Hi all,
Looking for help with 3 birds I've seen in Terrey Hills, NSW. Unfortunately there are no photos, but I'll keep trying.
1) Juvenile Swamp Harrier?
Seen a few times in flight (often being harassed by lapwings and willy wagtails and once I'm sure by a grey goshawk [a local in it's all-white phase]). Today I saw it closeish as it rested in a bare tree. It is a smallish raptor (bigger than a nankeen kestrel but much smaller than a black kite) with clearly yellow legs and completely chocolate brown in colour. I think the facial feathers were slightly lighter, but I can't be sure. Any other thoughts?
2) Unidentified parrot
Pretty vague here but if there are any likely suspects in the area I'll try to confirm. Seen and heard from a distance. Single, plaintive, repeated chirp that sounds a little like a single cockatiel chirp (but definitely not). Seen flying and clearly not a cockatiel as it is much larger, and seems to fly with a few beats and then a glide. Quite a speedy flier. I know it's not a crimson or eastern rosella by that call. No real suspects from my end just yet.
3) Jackdaw??
Seen once in a group of 4 birds. They reminded me of apostlebirds with their flight patterns (in and out of foliage but they didn't venture onto the ground) and group behaviour, but look nothing like them.
They were black and I'm fairly certain they had bright blue or grey eyes - this makes me think they were not Koels but some sort of crow - maybe a jackdaw?
The most notable thing was their calls - a single, plain squeak that sounded a lot like a baby crocodile makes. From videos I've watched - looking at plumage, eye colour and that distinctive call - I'm nearly 100% sure they were jackdaws, but I can't really see any record of them being anywhere near here.
Thoughts??
Cheers
Luke
It's aways harder to ID birds from written descriptions than photos...
I'll have a shot though!
Jackdaws are European birds; about the closest thing I can think of are White Winged Choughs, but they have red eyes. The immature ones have brown eyes though, but as you are pretty sure their eyes were blue... My other thought would be a group of male Satin Bowerbirds, but it is unusual not to see any females in a group (they're green). Also have a look at Spangled Drongo. Again, red eyes, but there has been an unusually large influx of them into Sydney this year, so they are a possibility. What shape tail did the birds have?
There are lots of options for your parrot. I'm not sure I can really answer with what you have described. Maybe a King Parrot or a Red Rumped Parrot. Any description of the colurs of the bird would be really good, even if it is vague.
There's lots of options for the raptor. Was there any barring or streaks on its chest and wings? Did it have any sort of a facial disk?
Sorry I couldn't be of any more help though, photos would be great!
Hi Luke,
As lachlan said there are many options for all of the birds, I am fairly confident that your parrot is a king parrot as they are fairly common adn fit the criteria. However I am unsure of your 'jackdaw' as white winged choughs are extremely rare in this area. I have attatched a list of birds that live in the NP to help you with your decision. http://www.eremaea.com/SiteSpeciesList.aspx?Site=5390
Hey Lachlan,
Jackdaws: I saw that online, that's why I figured it would be an extreme long shot - not even the same hemisphere! Fairly confident it wasn't bowerbirds - wrong beak shape. Looked further into the spangled drongo and I'm fairly certain the call I heard is just the "baby croc" portion of this - the very first squeak as they were in conversation. Definitely no elaboration into the extended call though: http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/sounds.php?r=&c=114&p=223&s=1361...
Might be my memory playing tricks re: the blue/red eyes. The beak looks right though - that's why I thought some sort of small crow. Can't recall tail details. Hopefully they come around again so I can verify. Awesome - thanks!
Parrots: Haven't been close enough to see colour details yet unfortunately. I reckon I'd be able to identify if I can get that. Not convinced on Kings as I've heard them before and these ones don't "whistle" like kings - more just that repetitive chirp. They're not far away - just in the treeline on the other side of an oval next to the property, so I'll get out and have a look.
Raptor: No barring or streaks that I could see. Fairly confident it was a solid chocolate brown with yellow legs. That matches the juv SH in Slater's Field Guide. Will try to photograph to confirm!
Cheers
Luke
Good point, I forgot how uncommon White Winged Choughs were in the Sydney Basin. Probably Satin Bowerbirds then; they do congregate into small flocks sometimes...
Hey babybirdwatcher,
Thanks for that list - didn't know about it!! Super helpful.
Interesting that the swamp harrier doesn't show up there. Definitely not a brown goshawk, little eagle or collared sparrowhawk because there was no banding, just a solid chocolate brown. And wrong shaped face for a kite. Interesting. Hopefully a photo will confirm!
Good to know my ID on the grey goshawk is likely to be correct from that list as well. Think there's a pair around here because I'm sure there's a both a grey and a white-phase bird around. The white-phase is quite stunning - snow white on wings :) They both regularly cruise around above the paddocks, although I'm yet to see them have much success because of the constant alarm calls from the lapwings! It's always easy to tell when something's about, because flocks of starlings, mynas, sulphurs or lapwings shoot up and cause shadows.
I also feel like my ID of the little friarbird should be the noisy friarbird now.
Cheers!
Hi Luke,
Happy to help- this site with the list has lists for almost every birding location in Australia. Just type in your location or great places to go birding (e.g. Sydney) and the results hall come up. There is still a chance of swamp harrier living there but no one else has seen it. Most likely that they are satin bowerbirds or potentially cicadabird.
Cheers BabyBirdwatcher
Hi everyone. I FINALLY got close enough to ID the parrot, and I'm 1000% sure they are Ringneck Parakeets. Obviously not natives, so they must be escapees. There's no doubt in my mind - it was sitting in a tree and I could clearly make out the solid green face and the ring around its neck running from its beak. It was also calling quite raucously, and as well as the repeated cries I've heard previously, it was also muttering away with some different sounds - and all sounded EXACTLY like the parakeet in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z27jgDIOE5w
Cheers
Luke
Ringnecks are very loud parrots (I have 2 at home), and distinctive in sound.. but good you got a visual ID to confirm.
They often survive quite well as escapees (compared to other exotic parrots). Their habits are similar to lorikeets and I've heard of some hooking up with flocks of Rainbows (the green ones probably having better chance of survival).
Haven't read the whole thread, but Swamp Harriers are quite large. Larger than Black Kites.
Luke
All Swamp Harriers are immediately clearly identifiable as they have a white rump, or buff rump. Large, brown birds too, slow wingbeats, often come low over ground and water areas and have long yellow legs. About 1.3 meter wingspan, though hard to tell if you have not seen one or have nothing to compare to.
The jackdaw thing sounds like possibly White-winged Chough. Don't know about your way, but we have colonies around the Penrith/Castlereagh areas quite liberally.
http://amatteroflight.com/gallery2/v/ausbirds/Mudnest/
White-winged Cough's are normally ground forages as far as I know, but correct me if I'm wrong. You said the Birds you saw did not go to the ground so I dont think they are Chough's The adults also have very conspicuous bright red eyes and there should be an Adult in a Family group so it should be easy to identify from a reasonable distance if it's a Chough. Chough's are also a lot bigger than Spangled Drongos and they have quite different behaviour and body shape, The Drongo's typically sit straight up where as a Chough will normally sit leaning forward.
Have you tried the Cicadabird? By the way, what sort of size was the 'Jackdaw'?
Hi Luke,
I have to agree with everything luke has said and also the spangled drongo has a very distinctive tail. In regards to canonguy's comment white winged chough's are rare in our area and there have only been a handful of records in the past 20 years. Cicadabird is a very likely possibility but remember to look at this list and go through looking at images on google of all the likely species and that should help.
http://www.eremaea.com/SiteSpeciesList.aspx?Site=5390
Cheers Babybirdwatcher
Thanks everyone for your input and help. I've seen the drongos a couple more times on the property and in the area and have positively ID'd them. My memory must have been totally wrong about the eyes.
The chocolate raptor hasn't been back since unfortunately. But I'll keep all those points in mind when I'm looking around - Canonguy, those ID points make me think otherwise about the Harrier, so hopefully it comes back.
On another note, I went with the Taronga Zoo bus out to Capertree Valley to volunteer with the tree planting for the Regent Honeyeater yesterday and saw four first time birds - Australian Hobby, Jacky Winter, Hooded Robin and Yellow Rumped Thornbill. A good day :)
Cheers
Luke
Hi all, out painting fences this afternoon when I heard that distinctive call from the parakeet, coming from just across the road. Managed to catch it on my phone camera. Can anyone positively ID this as a Ringneck Parakeet? My other thought is Alexandrine, but it wasn't especially big and I understand Ringnecks are smaller. Also, I saw a flock of 10 of them the other evening, so they must be doing Ok as escapees. Are they known to impact upon native birds?
Cheers
Luke
Parakeets have red bills dont they? And that doesnt look like it has a red bill. Did it?
Could you be lucky enough to see a Swift Parrot?
Hey Timothy, confirming it had a red bill. This photo is iPhone on full zoom, with a crop-zoom in Edit, so it's really grainy. The bill is blurred with shadow. This also makes me think it's a female, as there's no neck ring visible. I think it had its facial feathers puffed up, maybe to show me it was a little unimpressed at me disturbing it...because it flew off straight after this pic ;)
No such luck on a Swifty I'm afraid!
Looks like an Indian Ringneck (the Asian subspecies of the Rose-ringed Parakeet) to me. Alexandrine Parakeets usually have heavier bills though I understand there has been considerable hybridisation between the two amongst captive populations
With that amount of birds around it sounds like a local unscrupulous aviculturalist has released surplus aviary stock or there has been a hole in an aviary.
They are generally not regarded as an 'established' breeding bird in Australia yet as far as I know, however the species has proven highly invasive overseas (the UK and parts of southern Europe for example), and there are isolated breeding records in WA and Vic in urban areas (though they have not adapted to natural bushland despite surviving well in the suburbs esp. where artificial feeding is available). I've seen both Indian Ringnecks (green and blue mutations) and Alexandrines about Melbourne on occasion.
In any case we don't need another introduced cavity-nesting species to compete with native parrot species whom already have to contend with starlings and mynas...
Here is a link
http://www.feral.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/indianringneckweb2.pdf
You're so right, zosterops. We certainly don't need more invasive species becoming established in Australia. It's always a risk when people keep caged animals & I'm reminded of the UK Animal Rights group which, in the name of animal freedom, released hundreds if not thousands of stotes (I think they were) from their cages & thus created environmental mayhem. Best not to keep animals in cages in the first place. The risks are too great.