At the Zoo

14 posts / 0 new
Last post
oldduck
oldduck's picture
At the Zoo

Hi I was wondering if someone could help me with identifying a bird that is increasingly in built up areas.
This bird looks like a marsh bird is black and white and has a long black beak. I've seen it at the zoo pinching chips from children's chip cups.
It seems to like nesting in palm like trees.
Can anyone identify it for me.
Thanks

kell
kell's picture

Hi Oldduck,
>
Is it this Ibis ?

There is also a white one.

kell
kell's picture

Here is the white one.

kell
kell's picture

The black one is a Straw-necked Ibis. Threskiornis spinicollis

The white one is a Sacred Ibis. Threskiornis molucca

oldduck
oldduck's picture

Thanks for your answers. It is the Sacred Ibis. The second one. You have answered something I have been wondering about for quite a long while. Thanks so much.
I was having breakfast a while ago near Wollongong. The place had a beautiful very high view of all the coastal beaches. As I looked out the window there was a couple of birds eating close by. The family at the next table were all saying out loud how they wondered what sort of bird one particular bird was and so was I.
I would have loved to be able to identify it for them but couldn't and decided I would study up on our birds and was wondering if there were any good books on bird identification available?
By the way the bird looked like a small kookaburra but was not a kookaburra similar look about it.
Cheers

kell
kell's picture

Hi oldduck,
Glad I was able to help.
>
As for your new mystery bird, I'm only a beginner here my self.
So other will chime in when they can.
Cheers kell

booshkie
booshkie's picture

Hi oldduck,

Your kookaburra-like bird could be a butcherbird:

This is a juvenile Grey Butcherbird:

When it puffs up in the cold it can look like a kookaburra:

---booshkie---

kell
kell's picture

I agree booshkie,
That second Pic sure looks like a Kookaburra.
I think you got it.

oldduck
oldduck's picture

That's exactly it!
You know that second picture is exactly how it looked. As if you took a picture of it on the day!
Thanks you guys you've been a great help.
I bought a book yesterday called Field Guide to Australian Birds by Michael Morcombe. $45.00.
However the picture of the butcher bird I would never have picked out. Unfortunately all the pictures are drawings in the book.
Doesn't matter though because you guys have the answers!
Thanks again much appreciated.
Kind regards
Michelle

bushanwater
bushanwater's picture

G'day oldduck. Any book shop worth it's salt will have a field guide to australian Birds of some description. I would suggest any with the authors, Pizzey, Simpson and Day, Slater would be the best. They will set you back about $30 I think (haven't bought one for a long while). If you go to your local library(assuming you have one) they ussually have few. Enjoy our birds.

See Yez
Trev

ed
ed's picture

Hi oldduck,
I have all three mentioned by bushanwater, and have recently purchased Morcombe and I think you made a wise choice with your selection, I find his illustrations very good. This guide is also available in a compact version that is also excellent and always in my bag when out in the field. A good tip for choosing a guide is to have a look at the birds you know very well, do the look right in the book you are looking at? If they do then the others will (or should) be right for you. Happy watching. I've been at it for more years than I care to recall, starting in England as a youngster.

Ed Townsville NQ

ed
ed's picture

'do THEY look right'

Ed Townsville NQ

oldduck
oldduck's picture

Well that picture by Booshkie was as if the picture was taken on the day. I would never have identified the bird from the book because the picture was taken of the bird fluffed up and the illustrations won't capture that. It was just lucky that the photo was taken. Booshkie is definately an expert in my book to identify the bird from my flimsy description.
All the other photos of the birds that I know seem perfect. Any further problems will be back asap.
Thanks so much for all your help!
Cheers
Michelle

oldduck
oldduck's picture

Well that picture by Booshkie was as if the picture was taken on the day. I would never have identified the bird from the book because the picture was taken of the bird fluffed up and the illustrations won't capture that. It was just lucky that the photo was taken. Booshkie is definately an expert in my book to identify the bird from my flimsy description.
All the other photos of the birds that I know seem perfect. Any further problems will be back asap.
Thanks so much for all your help!
Cheers
Michelle

 and   @birdsinbackyards
                 Subscribe to me on YouTube