Southern Boobook | BIRDS in BACKYARDS BIRDS in BACKYARDS The Southern Boobook, often refered to a 'Mopoke' after its call, is Australia's smallest owl. Calls September to February; mainly October Clutch Size: 2 to 3 (occasionally up to 5) Nestling Period: What does it look like? Description: The Southern Boobook is the smallest and most common owl in Australia. It is identified by its plumage, which is dark chocolate-brown above and rufous-brown below, heavily streaked and spotted with white. The bill is grey with a darker tip, and the feet are grey or yellow. The facial disc is chocolate brown and the eyes are large and yellowish. Tasmanian birds are smaller and more heavily spotted with white, while birds of the Cape York rainforests are slightly larger and darker. Young Southern Boobooks are almost entirely buff-white below, with conspicuous dark brown facial discs. Like other owl species, the Southern Boobook is nocturnal. Birds are often observed perched on an open branch or tree-top. It is also known as the 'Mopoke'. Similar species: The similarly plumaged Barking Owl , N.

connivens, is more grey-brown, and has streaks rather than spots on the underparts. The Barking Owl is also larger, measuring 35 to 45 cm. Where does it live? Distribution: Southern Boobooks are found throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania, and on some coastal islands. Closely related species are found in New Zealand, New Guinea and Indonesia. Habitat: Southern Boobooks are seen in a variety of habitats from dense forest to open desert. What does it do? Feeding: The Southern Boobook feeds on insects, small mammals (such as the House Mouse, Mus musculus) and other small animal species. Feeding takes place mostly at night but some afternoon and morning activity may occur, especially on dull days. Most prey is detected by listening and watching from a suitable tall perch. Once detected, flying prey, such as moths and small bats, are seized in mid-air, while ground-dwelling prey animals are pounced upon. Breeding: The Southern Boobook's nest is normally a tree hollow, which is usually sparsely lined with wood shavings, leaves and small twigs, but may be left bare.

The female alone incubates the eggs, but both sexes, and sometimes a second female helper, feed the young. References: 2. – Birds of prey – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand Morepork chick At dusk, the melancholy sound of the morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) can be heard in forests and parks as it calls to other moreporks and claims territory. Its European name (morepork), Māori name (ruru) and Australian name (boobook) all echo its two-part cry. The morepork is New Zealand’s only surviving native owl. They are found in mainland New Zealand’s forests and on many offshore islands. They are less common in the drier, more open regions of Canterbury and Otago. Speckled dark brown, with yellow eyes and long tails, they are around 29 centimetres long from head to tail and 175 grams in weight. Another morepork subspecies lives on Norfolk Island. It was reduced in numbers to a single female, but after two males were introduced from New Zealand in 1987, a hybrid population was re-established. The larger laughing owl became extinct in the 20th century.

The German or little owl is a smaller introduced species. Neighbourhood watch Birds such as robins, grey warblers and fantails can end up as prey for moreporks. During the day, these small birds sometimes mob drowsy moreporks and chase them away from their roosts. Their noisy mobbing calls force the sleepy predators to search for a more peaceful spot. Habits During the day, moreporks sleep in roosts. By night they hunt a variety of animals – mainly large invertebrates including scarab and huhu beetles, moths and caterpillars, wētā and spiders. They also take small birds, rats and mice. They can find suitable food in pine forests as well as native forest. Stealthy fliers Moreporks have soft fringes on the edge of their feathers, so they can fly almost silently and not alert potential prey. This also allows moreporks to hear the movements of their prey as they approach, rather than the noise of their own wings. They have acute hearing and their large eyes are very sensitive to light. Able hunters A morepork uses its sharp talons to catch or stun its prey, which it carries in its bill.

Moreporks are canny hunters, as observed by ornithologist David Mudge: I watched one pair visit the nests of three hapless starlings who had made the mistake of nesting in the same tree as the owls. The moreporks would go from one starling’s nest to the next, hovering outside and reaching in with their talons, feeling for young birds to grab. I have seen a pair of moreporks ferry seven chicks back to their nest in 15 minutes. 1 Breeding Moreporks nest in tree hollows, in clumps of epiphytes (perching plants), or in cavities among rocks and roots. The female lays up to three white eggs, usually between October and November, which she incubates for 20 to 30 days. During this time she rarely hunts, and the male brings food to her. Once the chicks hatch she stays mainly on the nest until the young owls are fully feathered. They can fly at about 35 days. Ungracious hosts Scientists trying to establish a population of rare shore plovers on Motuora Island in the Hauraki Gulf were mystified as to why only two birds survived out of 75 placed there.

The culprits turned out to be five pairs of moreporks that ate or chased away the new arrivals. Māori associations In Māori tradition, the morepork or ruru was often seen as a watchful guardian. As a bird of the night, it was associated with the spirit world. Its occasional high, piercing call signified bad news, such as a death, but the more common ‘ruru’ call heralded good news. A number of sayings referred to the birds’ alertness. One saying warned an enemy that they were being watched: Etia anō āku mata me te mata-ā-ruru e tīwai ana Me te mata kāhu e paro noa rā kai te tahora! My eyes are like morepork eyes turning from side to side, Like the eyes of a hawk who soars over the plain! 2 Wingspan National Birds of Prey Centre | Learn About The New Zealand Morepork | NZ Native Owl 'Ruru' What makes the Morepork Owl unique? The ‘Ruru’ Morepork is New Zealand’s most widespread owl species.

A bird of the bush and the night, it is also an important species in Maori mythology. The Morepork is the only remaining native owl species found in New Zealand apart from the Barn Owl, which has only very recently colonised New Zealand from Australia. It is also the only species of owl in New Zealand that inhabits forests. Top predators are required in order for ecological systems to function, keeping check on the organisms they feed on. With short rounded wings and ears and eyes adapted for low light and darkness they are a formidable and stealthy predator of our forests. What other names does the Morepork have? Scientists call it: Ninox novaeseelandiae. Maori have many names for the Morepork including: Ruru, Koukou and Peho. Others know the Morepork as the: Boobook (mainly those folks over the ditch in Aussie). ↑ Are Morepork threatened in New Zealand? Morepork are very wide ranging and generally abundant in New Zealand. However, like all New Zealand species they suffer from a general lack of smarts when it comes to the exotic mammal predators that humans brought with them when they arrived.

Where available they nest in cavities in trees but they will also nest on the ground. One could presume that when nesting on the ground they are at their most vulnerable, but in fact even when nesting in cavities they are prone to predation. Cavity nesters overseas generally favour cavities that have two entrances, so that if a predator comes in one entrance they have an escape route out the back door. Of course the eggs or chicks may be predated but at least the adults survive and get to try again at a later date. Morepork however are not quite so cunning and don’t leave themselves this essential escape route, making the eggs, chicks and the adults sitting on the nest easy targets for things like stoats. So are they threatened? Well although Morepork are not formally classified as threatened, we actually don’t know much about their populations and very little research has been undertaken on the New Zealand sub-species. Of the few populations that have been monitored, fledgling rates have been very low indeed. If this is generally the case then Morepork populations may be more threatened than we think.

More research is required – but one thing is certain – the prevalence of all those mammalian predators in our bush is not helping our most endearing of raptor species. A decline in Morepork numbers would indicate a serious decline in the health of our forests and of our biodiversity. Like falcons they are the barometers of our environment. Without Morepork New Zealand would be a far poorer place. ↑ What do Morepork Eat? Morepork eat a variety of food but focus on large insects such as weta, huhu beetles, moths and cicadas. They will also prey upon small mammals such as mice and young rats. Morepork also catch roosting birds unawares as they sleep at night! How do Morepork fly so quietly? Like many owl species, Morepork can fly silently. They are able to do this because of a unique adaptation to their feathers. The feathers on most birds have smooth edges to maximise efficiency of flight. Owls in contrast have serrated edges to their feathers reducing turbulence and muffling the sound of air passing over the wing. Gliding also helps reduce drag and hence noise, making these the most silent, deadly of predators.

How do Morepork catch prey in complete darkness? Flying silently allows Morepork to catch prey unawares but how do they see in the pitch black of night? Well actually they can’t see when there is no light at all. Although their facial disks help direct what little light there is into their eyes they still need some light to see. It has been proven however that they can still successfully catch prey even when there is no light at all – by using their ears! It is in fact their offset ears that allow them to successfully hunt at night. These offset ears enable them to judge distance and locate prey using sound alone - a useful adaptation when it’s too dark to see! It also enables them to hear and locate prey hidden under leaf litter – very handy when a large proportion of your diet is creepy crawlies that live out of sight. ↑ Where and when do Morepork breed? Morepork lay between one and three eggs between September and February. The female does all the incubation. Like falcons, incubation lasts approximately 30 days with the chicks fledging at around 35 days after hatching.

They generally breed in bush habitat and pine forests but can sometimes also be found breeding in urban areas, for example in vegetated gullies or parks. ↑ Information on Owls Information on Owls Some Common Types of Owls are described at The Aviary at Owls.com. A variety of owl species are profiled in the Montana Field Guide from the state Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Social Behavior of North American Owls by Paul A. Johnsgard (4.9 MB PDF). The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (at NCSU) Extension Forestry Group has developed a series of information sheets entitled "Working With Wildlife," including one on Owls with descriptions of several owl species and tips for owl management (no photos, though). Alaska's Owls is an online version of much of the information contained in The Alaska Owlmanac: A guide to the identification, habits, and habitat of ten owl species found in Alaska, published by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. Paul Frost, a volunteer at the Raptor Foundation, has put together Owls: Introduction with information on several species of owls. The Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota has information sheets on Raptors of North America , including a dozen owl species.

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has prepared a series of Species Data Sheets on birds, which includes: and some tips on Barn Owl Nest Box Placement from Douglas Trapp. Also, check out Barn Owl Headquarters for other nest box designs. In New Jersey , the Short-eared Owl is endangered while the Barred Owl and Long-eared Owl are considered threatened species. The Burrowing Owl and the Short-eared Owl are among the "species of special concern" at the California Department of Fish and Game Central Valley Bay-Delta Branch . Ray Rasmussen's page on the Burrowing Owl also includes many links to owl resources. You can also see a news clip on Burrowing Owls & Eastern Screech Owls , with expert Marc Woodin of the Columbia Environmental Research Center of the US Geological Survey. The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan of Pima County in Arizona has a document on the endangered Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl as well the Mexican Spotted Owl which is a threatened species. Also, the Burrowing Owl has been chosen as a Priority Vulnerable Species. The Lesser Sooty Owl is an Australian endangered species. The native owl of New Zealand is the Ruru , more commonly known as the morepork.

An owl with a similar call is the "mopoke" or Southern Boobook Owl , which is found all over Australia. Another picture and factsheet of the Boobook is at the Government of Western Australia's NatureBase . Birding... Strigidae is a checklist of the owls of the world, compiled by Friedhelm Weick. Antonio Silveira of 'Environmental Program: The Last Noah's Ark' has provided a brief checklist of Brazil�s Owls . You can see dynamically generated maps of the distribution of many owl species at Owls of the Western Hemisphere , which covers North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. Steve Greer's Owl Photos and Facts page showcases many of his photographs of owls found in New Jersey. The OwlCam Home Page follows a family of Barn Owls with photgraphs and commentary over several years. There are several pictures of Owls in the French Riviera including two barn owls and several eagle owls. The U.S. Geological Service's Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter has information pages with pictures, distribution maps, and identification tips for many owl species. Some samples of owl photographs are on display at Photovault .

Hundreds of owl-related pictures are available (for sale) at Foto Search and Can Stock Photo , two stock photography sites. Attractive prints and posters are available from Barewalls . There are several images of owls among the hundreds of birds sighted on the grounds of the Fermilab in Batavia, IL. Five owls can be found on the Birds Of Prey In Oklahoma Webpage maintained by the Tulsa Boardwalk. Sanctuaries and Organizations "An organisation dedicated to owl conservation" is how the World Owl Trust describes itself. The Website has information on and pictures of several kinds of owls. The World of Owls has established Northern Ireland's first owl sanctuary. Their Website has a nice gallery of some of the birds in their care. The Barn Owl Centre sanctuary, with information on barn owl habits, prey, and nests, is located in Gloucester, United Kingdom. Also in the UK is the Barn Owl Trust , which offers a live webcam along with lots of useful information. The Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, PA, bills itself as "the world's first and best-known refuge for birds of prey." The Raptor Gallery is currently unavailable, but there is a section on owls in its publication Enjoying Hawk Mountain: Teacher Guide .

The Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary in Petersburg, NY, cares for more than 150 avian species, including owls. Also in New York State is the Hudson Valley Raptor Center . New Jersey has the Raptor Trust (which published Leonard Soucy's book New Jersey's Owls in 2000) and the twin Scherman-Hoffman Sanctuaries , where you may find great-horned and screech owls. You can also go birding at the Inyo National Forest in California, and encounter several species of cavity-nesting owls. Download and Compare Owl Calls from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Owl Box Plans (for Barn Owls and Barred Owls) are offered by the Carolina Raptor Center. The Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University offers plans for building nestboxes for screech owls and for barn owls. The Owl Research Institute is based at the Ninepipes Center for Wildlife Research and Education in Montana. Lots of information on owls may be found under the "Research" link. Look for the Owl ID Guide as well.

The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory is a major hawk and owl observatory on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, with hawk, waterbird, songbird and owl counts and owl banding during spring and fall migrations. Look for their photo album of juvenile Saw-whet Owls. Raptor centers in the United Kingdom may be found listed at Places to Go: Raptors compiled by Paul Frost. Adopt-a-Bird with the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Florida. This Owl Mask was designed by Jan Brett for a Mitten Play based on her book. Owl paintings and sculptures are featured by the Artists for Conservation . Owl paintings and artwork are also avaiable at Artist Rising . Other People's Owl Pages The Owl Pages are the work of Deane Lewis - very detailed and extensive. Owling.com claims to be the "largest US Website totally dedicated to owls" with images, audio recordings, and field notes for many species of owls found in Central and North America. The Owls Plexus of Dr. Bruce G. Marcot (a wildlife ecologist) includes many photographs, owl calls, and scholarly reports.

Check out the Oehoeboeroe page (Dutch for owl, pronounced 'uHuburu') for some illustrations and unusual information... Then, consider the counter-claims of the Oeroeboeroe page. Some Books on Owls There are many books on owls at Rutgers University Libraries: Alcorn, Gordon Dee. Owls : An introduction for the amateur naturalist. Prentice-Hall, 1986. (CAMDN QL 696 .S8 A43 1986) Burton, John A., editor. Owls of the world: Their evolution, structure, and ecology. Tanager Books, 1984. (CAMDN, DGLSS, LSM QL 696 .S8 O9) Cameron, Angus, and Peter Parnall. The nightwatchers. Four Winds Press, 1971. (DGLSS QL 696 .S8 C35) Clark, Richard J. et al. Working bibliography of owls of the world: with summaries of current taxonomy and distributional status. National Wildlife Federation, 1978.

(DANA REF QL 696 .S8 C53) De la Torre, Julio. Owls : their life and behavior : a photographic study of the North American species. Crown, 1990. (DGLSS QL 696 .S8 D4) Hoke, Helen, and Valerie Pitt. Owls. Franklin Watts, 1975. (ALEX JUV QL 696 .S8 H56) Johnsgard, Paul A. North American owls : biology and natural history. Smithsonian Institution Press. (DGLSS, LSM QL 696 .S8 J64 1988; CHANG, DANA QL 696 .S8 J64 2002) K�nig, Claus. Owls of the world. Yale, 2008. (ROBESON QL 696 .S8 K657) Maslow, Jonathan Evan. The owl papers. Dutton, 1983. (DANA QL 696 .S8 M33) Shaw, Richard, editor.

The owl book. Frederick Warne, 1970. (ALEX JUV PZ 8.3 .S534 OW) Soucy, Lew. New Jersey's owls. 1980. (SPCOL QL 696 .S8 S6) Sparks, John, and Tony Soper. Owls: their natural and unnatural history. David & Charles, 1970. (DGLSS QL 696 .S8 S67) Steyn, Peter. A delight of owls: African owls observed. Tanager Books, 1984. (LSM QL 696 .S8 S744) Taylor, Iain. Barn owls: predator-prey relationships and conservation. Cambridge University Press, 1994. (DGLSS QL 696 .S85 T38) Toops, Connie M. The enchanting owl. Voyageur Press, 1990. (DGLSS QL 696 .S8 T66) Voous, Karel Hendrik. Owls of the northern hemisphere.

MIT Press, 1989. (LSM FOLIO QL 696 .S8 V66) Walker, Lewis Wayne. The book of owls. University of Texas Press, 1993. (DGLSS QL 696 .S8 W26) A recent book from Firefly Books is: by Frances Backhouse. Birds of Australia Blog Birds of Australia Australia - land of parrots and honeyeaters, home to bowerbirds, megapodes and birds of paradise, and the possible birthplace of all the world's songbirds . Lyrebirds, emus and apostle birds are uniquely Australian Most of the world's cockatoos are Australian, and no continent other than South America has more parrots. Most of our songbirds belong to families not found on other continents - despite inappropriate names such as 'robin', 'magpie' and 'wren' being bestowed upon them by homesick settlers in the early days of white colonisation. There are so many species in Australia we cannot do justice to them here, but here is a sample, with links to further information General information on Australian birds Links to books and further information What is a bird?

From ducks to eagles, from emus to finches, from frogmouths to penguins, birds comprise a marvellous assortment of creatures, but they all have some features in common. A bird is a vertebrate animal that shares the following features with other vertebrates: all vertebrates - nerve chord extending from the brain down the back, surrounded by segmented bone or cartilage (includes, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), and relatively large brain compared to other animal groups similar to most vertebrates other than fish in having four limbs - but different from most in walking on the hind limbs, the forelimbs modified into wings similar to most fish, amphibians and reptiles in laying eggs - although some fish and some reptiles do not do so, ALL species of birds reproduce by eggs similar to mammals, reptiles and adult amphibians in breathing with lungs similar to mammals in their ability to regulate body temperature (including brain temperature, which is a major reason birds and mammals tend to be the most 'intelligent' of animals - however 'intelligence' is defined) They differ from all other animals in having feathers.

All walk on hind legs(although some, like swifts, do very little walking) No present day birds have teeth, but some prehistoric birds such as Archaeopteryx did back to top of page Birds that landscape our countryside Many birds eat native fruits. Some crunch and digest the seeds, others just digest the soft parts of the fruit and either cough/spit out the seed or pass it through their intestines unharmed. These birds can have a profound effect on what grows where. Some of the main dispersers in the rainforests are fruitdoves , bowerbirds , catbirds, lewin's honeyeaters , pied currawongs and cassowaries , also figbirds, which tend to visit edges of rainforests rather than penetrate deeply into them. Many others disperse seeds at least occasionally. In more open habitats, emus, mistletoebirds, crows and many honeyeaters disperse seeds, with many other species (cuckoos, cuckooshrikes, orioles, butcherbirds, others) doing so at least occasionally. The yellow and red pigments of the fruit is often transferred to the feathers of the bird that eats it.

Before a flowering plant (whether it's a tree, shrub, vine or herb) sets seeds, its flower must be pollinated. Many are pollinated by wind or by insects, but nectar-feeding birds such as honeyeaters and some parrots alps play an important roles. Bird-pollinated flowers tend to be fairly robust, to withstand vigorous feeding activities, and are often red, pink or creamy-white, with plenty of nectar and easily-dislodged pollen. Birds of bright colours or 'odd' appearance Bright colours: Fairy-wrens - beautiful little birds found only in Australia and New Guinea (mostly Australia) - blue, lilac, red and other colours, not related to wrens. Some are common in bushland (open forest and woodland) areas where understorey shrubs have been retained. Chats - orange, yellow and crimson chats of the outback are brilliant Pittas - bright-coloured birds of the rainforest floor Parrots - rosellas, lorikeets, others - Fruitdoves - pinks, greens, yellows, maroon, purple and other colours adorn these beautiful birds, but they can still be very hard to spot amongst the foliage in a rainforest.

Rainbow bee-eaters - all the colours of the rainbow, plus two long black tail feathers that stream behind as they fly Crested birds: Crested bellbird Other unusual appearance: Frogmouths - these have very wide gapes and are camouflaged to like like part of the branch they are sitting on. Lyrebirds - as well as being the world's most accomplished mimics, the males have beautifully decorated, long tails, which they bring forward and shimmer like a small fountain during the courtship dance Bush stone-curlew - the large yellow eye is its most striking feature, and it is quite a large bird, though often un-noticed because of its habit of sitting or standing very still amongst low vegetation Avocets, spoonbills and ibises - like their relatives elsewhere, the long bill of the avocet curves upwards at its end, the spoonbill's bill splays out into a spoon shape, and the ibis has a long downwardly-curved bill.

Emus and cassowaries - both are large flightless birds, and the cassowary also has a large casque on its head Channel-billed cuckoo - a large grey cuckoo with an oversize bill Pheasant coucal - a pheasant-like close relative of the cuckoos, which is often reluctant to fly and instead runs with head and long tail close to the ground, looking rather reptilian. Jacana - like the jacanas of other continents, our comb-crested jacana has extraordinarily long toes to enable it to walk on waterlily leaves Black swans - no longer surprising, but as in "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable ", "In Europe all anyone had ever seen were white swans; indeed, "all swans are white" had long been used as the standard example of a scientific truth. So what was the chance of seeing a black one? Impossible to calculate, or at least they were until 1697, when explorers found Cygnus atratus in Australia". back to top of page Threatened species Eastern bristebird.

There was a very successful captive breeding program happening at the David Fleay WIldlife Park, starting from the only two they could find after extensive searching - a brother and sister pair. Unfortunately this breeding program has now been abandoned. Coxen's figparrot. This small parrot used to depend on the abundance of fruiting figs in lowland rainforests during the winter months. Now most of the lowland rainforest has been cleared, and the Coxen's figparrot (a subspecies of the double-eyed parrot) is now rarely seen and probably only a few dozen individuals remain, if that. Cassowary . In patches of rainforest remnants that have lost the cassowary, there is a severe reduction in seed dispersal of plants with large fruits, although fruitbats, rodents or the musky rat kangaroo may carry some of them a short distance . back to top of page The flightless ones - emus and cassowaries The rattites are a group of large flightless birds now found only in the southern hemisphere, including the rhea of South America, ostrich of Africa, emu of Australia and cassowaries of Australia and New Guinea. Emu Australia's largest bird.

There used to be two other species on southern islands, but they were driven to extinction by hunting. Cassowary A very important seed disperser in northern rainforests, as there are many large fruits impossible for anything else to swallow. Cockatoos Cockatoos are essentially parrots with crests (and gall bladders) Most of the world's cockatoos are Australian, with a few species in New Guinea and southeast Asian islands. They all have crests, ranging from the small crests of cockateils, galahs and corellas to the spectacular ones of major mitchells and palm cockatoos. Wikipedia has a good cockatoo page Rosellas Rosellas are a purely Australian group of colourful parrots with long tails and a pattern of little black scallops on their backs. Lorikeets These bright green or multi-coloured little parrots feed mostly on nectar and pollen Budgerigars One of the world's most popular pet birds, they still live and breed in in large flocks in Australia's outback Other parrots There are many pother parrots in Australia, from the small and critically-endangered Coxen's figparrot to the large and colurful king parrots.

back to top of page Cuckoos - none say 'cuckoo' but they do lay eggs in other birds' nest (except one) The exception to the rule of laying eggs in other birds' nests is not actually a cuckoo, it is a coucal, but very closely related. There are several coucal species in Southeast Asia, and we have one, the pheasant coucal, so-called because its shape resemble a pheasant. It also looks rather reptilian as it runs along, head and long tail close to the ground, before taking off in a clumsy flight. None of our cuckoos say anything remotely resembling "cuckoo." One gives a loud prolonged squawk (channel-billed cuckoo), one a kind of 'cooee' call (koel), one a downwards trill (fantailed cuckoo), another a series of rather frantic calls as though the bird is heading for a nervous breakdown (brush cuckoo), and others give various kinds of whistling calls. The only bird that actually sounds like a European cuckoo is an owl , the boobook owl. Different sizes of cuckoo naturally choose nests of different sized birds to lay their eggs in.

The big channel-billed cuckoo for instance lays its eggs in the nests of crows and similar-sized birds, while small cuckoos lay in the nests of small birds: the young cuckoo may still be quite a lot larger than the nestlings of the host bird. back to top of page Megapodes - males build large mounds in which the eggs are incubated This is a family of large-footed birds from Australia to Southeast Asia. The three Australian species, as do most megapodes, hatch their eggs by the heat of decaying vegetation (there is at least one species in Asia which instead uses the heat of active volcanoes). Probably the best-known megapode in Australia is the brush turkey, easily seen in rainforest areas and sometimes entering the suburbs of Brisbane (not always welcomed by home-owners, who may for instance find all the pine chips from their garden scratched into a mound against their garage door) Find information here on the malleefowl , of dry open country in southern Australia (the world's only megapode to NOT live in dense forest) The smallest species in Australia, the orange-footed scrubfowl, builds an impressive mound up to several metres in diameter.

You can see a list of the world's megapodes , with links to photos, videos and calls, here. See also a good book on the megapodes by Darryl Jones , who studied the brush turkeys some years ago for his PhD, and two co-authors. back to top of page Pigeons - bright-coloured fruit-eaters, many seed-eaters Fruitdoves and topknot pigeons (not to be confused with crested pigeons) eat fruit, digesting the softer parts and either regurgitating the seeds or passing them through their intestines before discarding them, and thus are important seed dispersers for many rainforest trees. They live in coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia (south as far as northern New South Wales) and also in New Guinea and Southeast Asia. style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Most pigeons, like pigeons the world over, digest the seeds they swallow. One of the best--known is the crested pigeon, fund in most open habitats over much of Australia.

Pictured here are the wonga pigeon (left) and the wompoo fruitdove (right) Birds of prey - day and night Diurnal raptors (eagles, hawks, falcons etc.) There are 24 species in Australia Eagles include the wedge-tailed eagle (largest species), white-bellied sea-eagle and little eagle Kites include the brahminy (beautiful white and red-brown plumage, hunts fish along coasts), whistling (big enough and similar enough wing pattern to be mistaken for little eagle, but with distinctive call), black (very common in outback), black-winged (often seen hovering), letter-winged (often hunts at night, although technically one of the diurnal raptors), Others include black-breasted buzzard (which is not actually a buzzard), osprey (same species as in northern hemisphere), several goshawks, two harriers, a sparrowhawk, a baza, several falcons (including the Peregrine falcon found also in other continents) and a kestrel (essentially a small falcon, but kestrels hover more than other falcons).

Owls There are 10 species in Australia Boobook - an owl whose call is often mistaken for something else. The boobook owl gives the ' mopoke' call, one of the most familiar sounds of the Australian bush at night (and the closest sound to a European cuckoo call that you will hear in Australia). Many people are convinced it is the tawny frogmouth, but this is incorrect. The boobook is often heard but not seen, while the frogmouth is often seen and not heard, in the same patch of forest. Others in the past have insisted the 'mopoke' call comes from the echidna, the goanna, or even the carpet snake, presumably because they have gone outside to investigate the source of the call, found one of these creatures and not seen the mottled brown owl sitting quietly on a branch close to the trunk of a tree. Powerful owl - our largest owl, with a wingspan of about 1.3metres, and feeds mainly on arboreal mammals and roosting birds.

Barking owl - it usually sounds like a small dog barking, but every now and then gives a blood-curdling scream which has earned it the nickname of 'mad woman owl.' I'm told that if you hear in in the middle of the night while camping it makes all the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. There are various other owls, including the barn owl (Tyto alba) which is found throughout Australia, and on all continents except Antarctica, and some rarer relatives, such as two species of sooty owl (their calls at night sound a bit like a bomb falling but never landing). Nightjars and frogmouths Frogmouths are sometimes mistaken for owls. They do hunt at night, as do other nightjars, but by a different method (sitting and waiting, then pouncing on prey, which they swallow whole with their enormously-wide bills, instead of tearing it apart the way owls do, and their feet are considerably weaker than those of owls for this reason). Their nearest relatives apart from the nightjars (Australia has several species, including the cute little owlet nightjars that look like something created by Disney) are the oilbirds and potoos of South America.

Tawny frogmouths (the common species, found throughout most of Australia) definitely do NOT, EVER make a ' mopoke ' call, despite Banjo Patterson's poem and the adamant protests of many who still believe they do. They instead makes a repetitive call - 'oom-oom-oom' which in its most rapid form sounds like some kind of machinery starting up, plus a few low 'growling' noises. During the day, frogmouths sit on a branch at an angle, and are perfectly camouflaged to blend in and look like a short projection of broken branch. It is easy to walk right past one without noticing it. back to top of page Kookaburras and other kingfishers If a name for the family was to be selected in Australia, they would probably nit have been called kingfishers, as only a few of our species actually fish, most catch small lizards, large insects and the like. The largest members of the family - the kookaburras, also catch snakes. The best-known species is the laughing kookaburra, with its rollicking laughter.

The other is the blue-winged kookaburra of the northern half of Australia, which has a strange call sounding like it's trying to laugh and not quite getting it right. Both species have blue on their wings, but the blue-winged kookaburra has the largest patch. The beautiful little azure kingfisher, with bright blue above and bright red on the breast, does feed on fish, and sometimes follows the platypus in the hope that it will disturb fish that it can then more readily detect and catch. back to top of page Songbirds - evidence for an Australian ancestry The oldest known songbird (passerine - order Passeriformes) fossils are from Murgon, in Queensland Australia, and the primitive features in some of our birds (e.g. lyrebirds and scrub birds, as well as New Zealand fern wrens) suggest an Australian origin for this, the largest order of birds. Visit this site for a good summary of current thinking on the evolution of songbirds Lyrebirds - world's best mimics (and great dancers too) The lyrebirds were until recently placed in the suboscines, but DNA research suggests otherwise Strange that a suboscine would be such an accomplished songster.

There are only two species in the world, both confined to Australia - the superb lyrebird of eastern forests (to as far north as southern Queensland) and the Albert's lyrebird (subtropical forests of Qld/NSW border regions) back to top of page Scrub birds Small, brown secretive birds of dense vegetation (therefore not easy to see, and also not at all common, but they have penetrating calls). A family confined to Australia, and with primitive characteristics, they appear to be most closely related to lyrebirds, and despite not having the size or elaborate tail feathers, the males also court the females with song, dance and mimicry. Honeyeaters - the largest songbird family in Australia, many and varied species You can hardly go walking anywhere in Australian forests, woodlands or heathands without seeing or hearing some kind of honeyeater. They do not eat only nectar - all eat insects as well for protein, and some also eat fruits. Those that include the larger proportions of nectar in their diets tend to have longer bills than those with a higher proportion of insects in their diets.

Many are important pollinators of plants, especially in the Myrtaceae (eucalypts, bottlebrushes), Proteaceae (banksias, grevilleas) and Epacridaceae (heathy shrubs) families. Many also eat small fruits and can be important seed dispersers. Many are nomadic, some make fairly regular migrations, some are residential throughout the year. Some prefer to forage in the canopy, others close to ground level or even on the ground. They are a primarily Australian and New Guinea family of songbirds (Meliphagidae, which means honey-eating), but extending out into the extreme southeast of Indonesia and some southwest Pacific Islands. [They are NOT related to hummingbirds, honey-creepers, sugarbirds or sunbirds, although bearing some resemblance in appearance and behaviour. Australia has one species of sunbird in the tropical north, none of the other groups just mentioned)] This page gives a list of all honeyeaters , with links to other facts, photos and videos back to top of page Australian 'magpies' and their relatives Early settlers in Australia saw big black and white songbirds, called them magpies and the name stuck.

They are a totally different bird from the magpies of the Northern Hemisphere, belonging to a totally different family, but it looks as though the name 'Australian magpie' is here to stay. Their early morning warbling is familiar to almost everyone who has spent any time in Australia. Their habit of diving on passers-by in spring is not so endearing, but it is only a few individuals that become this aggressive when defending their nests, and it is almost always in cities and towns. They are found only in Australia and New Guinea Currawongs (Australia only) and butcherbirds (Australia and New Guinea) are closely related to Australian magpies. The pied currawong eats a lot of fruit as well as insects and small invertebrates, and its habit of frequenting both rainforests and open country makes it a potentially important seed disperser in forest restoration areas. It unfortunately also eats nestlings of smaller birds, which is part of natural ecological processes, but where they have been artificially fed and increased their populations this can be a real threat to other birds. Butcherbirds derive their name from their habit of hanging their prey from forked twigs (not impaling them a a Northern Hemisphere shrike does).

There have been some interesting studies and speculations on the beautiful and complex calls of the pied butcherbird . The above birds used to have a family of their own, but DNA analysis has shown them to be so closely related to the woodswallows (which are not swallows - just look and act a bit like them) that they are now all included in the same family (Artamidae). The woodswallows occupy some of Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific islands as well as Australia and New Guinea. back to top of page The magpielark and monarchs - who would think they are related? The magpielark is found throughout Australia in just about every kind of habitat except dense forest and the driest deserts. It builds a mud nest and does much of its foraging on the ground. Monarch flycatchers are considerably smaller than magpielarks, forage mainly amongst the foliage of trees, and in Australia at least are generally forest-dwellers, including dense rainforests, and do not build mud nests. They are considerably smaller than magpielarks, and at first sight bear little resemblance to them.

The magpielark was one lumped in with the apostlebird and white-winged chough in Australian bird books because all build mud nests, but it was soon apparent there was little other similarity, and the magpielarks were given their own family, the Grallidae. More recently, DNA testing has shown their closest relatives are the monarch flycatchers (Monarchidae). There are two species of magpie lark - one in Australia (formerly called mudlark, also variously known as 'peewee', 'Murray magpie" and various other colloquial names) and one in New Guinea. Monarch flycatchers are found from Africa (including the paradise flycatchers) through Asia to Australia and some Pacific islands. Apostlebirds and choughs - endemic mud nest builders This is a small family - only two species - both found only in Australia They are unusual amongst songbirds in building mud nests.

Both tend to move around in small flocks (apostlebirds often about a dozen - hence the name, choughs about half that) along the ground or low in trees and shrubs in the open woodlands of rural and outback Australia The white-winged chough is not an actual chough (which are in the crow family) - just another example of Australian birds being called after something they reminded someone of. back to top of page Fairy wrens - small flashes of colour in the bush Not related to actual wrens, this is a group of dainty and colourful small birds with long, upright tails. Anywhere in Australia there will be one or more species, as long as the low vegetation they depend on remains. In common with a number of other Australian birds, individuals other than the parents help feed young in the nest. Females do an extraordinary 'rodent-run' to draw predators away from the nest, with head and tail down and feathers fluffed out to look like a small fluffy mammal. back to top of page Shrike-thrushes and whistlers - songsters bright and drab Shrike-thrushes are not thrushes but share a family with the whistlers.

The calls of this family are amongst the most pleasing of forest bidcalls in Australia, and while some are dull browns and greys, others - like the golden whistler - look as pretty as they sound. They are primarily insect-eaters. back to top of page The 'robins' - red-breasted, yellow-breasted and plain (none are actually robins) The early settlers, probably homesick for the English countryside, saw red-breasted birds and called them robins. These birds are not in the thrush family (as true robins are) but belong instead to a family (Petroicidae) ranging from India to New Zealand.There are a number with pink or red breasts (pink robin, rose robin, flame robin, scarlet robin, red-capped robin), others with yellow breasts (eastern yellow robin, western yellow robin, pale yellow robin) and others with no bright colours. They are primarily insect-eaters. Most are forest or woodland dwellers, but scrub-robins live in drier, more open habitats of the inland.

back to top of page Bowerbirds - incredible artists of the bird world I have watched a satin bowerbird building tis bower - putting a twig in place then standing back surveying it as a human artist might, deciding it didn't look quite right, picking it up again and repositioning it until it was satisfied. The males of all bowerbirds build some kind of display ranging from leaves on the ground to elaborately-decorated avenues of twigs or other complex structures. It takes about 6 or 7 years before a young male starts to build bowers, and can take another 1 or 2 before he can do it well enough to start attracting females. It seems females may vary in what attracts them. After mating, the female heads off to build a nest and raise chicks on her own while the male continues his attempts to attract other females.

back to top of page Birds of Paradise - most are in New Guinea, but Australia has four species Most birds of this family live in New Guinea, but three species live in the far northern tropical rainforests (Victoria's riflebird, magnificent riflebird and manucode) and one species (the paradise riflebird), the only non-tropical member of the family, inhabits subtropical rainforests of southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. The Australian species do not have the brilliant colours and long tail feathers the family is best known for, but the males are shining black with iridescent purples, blues and greens. Like their relatives, they display during courtship - the manucode spreading its wings and trumpeting, and the riflebirds lifting their wings, throwing back their heads and rocking side-to-side. style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> back to top of page And the rest .... Buttonquails - small, three-toed, seed-eating birds that are not quails, although they look a bit like them, found from Africa and southern Europe through to Australia.

Some turn the tables on a more usual male habit, courting a male then leaving him to look after the eggs and chicks while she seeks her next partner. Pittas - bright -coloured birch of the rainforest floor - use stones for cracking snail shells, found from Africa to Australia Pardalotes - pretty little birds usually high in the treetops, more often heard than seen, but often come down in spring to tunnel nests into creekbanks ...many others! Links to books and further information Some very useful field guides to birds of Australia: Morcomb, M. 2002. The Michael Morcomb Field Guide to Australian Birds Morcomb, M. 1988. The Great Australian Bird Finder: Where & How to Find Australian Birds. Pizzey, G. and Knight, F. (1997). Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Angus and Robertson, Sydney Reader’s Digest (1997). Encyclopaedia of Australian Wildlife.

Reader’s Digest, Sydney (it can’t include all species the way the more specialized books do, but does give a good coverage of mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, freshwater and marine fish, and some invertebrates) Reader’s Digest (1990). Reader’s Digest Book of the Great Barrier Reef. Reader’s Digest Services, Sydney. Simpson, K, and Day, N. (1996), Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Viking Publishers, Ringwood Slater, P. , Slater, P. and Slater, R. (1989). The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds. Landsdowne Publishers, The Rocks, Sydney Websites with a wealth of information on Australian birds:

Question: What is another name for the Southern Boobook owl, also called the Mopoke or Ruru?
Answer: Morepork