|
Ord Irrigation Area Important Bird Area
The Ord Irrigation Area Important Bird Area is an area of land used for irrigated agriculture along the Ord River in the vicinity of the town of Kununurra, Western Australia, Kununurra in the Kimberley (Western Australia), Kimberley region of north-western Australia. It has been identified by BirdLife International as a 220 km2 Important Bird Area (IBA) for its significance for birds, especially estrildid finches. Description The IBA comprises the entire irrigated area of the Ord River#Ord_River_Irrigation_Scheme, Ord River Irrigation Scheme around and downstream of Kununurra, with the adjacent Lake Kununurra extending upstream from the town. The establishment of irrigated farmland has formed perennially moist areas of Typha, cumbungi and native wetland grasses, which support larger numbers of several bird species than does the surrounding non-irrigated bushland and dry pasture. The cumbungi and grasses occur along waterways and the edges of Lake Kununurra, as well as in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neochmia Ruficauda
The star finch (''Bathilda ruficauda'') is a seed-eating bird species found in northern Australia. It has a distinctive red face and bill, and broad white spots down its flanks. One of its three subspecies may be extinct. Description The star finch is an estrildid finch, between 10 and 12 cm in length, with crimson fore-parts of the head and a scarlet bill. The upper and lower plumage is yellow-green, white spotted on the underparts, the belly more yellow. The upper tail coverts are scarlet, tail feathers are brownish scarlet. The female has less crimson on the head, and generally duller than the male, the immature star finch is olive to brownish with a grey face and head. The broad white spots under its chin and down its flanks give rise to its common name. It has a wingspan of between 49 and 56 mm, a bill length between 11 and 13 mm, and weighs between 10 and 12 grams. Taxonomy and systematics Synonyms for the scientific name ''Bathilda ruficauda'' includ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vertisol
A vertisol, or vertosol, is a soil type in which there is a high content of expansive clay minerals, many of them known as montmorillonite, that form deep cracks in drier seasons or years. In a phenomenon known as argillipedoturbation, alternate shrinking and swelling causes ''self-ploughing'', where the soil material consistently mixes itself, causing some vertisols to have an extremely deep A horizon and no B horizon. (A soil with no B horizon is called an ''A/C soil''). This heaving of the underlying material to the surface often creates a microrelief known as ''gilgai''. Vertisols typically form from highly basic rocks, such as basalt, in climates that are seasonally humid or subject to erratic droughts and floods, or that impeded drainage. Depending on the parent material and the climate, they can range from grey or red to the more familiar deep black (known as "black earths" in Australia, "black gumbo" in East Texas, "black cotton" soils in East Africa, and "vlei soils" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Pratincole
The Australian pratincole (''Stiltia isabella'') is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior; it winters to northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea. It is a medium-sized nomadic shorebird which is commonly found in arid inland Australia. It breeds predominantly from south-western Queensland to northern Victoria and through central Australia to the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The Australian population is estimated at 60,000 individuals. They are a migratory species that generally move to the southern parts of their distribution range to breed during spring and summer. During winter they migrate to northern Australia, New Guinea, Java, Sulawesi and southern Borneo to over-winter.Geering, A., Agnew, L. & Harding, S. (2007). Shorebirds of Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood. Although they are common, their occurrence is unpredictable and varies in location.Morcombe, M.(2003). Field guide to Australian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Long-tailed Finch
The long-tailed finch (''Poephila acuticauda'') is a common species of estrildid finch found in northern Australia, from the Kimberley region to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is a predominantly fawn-coloured bird with a pale grey head and prominent black bib and eyes. It inhabits dry savannah habitats in Australia and adapts readily to aviculture. Taxonomy The species ''Poephila acuticauda'' was first described by ornithologist John Gould in 1840, placing the new taxon as ''Amadina acuticauda''. The specimen was collected by Benjamin Bynoe, the surgeon aboard HMS ''Beagle'', at Derby on the north-west coast of Australia. It is one of three species in the genus ''Poephila''. It is placed in the Australo-papuan finch family Estrildidae, although this family itself was previously placed in the sparrow family Passeridae. A variety of subspecific arrangements had been regarded as colour variation across an east to west cline, although the geographically distinct morphology came to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masked Finch
The masked finch (''Poephila personata'') is a small passerine bird in the estrildid finch family, Estrildidae. It is a common resident of dry savannah across northern Australia, from the Kimberley, across the Top End, the Gulf country and the southern part of Cape York Peninsula, as far east as Chillagoe, but always near water. Description The masked finch is 12.5–13.5 cm long. The male is larger, but the sexes are otherwise similar. It is cinnamon-brown above and paler below with a white rump, black mark on the flanks and black face mask. It has a heavy yellow bill and a pointed black tail. The eastern subspecies ''P. p. leucotis'' has whitish cheeks. Behaviour Pairs or small flocks of masked finches forage through the day, mostly on the ground for grass seeds. In the evenings and early mornings, large numbers—sometimes thousands— can gather around waterholes to drink, cleanse, and preen, flicking their tails sideways and chattering incessantly. Pairs build a d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White-browed Robin
The white-browed robin (''Poecilodryas superciliosa'') is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. It is endemic to north-eastern Australia. Its natural habitats are forest, woodland and scrub, often near water. It formerly included the buff-sided robin as a subspecies. The white-browed robin was described by the naturalist John Gould in 1847; the genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek words ''poekilos'' 'spotted' and ''dryas'' 'dryad'. The species name is derived from the Latin word ''supercilium'' 'eyebrow'. It is a member of the Australasian robin family Petroicidae.* Sibley and Ahlquist's DNA-DNA hybridisation studies placed this group in a Corvida parvorder comprising many tropical and Australian passerines, including pardalotes, fairy-wrens, honeyeaters, and crows. However, subsequent molecular research (and current consensus) places the robins as a very early offshoot of the Passerida, or "advanced" songbirds, within the songbird lineage. The white-bro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yellow-tinted Honeyeater
The yellow-tinted honeyeater (''Ptilotula flavescens'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. The yellow-tinted honeyeater was previously included in the genus ''Lichenostomus'', but was moved to ''Ptilotula'' after a molecular phylogenetic analysis, published in 2011, showed that the original genus was polyphyletic. Gallery File:Yellow-tinted Honeyeater 7377.jpg, Ptilotula flavescens Gregory River, Queensland References yellow-tinted honeyeater Birds of the Northern Territory Birds of Cape York Peninsula Birds of Papua New Guinea yellow-tinted honeyeater The yellow-tinted honeyeater (''Ptilotula flavescens'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or trop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White-gaped Honeyeater
The white-gaped honeyeater (''Stomiopera unicolor'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. The white-gaped honeyeater was previously placed in the genus ''Lichenostomus'', but was moved to '' Stomiopera'' after a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2011 showed that the original genus was polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg .... References white-naped honeyeater Birds of the Northern Territory Birds of Cape York Peninsula Birds of Queensland Endemic birds of Australia white-naped honeyeater Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Meliphagidae-stub ... [...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 Bustard
The Australian bustard (''Ardeotis australis'') is a large ground dwelling bird which is common in grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It stands at about high, and its wingspan is around twice that length. The species is nomadic, flying to areas when food becomes plentiful, and capable of travelling long distances. They were once widespread and common to the open plains of Australia, but became rare in regions that were populated by Europeans during the colonisation of Australia. The bustard is omnivorous, mostly consuming the fruit or seed of plants, but also eating invertebrates such as crickets, grasshoppers, smaller mammals, birds and reptiles. The species is also commonly referred to as the plains turkey, and in Central Australia as the bush turkey, particularly by Aboriginal people, who hunt it, although the latter name may also be used for the Australian brushturkey, as well as the orange-footed scrubfowl. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yellow-rumped Munia
The yellow-rumped mannikin (''Lonchura flaviprymna'') also known as the yellow-rumped munia, is a species of estrildid finch found in the eastern Kimberley region and north-west Northern Territory, Australia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km2. It is found in subtropical to tropical mangrove, moist savanna and wetland habitats. The conservation status of the species is evaluated as being of Least Concern. References BirdLife Species Factsheet Birds of the Northern Territory [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Star Finch
The star finch (''Bathilda ruficauda'') is a seed-eating bird species found in northern Australia. It has a distinctive red face and bill, and broad white spots down its flanks. One of its three subspecies may be extinct. Description The star finch is an estrildid finch, between 10 and 12 cm in length, with crimson fore-parts of the head and a scarlet bill. The upper and lower plumage is yellow-green, white spotted on the underparts, the belly more yellow. The upper tail coverts are scarlet, tail feathers are brownish scarlet. The female has less crimson on the head, and generally duller than the male, the immature star finch is olive to brownish with a grey face and head. The broad white spots under its chin and down its flanks give rise to its common name. It has a wingspan of between 49 and 56 mm, a bill length between 11 and 13 mm, and weighs between 10 and 12 grams. Taxonomy and systematics Synonyms for the scientific name ''Bathilda ruficauda'' incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
