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Murrumbidgee Red Gums Important Bird Area
The Murrumbidgee Red Gums Important Bird Area comprises a 2451 km2 discontinuous linear tract of land stretching along the Murrumbidgee River west, and downstream, from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It includes riverine red gum forest with adjacent woodland and farmland.BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Murrumbidgee Red Gums. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/08/2011. It adjoins the Riverina Plains Important Bird Area. Birds The site has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because the riverine red gum forest constitutes one of three breeding areas of the vulnerable superb parrot. The boundaries of the IBA are broadly defined as known superb parrot breeding habitat with a 10 km buffer zone of foraging habitat. It supports from 2000 to 4000 individual birds. Other notable birds recorded in the IBA include black-backed and Australasian bitterns, Austr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polytelis Swainsonii -Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Near Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia-8a
The genus ''Polytelis'' (literally translates into 'magnificent') of the family Psittaculidae consists of three species long-tailed parrot endemic to Australia. Traditionally, it was included in the Australian broad-tailed parrots (tribe Platycercini), but molecular studies place the genus within the Polytelini. A 2017 molecular study placed the regent parrot as an early offshoot to the genus ''Asprosmictus'' and not as closely related to the other two species. Taxonomy The genus has three species. ''Polytelis'' Wagler 1832 * Superb parrot or parakeet ''Polytelis swainsonii'' (Desmarest) 1826 * Regent parrot or parakeet ''Polytelis anthopeplus'' (Lear) 1831 :* ''Polytelis anthopeplus anthopeplus'' (Lear) 1831 :*''Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides'' Schodde 1993 * Princess parrot The colourful princess parrot (''Polytelis alexandrae'') is an Australian bird of the parrot family. Its name was given in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who in 1863 married the Prince ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International. There are over 13,000 IBAs worldwide. These sites are small enough to be entirely conserved and differ in their character, habitat or ornithological importance from the surrounding habitat. In the United States the Program is administered by the National Audubon Society. Often IBAs form part of a country's existing protected area network, and so are protected under national legislation. Legal recognition and protection of IBAs that are not within existing protected areas varies within different countries. Some countries have a National IBA Conservation Strategy, whereas in others protection is completely lacking. History In 1985, following a specific request from the European Economic Community, Birdlife International ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Painted Honeyeater
The painted honeyeater (''Grantiella picta'') is a species of honeyeater in a monotypic genus. Taxonomy A member of the family Meliphagidae, ''Grantiella picta'' is the sole species under this genus. The painted honeyeater was first described in 1838 by Gould and given the name ''Entomophila picta'',Gould, J. (1865). ''Handbook to the birds of Australia''. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34074714#page/540/mode/1up but it was renamed ''Grantiella picta'' in 1911 by Mathews. It took another sixty years from its initial description before details of its eggs, habits, and distribution began to be investigated and recorded. Its genus name is in reference to Robert Grant, a Scottish-born taxidermist and collector, while the species name originates from the Latin word for painted, ''pictus'', and refers to the yellow markings on the feathers of its tail and wings. DNA sequencing has helped in organising genera within the family Meliphagidae into four main cla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flame Robin
The flame robin (''Petroica phoenicea'') is a small passerine bird native to Australia. It is a moderately common resident of the coolest parts of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Like the other two red-breasted ''Petroica'' robins—the scarlet robin and the red-capped robin—it is often simply called the ''robin redbreast''. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae, it is sexually dimorphic. Measuring long, the flame robin has dark brown eyes and a small thin black bill. The male has a brilliant orange-red chest and throat, and a white patch on the forehead above the bill. Its upper parts are iron-grey with white bars, and its tail black with white tips. Female coloration is a muted grey-brown. Its song has been described as the most musical of its genus. The position of the flame robin and its Australian relatives on the passerine family tree is unclear; the Petroicidae are not closely related to either the European or American robins, but app ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diamond Firetail
The diamond firetail (''Stagonopleura guttata'') is a species of estrildid finch that is endemic to Australia. It has a patchy distribution and generally occupies drier forests and grassy woodlands west of the Great Dividing Range from South East Queensland to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. While it is a small stocky bird it is one of the largest finches in Australia. The birds are very distinctive with a black breast-band on a white breast. The flanks are black with white spots and it has a scarlet rump (hence the name) and a black tail. Taxonomy The family Estrildidae (grass-finches) was named by Swainson in 1827 and "finch" can be traced back to the Old English ''finc'' but its origin is debated. Firetail is now used to describe the three species of ''Stagonopleura''. The red-browed finch (''Neochmia temporalis'') is no longer considered a firetail even though it has a red rump. The diamond firetail has also been known as the "spotted finch (Lewin 1808), spotted gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bush Stone-curlew
The bush stone-curlew or bush thick-knee, also known as the Iben bird (''Burhinus grallarius'', obsolete name ''Burhinus magnirostris'') is a large, ground-dwelling bird endemic to Australia. Its favoured habitat is open plains and woodlands, where it stalks slowly at night in search of invertebrates such as insects. Its grey-brown coloration is distinguished by dark streaks, its eyes are large and legs are long. It is capable of flight, but relies on the camouflage of its plumage to evade detection during the day; the bush curlew adopts a rigid posture when it becomes aware of an observer. Both sexes care for two eggs laid on the bare ground, usually sited near bush in a shaded position or next to a fallen branch. Taxonomy The bush stone-curlew was first described by English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name ''Charadius grallarius''. Latham published three names simultaneously; however, the seniority of ''C. grallarius'' follows the publication of the nam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Painted Snipe
The Australian painted-snipe (''Rostratula australis'') is a medium-sized, long-billed, distinctively patterned wader. Taxonomy The distinctiveness of the Australian painted-snipe was recognised by John Gould in 1838 when he described and named it ''Rostratula australis''. However, it was subsequently lumped with the greater painted-snipe ''Rostratula benghalensis''. More recently it has been shown that the differences between these taxa warrant recognition at the species level. Compared with the greater painted-snipe, the Australian painted-snipe: * has a longer wing, shorter bill and shorter tarsus * has a chocolate brown, rather than rufous, head and neck in the female * has round, rather than flat and visually barred, spots on the tail (female) and upper wing-coverts (male) Description The head, neck and upper breast is chocolate brown (in the male, dark grey with a buff median stripe on the crown), fading to rufous in the centre of the hindneck and merging to dark, barred ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australasian Bittern
The Australasian bittern (''Botaurus poiciloptilus''), also known as the brown bittern or matuku hūrepo, and also nicknamed the "bunyip bird", is a large bird in the heron family Ardeidae. A secretive bird with a distinctive booming call, it is more often heard than seen. Australasian bitterns are endangered in both Australia and New Zealand. Taxonomy German zoologist Johann Georg Wagler described the Australasian bittern in 1827. It is one of four similarly-plumaged species in the genus ''Botaurus''. Description The length is from 650 to 750 mm with adults being similar between the sexes while the male is significantly larger. The bird has a deep brown upper surface, mauled with buff on wing coverts; face and eyebrow buff, with dark brown stripe running from bill to erectile plumes at sides of neck. Under surface buff, striped with brown. The face skin is a dull green as are the legs and feet, it possesses a dark brown bill, yellow eyes, and the base of the lower mandible is gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-backed Bittern
The black-backed bittern (''Ixobrychus dubius''), also known as the black-backed least bittern or Australian little bittern, is a little-known species of heron in the family Ardeidae found in Australia and vagrant to southern New Guinea. Formerly lumped with the little bittern, it is one of the smallest herons in the world. Taxonomy The bittern has sometimes been regarded as a subspecies of the little bittern (''Ixobrychus minutus''), or of the New Zealand little bittern (''I. novaezelandiae''). However, molecular evidence has shown it to be more closely related to the yellow bittern (''I. sinensis'') than to the African and Palaearctic forms of the little bittern, and it is now recognised as a full species. Description The species measures from , has a total weight of , averaging . This is a very small bittern and one of the smallest herons in the world. The adult male has largely black upperparts, including a black cap, while the underparts, as well as the neck, breast and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Superb Parrot
The superb parrot (''Polytelis swainsonii''), also known as Barraband's parrot, Barraband's parakeet, or green leek parrot, is a parrot native to south-eastern Australia. It is a dimorphic species and one of three species in the genus ''Polytelis''. The superb parrot is mostly bright green with darker flight feathers and is about long with a long pointed tail. Adult males have continuous yellow foreheads and throats, with a red horizontal band across the border of the throat. Taxonomy First described by French naturalist Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest in 1826, the superb parrot is one of three species in the genus ''Polytelis'' of long-tailed parrots. Common names include superb parrot and, in avicultural circles, Barraband's parrot or parakeet, named after the artist Jacques Barraband who illustrated it for Francois Le Vaillant in 1801 or green leek (although the last is applied to several unrelated species). Its closest relative is the regent parrot. Description The superb pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vulnerable Species
A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, threatening its survival and reproduction improve. Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss or destruction of the species' home. Vulnerable habitat or species are monitored and can become increasingly threatened. Some species listed as "vulnerable" may be common in captivity (animal), captivity, an example being the military macaw. There are currently 5196 animals and 6789 plants classified as Vulnerable, compared with 1998 levels of 2815 and 3222, respectively. Practices such as cryoconservation of animal genetic resources have been enforced in efforts to conserve vulnerable breeds of livestock specifically. Criteria The International Union for Conservation of Nature uses several criteria to enter species in this category. A tax ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding important sites for birds, maintaining and restoring key bird habitats, and empowering conservationists worldwide. It has a membership of more than 2.5 million people across 116 country partner organizations, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Wild Bird Society of Japan, the National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy. BirdLife International has identified 13,000 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas and is the official International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List authority for birds. As of 2015, BirdLife International has established that 1,375 bird species (13% of the total) are threatened with extinction ( critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable). BirdLife International p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_(cropped).jpg "Click for more on -> Australasian Bittern")
