FROGMOUTH & OWL TAWNY FROGMOUTH Podargus strigoides Lives in pairs in a permanent territory. Usually seen sitting quietly in a tree. Feeds by night on ground dwelling animals. Inconspicuous stick nest. BIRDWATCHING IN BIRDS OF KINGS PARK (B, Res, U) KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANIC GARDEN Kings Park and Botanic Garden covers an area over 400 ha of native vegetation, parks and gardens in the heart of the city. SOUTHERN BOOBOOK This provides a sanctuary for over 70 species of birds. Many live Prepared with BirdLife Western Australia Ninox novaeseelandiae here permanently and others visit at various times of the year. Usually seen sitting quietly in a tree. Hunts insects. Morning is the best time for bird watching. Good places to see Night call ‘boo-book’. birds are; the Botanic Garden, the banksia woodlands in the spring (B, Res, U) and the edges of the woodland, where bushland meets the grassed area. To see some of the rarer species such as Thornbills, you can take a quiet walk along some of the trails throughout the park. KINGFISHER & BEE-EATER Illustrations by S. Tingay, J. Blyth and P. Free. Acknowledgements: A.K. Jones, J. Dell and J. Mansell-Fletcher. LAUGHING KOOKABURRA *Dacelo novaeguineae Introduced from Eastern Australia in1898, now spread throughout the south-west. Well known laughing call. (B, Res, C) SACRED KINGFISHER BirdLife Western Australia Todiramphus sanctus 167 Perry Lakes Drive Floreat WA 6014 Breeding visitor from the north-west Phone: (08) 9383 7749 Email: [email protected] in September to March. Hunts insects in woodland areas. www.birdlife.org.au Harsh “kek kek kek” call. (Mi, U) RAINBOW BEE-EATER Merops ornatus Brilliant plumage. Often seen flying after bees, wasps and KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN dragonflies. Migrates from the Fraser Avenue, West Perth, Western Australia 6005 north to breed, October to March. Builds nesting tunnels. Phone: (08) 9480 3600 • Fax: (08) 9322 5064 Forms flocks before departure. Email: [email protected] • Internet: www.bgpa.wa.gov.au (B, Mi, U) RO19471:140114 B Knott RAPTOR COCKATOO, PARROT PIGEON, DOVE Raptors hunt for insects, lizards, small mammals and young birds. These birds look for hollows in trees for nesting. LAUGHING DOVE They have strong bills for cracking seeds and nuts. *Streptopelia senegalensis BROWN GOSHAWK RAINBOW LORIKEET Introduced from India to Accipiter fasciatus *Trichoglossus haematodus Perth Zoo. Smaller, more common than the Present in winter and spring. Introduced in the 1960s and Spotted Dove. Nests in the centre of the park. now widely spread in the metro Hunts a range of prey in the air area and further. Has a brush- (B,Res,U) and on ground including insects, tipped tongue. (B, Res, C) reptiles and birds. (B, Res, U) SPOTTED DOVE *Streptopelia chinensis AUSTRALIAN RINGNECK Introduced from Asia in 1898. Barnardius zonarius Larger than Laughing Dove with Feeds at ground, shrub and tree a spotted nape. Often seen on level. A wide variety of calls. the bushland edge. Most birds are a hybrid of two (B, Res, U) sub-species. (B, Res, C) COMMON BRONZEWING WATER FOWL Phaps chalcoptera Unmistakeable with iridescent wings and noisy wing beats. Several water birds visit the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Voice is a deep penetrating CARNABY’S BLACK-COCKATOO Fountain in the Botanic Garden and others are residents ‘oom oom’. including the following. Calyptorhynchus latirostris (B, Res, U) An endangered species that visits from the wheatbelt, December – PACIFIC BLACK DUCK Anas superciliosa June.Feeds on pine and banksia seeds.Listen for their distinctive CUCKOO Common on most lakes and drawn-out ‘wee-yu’ call. (Mi, U) waterways around Perth. Cuckoos lay their eggs in nests of other birds (hosts). Usually seen in pairs or small flocks. PALLID CUCKOO (B,Res,C) GALAH Eolophus roseicappillus Cacomantis pallidus Feeds on ground or on Present July to November, low shrubs in small parties. with juveniles present until Expanded range to the coast February. Mainly chooses AUSTRALIAN WOOD DUCK due to vegetation clearing. honeyeaters as hosts. Chenonetta jubata (B, Res, C) (B, Mi, U) Feed on grasses and sometimes insects. Form monogamous pairs. Males have a darker BUTTON-QUAIL coloured head. FAN-TAILED (B,Res,C) CUCKOO PAINTED BUTTON-QUAIL Cacomantis flabelliformis Turnix varius Present mainly winter and Ground dwelling bird, often spring. Main hosts are heard foraging in leaf litter for thornbills and White-browed seeds and insects. Takes flight Scrub-wren. Feeds on when flushed. caterpillars. (B, Res, U) (B, Mi, R) SCRUBWREN, ALLIES HONEYEATER, CHAT HONEYEATER, CHAT These smaller birds live in the foliage and collect insects from the leaves. Honeyeaters are found in every major vegetation zone in Australia. They are important pollinators of Australian plants and are very active in their search for nectar and insects. BROWN YELLOW-RUMPED HONEYEATER THORNBILL Lichmera indistincta Acanthiza chrysorrhoa Often heard before it is seen. Usually in flocks, feeding on WESTERN Several loud musical calls. the ground in open areas. WATTLEBIRD Note the long curved bill. Anthochaera lunulata (B, Res, U) (B, Res, C) Smaller than the Red Wattlebird. Note the dark shading on the chin and throat WESTERN and copper in wings. GERYGONE Has a chortling call. Gerygone fusca (B, Res, U) More often heard than seen. Distinctive wistful, ‘unfinished’ WHITE-CHEEKED call. May be seen fluttering near HONEYEATER foliage. Phylidonyris niger (B, Res, C) Can often be seen in the Botanic Garden and Mt Eliza escarpment. Eats insects and RED WATTLEBIRD nectar, usually gathered below Anthochaera carunculata W EEBILL 4.5 metres. Feeds in noisy Smicrornis brevirostris Largest of our honeyeaters. flocks. Very noisy, aggressive to (B, Res, C) Australia’s smallest bird. other birds. Note the red Distinctive call ‘wee-bit’, heard wattles. before it is seen. Moves through (B, Res, C) the canopy in groups. NEW HOLLAND (B, Res, C) HONEYEATER Phylidonyris novaehollandiae Very active. Looks similar to the White-cheeked Honeyeater but has a white PARDALOTE eye and dark cheeks. Feeds in noisy flocks. (Ir, U) SINGING HONEYEATER Lichenostomus virescens Perth’s second most common STRIATED PARDALOTE garden bird. Prefers open Pardalotus striatus woodland. Listen for their loud distinctive (B, Res, C) call of ‘chip-chip’. Eats insects, WESTERN SPINEBILL including leaf bugs and Acanthorhynchus superciliosus sometimes nectar. Nests in Note their fine curved bill for tree hollows. nectar feeding on banksias (B, Res, C) and kangaroo paws. Has an interesting flight. Female much less colourful. (B,Res,U) WHISTLER & MONARCH CUCKOO-SHRIKE, TRILLER FLOWERPECKER RUFOUS WHISTLER Pachycephala rufiventris Usually found in Jarrah BLACK-FACED MISTLETOEBIRD woodland. Male has a spirited CUCKOO-SHRIKE Dicaeum hirundinaceum song during courting. Female Coracina novaehollandiae Visits the park in search of has streaked buff breast. Notice its wing-shuffling mistletoe berries or small ( B, Res, C) display on landing. fruits. Usually solitary out of Distinctive undulating flight. breeding. Female lighter with (B, Res, C) pale red undertail. (Ir, R) MAGPIE-LARK BUTCHERBIRD, CURRAWONG SWALLOW, MARTIN Grallina cyanoleuca Territorial. Usually found in GREY BUTCHERBIRD WELCOME SWALLOW parkland and open bush. Cracticus torquatus Hirundo neoxena They have a musical call. Male has a black chin. Lives in permanent territories. Often flies low in open Prefers bushland bordering areas, seeking insects in (B, Res, C) open areas. Has various mellow flight. Builds small mud nests piping calls. (B, Res, C) on built structures. (B, Res, C) FANTAIL TREE MARTIN Petrochelidon nigricans FFantailsANTAIL have a conspicuous fan-like tail. They are restlessly active in their search for insects, grubs and spiders. Feeds high above the treetops. AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE Nests in tree hollows. Craticus tibicen (B, Mi, U) Lives in groups to feed, roost GREY FANTAIL and nest. May swoop during Rhipidura albiscapa breeding season. Carolling call. Male has a white back; female More common April to is mottled. (B, Res, C) November. Inquisitive; will often come to intruders. WHITE-EYE (B, Res, C) RAVEN, CROW SILVEREYE Zosterops lateralis AUSTRALIAN RAVEN WILLIE WAGTAIL Corvus coronoides Moves in flocks through the Rhipidura leucophrys bushes with its contact call Omnivorous. Common in built-up ‘psee-psee’. Feeds on a wide Bold, active, conspicuous, little areas. Wary, intelligent; capitalises variety of berries, grubs and bird. Usually found on lawns on presence of humans. Marri nectar. and in open country. (B, Res, C) (B, Res, C) (B, Res, C).