Author: Deniece Smith

Introduced to Australia from south east Asia in the 1860’s, the myna (not to be mistaken for the Noisy Miner, a native honeyeater) is found mainly in and around major cities, namely Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Launceston. Like the starling, the myna competes with native birds for nest sites, mainly hollows in trees. They…

White Faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), White Necked Heron (Ardea pacifica), Large Egret (Ardea alba), Nankeen Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus). All these herons will, for the purpose of general discussion, be grouped together. All are waders or stalkers of the water’s edge. The night heron, as the name applies, is nocturnal. These birds prey on a…

Currawongs are a strong curious bird that will eat almost anything. They nest in thick forest and usually lay 3 eggs in spring or summer. The Pied Currawong can form large flocks in late summer and winter and may have a large communal roost. There are 3 species of currawong in Australia: Pied Currawong (Strepera…

The four species of Cormorants  will be grouped together for the purpose of this article. With the exception of some certain areas (usually the interior, drier parts of the continent), these birds are found throughout most of the country: Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax uarius) Little Pied Cormorant…

The sulphur crested Cockatoo is probably one of the most well known birds in Australia. It is found across northern, eastern and south eastern Australia. Feeding mostly on seeds of grasses, grain, leaf buds, herbaceous plants, berries and some insects and larvae. Cockatoos breed from August to January and usually have two eggs. Increasingly they…

The blackbird was introduced from Europe in 1863. Currently found in south east Australia from the Eyre Peninsular in the west through to the Pacific coast of NSW. It ranges north to central NSW. It is also common throughout Tasmania. It is a fine singer. It’s diet includes almost anything from insects, spiders, molluscs, worms…

Black ducks are found throughout Australia but seldom in inland deserts. In southern Australia, they usually breed around July-October, in the tropics January-April and in inland areas when rivers flood and aquatic plants are fully grown. They are probably the most numerous ducks in Australia, virtually every stream, lagoon, dam, or swamp in the country…