (size lophotes Ocyphaps Acanthizidae Columbidae This is the smallest Australian bird. The Weebill has a The Weebill bird. Australian This is the smallest DESCRIPTION: in drier tail. It occurs to the tip and a white iris, a pale supercilium creamy woodlands. GENUS: Weebill SCIENTIFIC NAME: COMMON NAME: COMMON This is a mostly grey-coloured pigeon with pink hues on its pigeon grey-coloured This is a mostly DESCRIPTION: is found It and a thick black topknot. the eye skin around underparts, red courses. and golf gardens such as farmlands, in open habitats GENUS: SCIENTIFIC NAME: SCIENTIFIC NAME: Crested Pigeon COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON

Bird Directory Bird Directory Lichenostomus penicillatus (size 15-17cm) penicillatus (size Lichenostomus Climacteris affinis (size 15cm) affinis (size Climacteris Meliphagidae Climacteridae SCIENTIFIC NAME: SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: has bold white that honeyeater, This is a small, plain olive DESCRIPTION: fight often will It head. its on cast yellow distinctive a and neck its on plumes in dry open and be found It can sources. nectar around honeyeaters larger water. to close found and is mostly habitats arid woodland COMMON NAME: COMMON Brown Treecreeper SCIENTIFIC NAME: COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Honeyeater White-Plumed GENUS: its over shades of brown has several Treecreeper The Brown DESCRIPTION: on its underparts. It has quite pale brown to brown dark from ranging body, arid open woodlands are habitats Its favourite pale eyebrow. a prominent and shrublands . Phylidonyris novaehollandiae (16-20cm) novaehollandiae Phylidonyris Manorina melanocephala (24-28cm) Manorina melanocephala Melithreptus Manorina GENUS: The DESCRIPTION: New has Holland a Honeyeater piercing whitisheye, a small patch of white on its face and white markings on the tail. tip of its It is found widely in eucalypt forests, and grevilleas. shrubbery such as banksias understorey particularly where there is New Holland Honeyeater SCIENTIFIC NAME: COMMON NAME: COMMON GENUS: and with a black face (Thrush sized) Honeyeater grey A DESCRIPTION: the Yellow including the back, the rump, unlike down It is grey crown. (eg, of habitats, in a variety Miner is found The Noisy Miner. Throated and parks). gardens forests, eucalypt open woodlands, COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Noisy Miner SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Bird Directory Bird Directory Grallina cyanoleuca (size 27cm) (size Grallina cyanoleuca Gymnorhina tibicen (size 36-44cm) (size tibicen Gymnorhina This is a very familiar Australian bird. The magpie always has a The magpie always bird. Australian familiar This is a very Grallina Cracticidae NAME: COMMON Magpie Australian COMMON NAME: COMMON Magpie-Lark (Mud-lark) SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: which species, is long-legged monarch This is an oversized DESCRIPTION: black, with the underparts Its upperparts are usually on seen the ground. and a solid in females throat white a black-bordered for except white mostly common extremely are They vocal. in males. It is very patch black throat trees. are there where SCIENTIFIC NAME: SCIENTIFIC NAME: on the back of its neck. patch white pale to with a large solid blackunderside, gardens. and found in parks often trees; are there will be where Its habitats GENUS: DESCRIPTION: Cracticidae COMMON NAME: COMMON Pied Butcherbird SCIENTIFIC NAME: 32-34cm) (size nigrogularis Cracticus GENUS: The Pied Butcherbird DESCRIPTION: black hood and solid complete has a collar black back. It has a white white the neck and extensive around inhabit to wing markings. It likes such as farmlands, open country, and areas scrubby open woodlands, grasslands. Cracticus torquatus (28-32cm) Cracticus Cracticus The Grey Butcherbird has a black hood, grey back and back and black has a black hood, grey Butcherbird The Grey DESCRIPTION: Its on the breast. wash grey and it has a light is white wings. Its throat open woodlands, monsoon forests, forests, include sclerophyll habitats and gardens. parks farmlands, Grey Butcherbird SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON

Bird Directory Bird Directory Taeniopygia guttata (size 10cm) (size guttata Taeniopygia 39-48cm) (size novaeguineae Dacelo Estrildidae Alcedinidae GENUS: chestnut bold bill, red a bright with patterned beautifully is male The DESCRIPTION: ear patches, finely barred black and white breast and rufous flanks white spots. The but dotted females are stilldull display thegrey, tail distinctive pattern. with and saltbush scrub. croplands include grasslands, habitats finches’ Zebra SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: and familiar most is one of Australia’s The Laughing Kookaburra DESCRIPTION: with a It has a dark eye “laugh”. its extraordinary for It is famous birds. famous in It is abundant tail. barred and a brown the eye mask around dark brownish of Australia. areas the eastern COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON Zebra Finch SCIENTIFIC NAME: COMMON NAME: COMMON Laughing Kookaburra Anthus novaeseelandiae (size 17-18cm) (size novaeseelandiae Anthus Colluricincla harmonica (size 24cm) (size Colluricincla harmonica

Anthus Pachycephalidae This is a songbird that walks on the ground with a distinctive distinctive a with ground the on walks that songbird a This is DESCRIPTION: streaks with brown It is long-tailed up and down. its tail wagging gait, bobby open habitats. It likes feathers. tail outer and white SCIENTIFIC NAME: GENUS: COMMON NAME: COMMON Pipit) Australian Pipit (Richard’s SCIENTIFIC NAME: SCIENTIFIC NAME: This DESCRIPTION: shrikethrush is mostly plain grey mostly are with on habitats its back. Its colour a rufous have underparts. It can pale off-white areas. wooded COMMON NAME: NAME: COMMON GENUS: Grey Shrikethrush

Bird Directory YOUR CHECKLIST FOR THE BIRDS OF  Red-necked Avocet  Australian Hobby CUSSEN PARK  Masked Lapwing  Brown Falcon  Magpie Goose  Glossy Ibis  Red-kneed Dotterel  Peregrine Falcon  Freckled Duck  Australian White Ibis  Black-fronted Dotterel  Galah  Black Swan  Straw-necked Ibis  Black-tailed Godwit  Long-billed Corella  Australian Shelduck  Royal Spoonbill  Sharp-tailed Sandpiper  Little Corella  Australian Wood Duck  Yellow-billed Spoonbill  Latham’s Snipe  Sulphur-crested Cockatoo  Australasian Shoveler  Black-shouldered Kite (Australian)  Common Sandpiper  Cockatiel  Pacific Black Duck  Little Eagle  Common Greenshank  Swift Parrot  Grey Teal  Swamp Harrier  Marsh Sandpiper  Crimson Rosella  Chestnut Teal  Spotted Harrier  Wood Sandpiper  Eastern Rosella  Pink-eared Duck  Brown Goshawk  Silver Gull  Red-rumped Parrot  Hardhead  Collared Sparrowhawk  Whiskered Tern  Budgerigar  Australasian Grebe  Black Kite  Spotted Dove  Musk Lorikeet  Little Pied Cormorant  Whistling Kite  Common Bronzewing  Little Lorikeet  Great Cormorant  Buff-banded Rail  Crested Pigeon  Purple-crowned Lorikeet  Little Black Cormorant  Australian Spotted Crake  Diamond Dove  Rainbow Lorikeet  Australasian Darter  Baillon’s Crake  Peaceful Dove  Parrot sp.  Australian Pelican  Spotless Crake  Southern Boobook  Brown Treecreeper  White-necked Heron  Australasian Swamphen  Tawny Frogmouth  Superb Fairywren  Great Egret  Dusky Moorhen  Azure Kingfisher  Pied Honeyeater  White-faced Heron  Black-tailed Nativehen  Laughing Kookaburra  Noisy Miner  Cattle Egret  Eurasian Coot  Sacred Kingfisher  White-plumed Honeyeater  Nankeen Night-Heron  Pied Stilt  Rainbow Bee-eater  Fuscous Honeyeater YOUR FIELD NOTES  Black Honeyeater  Olive-backed Oriole ______ Blue-faced Honeyeater  Willie Wagtail ______ White-naped Honeyeater  Grey Fantail ______ New Holland Honeyeater  Magpie-lark ______ Brown-headed Honeyeater  Restless Flycatcher ______ Little Friarbird  Australian Raven ______ Noisy Friarbird  Little Raven ______ Spotted Pardalote  White-winged Chough ______ Striated Pardalote  Welcome Swallow ______ Yellow-rumped Thornbill  Fairy Martin ______ Weebill  Tree Martin ______ White-breasted Woodswallow  Fairy/Tree Martin ______ Masked Woodswallow  White-backed Swallow ______ White-browed Woodswallow  Australian Reed Warbler ______ Dusky Woodswallow  Little Grassbird ______ Pied Butcherbird  Rufous Songlark ______ Australian Magpie  Golden-headed Cisticola ______ Pied Currawong  Common Blackbird ______ Black-faced Cuckooshrike  Common Starling ______ White-winged Triller  Common Myna ______ Grey Shrikethrush  Mistletoebird ______ Golden Whistler  Australasian Pipit ______ Rufous Whistler  European Goldfinch ______