Trevor's Birding

Bronzewing Pigeons at the Australian Reptile Park

1 Comment »26th July, 2014; Category: Aviaries, Bird Behaviour, Pigeons and Doves, Zoos

Common Bronzewing Pigeon

The Common Bronzewing Pigeon is a widespread species in the mallee areas of South Australia where I live, as well as being relatively common throughout its range where suitable habitat exists. It is scarce in the drier parts of the continent.

The photos shown in today’s post were taken on a recent family visit to the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford north of Sydney. These birds were not wild birds but individuals kept in one of the aviaries there. I feature them here because of their beautiful colours.

The bird immediately below this text is not as colourful. It could be a juvenile, or the lack of colour could be the angle of the sun on the feathers. It looks more fluffed up than normal; it was a very cold day.

The prominent yellow-buff colouring on the males in the top and bottom photos is particularly striking, something I haven’t observed in the natural environment. In their natural habitat they tend not to sit nicely like these in one of the walk through aviaries in the reptile park. I usually just see a blurred shape of a bird fast disappearing into the distance.

Common Bronzewing Pigeon

Green Catbird at the Australian Reptile Park

No Comments »24th July, 2014; Category: Aviaries, Bird Behaviour

Green Catbird

The Green Catbird is a species I have only seen on a handful of occasions in the wild. The bird shown in the photo above was taken in one of the walk-through aviaries at the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford, north of Sydney. We recently visited the park on a family outing with our grandchildren.

The Green Catbird gets its name from its cat-like call. The green part of the name is obvious! The species is one of two catbirds in Australia, the other being the Spotted Catbird which lives in far north coastal Queensland, a species I have yet to see. Green Catbirds on the other hand are found along coastal areas of southern Queensland and eastern New South Wales.

Catbirds inhabit rainforests where they feed on fruit. They are known to raids fruit trees in orchards and gardens.

Green Catbird

Brolga at the Reptile Park

No Comments »23rd July, 2014; Category: Zoos

Brolga

Over recent days I have been sharing photos and writing about our recent family visit to the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford north of Sydney. I’ve shown a few birds which were not in aviaries, and now I plan to show some of their captive birds.

Today’s photo shows a Brolga, one of our larger birds, once known as an Native Companion and even an Australian Crane. They are widespread in northern and eastern Australia, but are uncommon in southern parts of our country.

The bird in the photo was a captive bird in an enclosure at the reptile park. I have seen others in zoos, but only once have I seen this species in the wild. Many years ago a saw a dozen or so in a swampy area in the extreme south-east of South Australia.

Ducks at the Australian Reptile Park

No Comments »22nd July, 2014; Category: Ducks Geese and Swans, Zoos

Grey Teal

On our recent visit to the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford north of Sydney, I was constantly on the lookout for birds that I could photograph. When most people were having lunch in the park picnic area – which was very nice, by the way – I noticed that there were quite a few ducks also present.

This is a familiar sight in Australia; where people gather to eat, many bird species, including ducks, tend to gather. Unfortunately many people also feed the birds, ignorant of the fact that human food is not only unsuitable for our native species, too much can also be deadly to the birds’ health.

Of the prominent ducks present, I photographed three species in the picnic area: Grey Teal, Chestnut Teal and Australian Wood Duck. Also present nearby were a few Pacific Black Ducks, but I decided not to photograph those as I have plenty of shots of that species already.

Australian Wood Duck

Chestnut Teal

Lunch time at the Reptile Park

No Comments »21st July, 2014; Category: Animals, Bush birds

Australian Brush Turkey

During our recent family visit to the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford north of Sydney, we had some interesting lunch companions. In the very well appointed picnic grounds several Australian Brush Turkeys moved amongst the picnickers picking up scraps. They didn’t come too near to us; they wouldn’t have been given any of our pies, potato chips or hot dogs – well, maybe the grandchildren might have been tempted to feed them.

Our other lunch time companions were far more daunting, if the photos below are any indication.

Thankfully they are only models of extinct species.