Category: Bird
Video: Crested Bellbird
A Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) was snapped by the Land for Wildlife coordinator while hiking at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station on the weekend. The crested bellbird translates to ‘Panpanpalala’ in Pitjantjatjara and ‘Kwepalepale’ in Central Arrernte. This fun bird keeps a low profile and so isn’t seen often, but has an unmistakable call, which
Keep an Eye to the… Ground: Mulga Parrots
Mulga Parrots (Psephotus varius) were seen foraging near the Land for Wildlife office earlier in the month. The scientific nomenclature, Psephotus varius, translates to ‘variegated mosaic bird’: Variegated from the Latin Varius, owing to the mixture of colours (especially in the male) Mosaic bird from the Greek Psephotos (inlaid with mosaic or precious stones), owing to
Ntaria Junior Rangers
The Land for Wildlife coordinator, Caragh, made the trip to Ntaria / Hermannsburg to help with the Junior Ranger program. With the assistance of the Tjuwanpa Women’s Rangers and Gerard Lessels, LfW helped the Ntaria Junior Rangers understand birds’ nests. The Junior Rangers learned about bird nest design, material use, nest shape and the consequences
Keep an Eye to the Sky – Galahs in Ciccone
Ciccone seems to be the place to be for Galahs (Eolophus roseicapillus) this week! Huge numbers were seen resting on power lines over the last few days. Galahs exhibit flocking behaviour and congregate at communal roost sites, frequently establishing near regular watering points and food sources; and with populations increasing markedly following successful young rearing.
Keep an Eye to the Sky – Channel-billed Cuckoo
The Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) is the largest parasitic cuckoo in the world. Unlike many other cuckoos, the chicks do not evict the host’s young from the nest, but rather grow faster and demand all the food. It lays its eggs in the nests of the Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) and members of the crow family
Keep an Eye to the Sky
After a couple of days of overcast weather, the skies have parted again and the birds are rejoicing. The Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii) were out in force at the office of Land for Wildlife this morning – screeching and parading around. Not surprising that they are active given their breeding season is a couple
The structural and thermal properties of avian cup-shaped nests
Rangeland Biology and Ecology Seminars April 29, Friday, 3.30pm at Charles Darwin University, Lecture Theatre HE, Alice Springs * The structural and thermal properties of avian cup-shaped nests Dr Caragh Heenan Land for Wildlife Coordinator, Low Ecological Services P/L, Alice Springs Incubation in birds is energetically demanding and the energy invested to maintain egg temperature