bird Àhog jxlgh bird Àhog jxlgh bird Àhog …...2019/06/24 · bird: won’t have the thin...

© Nadiah Roslan/Earthwatchclimatewatch.org.au

BIRD

Australian Magpie When to look:

Its eyes are red-brown

Images courtesy of ClimateWatch users Luca Mav and Nicola Storey 2016

•

The back of its neck, upper tail and shoulders are white in males and grey in females

Similar species:

Pied Butcherbird: has a

completely black head and

bib that is separated from

its black back by a

completely white collar. Its

underparts are white

Magpie-lark: is smaller

with a smaller beak

Currawong: doesn’t have

large areas of white on its

body, especially on the

back of the neck. Also

won’t have the red iris

The rest of its body is black

Square-tipped tail

One toe faces backwards and three face forwards


BIRD

Black SwanWhen to look:

Distinctive red bill with white band

Images courtesy of Flickr user epitree, May 2016

Similar species:

May be confused with a

However, the Black Swan

has a much longer neck

the ground, the Magpie

Goose is white on the

rump, belly, mantle and

upper wings where the

Black Swan is black

Size: 1.1 - 1.40m (body) with a 1.6 - 2m wingspan

Nest made on small islands

Cygnets (juveniles) are pale grey with black bills


BIRD

Channel-billed CuckooWhen to look:

Bright scarlet red eyes

Images courtesy of Geoff Whalan 2013 via FlickrCC (large) and Tony Palliser (small)

Large, downward-curved beak which is pale to mid-grey with a whitish tip

Similar species:

Its large size, down-curved

beak, grey colouring and

long, barred tail make it

any other bird.

Whitish belly and abdomen

Grey all over (darker on its back and wings)

White-grey tail


BIRD

Common BlackbirdWhen to look:

Male:

Black all over

Images courtesy of Matteo Di Nicola (male) and Arto Hakola (female)

Grey-brown with some streaks or mottling

Similar species:

Common Starlings are 4 to

5cm smaller and shinier

black in summer, with

whitish feather tips and a

black bill in winter. Males

doesn’t have the orange to

yellow ring around its eye.

Another black bird won’t

have the distinctive orange

to yellow eye ring.

Deep orange to yellow beak and narrow ring around its eye

Female:

Dull yellow-brown beak and orange to yellow ring around its eye


BIRD

Crested Pigeon When to look:

Red eyes with pin-red rings around them

Grey head with a noticeable thin black crest

Spinifex Pigeon: smaller

(20–24 cm) with cinnamon

coloured feathers and a

bright red patch on its

face.

Topknot Pigeon: larger

(40–46 cm) with a shaggy,

red-brown crest that is

droopy rather than erect

like the Crested Pigeon’s.

Also, it is rarely found on

the ground.

Wings have black bars and glossy green and purple patches

Dark grey bill

Grey-brown feathers that become pinker on the underparts

Pink legs and feet


BIRD

Dusky Moorhen When to look:

Black body, white under tail

Image by Marj K.

Yellow-tipped red bill

Similar species:

Purple Swamphen

is

larger with a bright purple

front and all red bill and

shield.

Eurasian Coot (

is recognised by its snowy

white bill and forehead

shield.

Black-tailed Native-hen

( ) is

mainly brownish-grey, with

The bill and frontal shield is

green, with an orange-red

lower mandible (‘jaw’).

Red legs

Size 35-40cm


BIRD

Eastern Koel (formerly Common Koel) When to look:

Male: Distinctive glossy black tinged with iridescent blue-green

Images courtesy of Bill Higham (male) and K. Langley (female) 2008, via FlickrCC

Glossy brown with white spots on top

Similar species:

No Australian birds are similar to the Eastern Koel. Brown tail with

white bars

Female: Black or brown with pale streaks on the top of its head

Buff-cream underneath

Fine black bars running across its belly

Red eyes


BIRD

Eastern Yellow RobinWhen to look:

Black bill

Image courtesy of Nadiah Roslan

Grey back and head

Similar species:

Western Yellow Robin

( ):

occurs in south-western and

southern Australia, mainly

west of the Eyre Peninsula,

so the range of this species

does not overlap with that

of the Eastern Yellow Robin.

Pale-yellow Robin

( ): smaller

than an Eastern Yellow

Robin, with olive-coloured

upperparts, a pale face and

lighter, pale-yellow

underparts and lacks pale

yellow eyebrow.

Yellow underparts


BIRD

Flame RobinWhen to look:

Bright orange breast and throat

Images courtesy of David Cook Wildlife Photography

White stripe on folded wing

Similar species:

Scarlet Robin: has

black upperparts and

throat, red underparts

and a larger white

patch above its beak.

Other robins: won’t

have the white

outermost tail feather

nor white edging on

the next feather.

White lower belly and undertail

Dark slate grey on top and on wings

Female: mostly grey-brown, pale buff strip on wing, outermost tail feather mostly white


BIRD

Grey FantailWhen to look:

Fine white shafts to all but central pair of tail feathers

Images courtesy of Colin Mulvogue

White eyebrow and throat

Similar species:

Willie Wagtail ( ): slightly larger, lacks the

shades of grey on body and wings; lacks a white patch on

throat and white edging and tips to tail feathers.

Northern Fantail ( ): is larger with a

larger, broader bill. It seldom fans its tail (which is not tilted

upwards) and is generally much less restless. Its breast band

is overlain with pale streaks.

wings often drooped

Grey breast band


BIRD

Magpie-larkWhen to look:

Horizontal black line through pale eye; whitish bill

Images courtesy of Angel Oo

Similar species:

Australian Magpie (

): is almost twice as

large (36 – 44 cm long) with

a heavier beak, and wholly

black underbody (the

Magpie-lark is mostly white

below).

Pied Butcherbird (

: has a

completely black head and

bib, separated from its black

back by a white collar.

Another black-and-white

bird: won’t have the thin

whitish bill and pale eye.

Males will lack white throat

Call: a ringing ‘pee-o-wit’ or ‘pee-wee’, often sung by two birds together, giving rise to its venacular name of ‘Peewee’


BIRD

Masked LapwingWhen to look:

Yellow bill and wattle from forehead to behind its eye hangs beside chin

Image: Earthwatch

Similar species:

Banded Lapwing ( ): is smaller

(25 - 29 cm long) with much more black on the

head and lower breast, with a distinct white

eye-stripe and white throat and upper breast,

forming a white ‘bib’. There is also a

distinctive red patch at the base of its bill.

Brown and black wings

White neck and underparts

Black on top of head


BIRD

Golden WhistlerWhen to look:

White throat

Images courtesy of David Cook Wildlife Photography

Olive-green back and wings

Similar species:

Mangrove Golden

Whistler (

): the male

has brighter

underparts than the

Golden Whistler, has a

broader collar, and a

slightly shorter tail.

The female has

yellowish underparts.

It also has a longer

beak and is only found

in the mangroves of

coastal northern

Australia.

Adult male: Bright yellow underody

Adult female: Grey upperparts with pale olive tinge


BIRD

Rainbow Bee-eaterWhen to look:

Image courtesy of Geoff Whalan

Two long central tail feathers are black with a tinge of blue

Similar species:

It is a distinctive bird that

should not be mistaken for

any other species.

plumage is less colourful

and it never catches its

Green breast becomes paler on the belly

Golden colour at the top of the head

Upper back is bright green and merges to a lighter blue lower on the back

Legs and feet are grey-black


BIRD

Swift ParrotWhen to look:

Blue colouring on crown, wings, and cheek

Image courtesy of Christ Tzaros

Its long pointed tail is red and purple

Similar species:

Musk Lorikeet has a green

patch under its wings

instead of the red of the

Swift Parrot.

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet has

scaly, yellow markings over

its underbody while Swift

Parrots have uniform

yellow-green breast and

belly.

The Swift Parrots’

streamlined body, and long

pointed tail enable it to be

Females have duller coloration with a creamy bar under wing

Red patches around bill, throat, and wing


BIRD

Welcome Swallow When to look:

Its forehead, throat, and upper breast are rust in colour

Images courtesy of Alan Collins

Eyes and bill are black

Similar species:

Barn Swallows have a dark

blue to black breast-band

across its throat, separating

its red chin from white

chest/underparts.

Other swallows lack the

rust-coloured forehead and

throat. The White-backed

Swallow has a pale-grey

head, and the Red-rumped

Swallow has a red rump and

streaked, chestnut

underparts.

Swifts are larger with

longer and more-curved

wings.

Fairy or Tree Martin have

shorter, squarer tails and

white coloured rump.

A distinctive deeply forked tail

Light to dark grey on its breast and belly, grey legs and feet

A white band or row of spots on the long tail feathers

Metallic blue-black on top


BIRD

White-faced HeronWhen to look:

Light blue-grey colour

Images courtesy of Marj K.

Similar species:

The White-necked Heron (

) is a large heron with a white

head and a long white neck with a

double line of black spots running

down the front. The Pied Heron (

) is a similar slate-black heron

with contrasting white throat and

neck, but it is a much smaller (43 cm

- 52 cm) bird, with a crested dark cap

that extends below the eyes, yellow

legs, and a bill that is mostly yellow.

Size: 60-70cm

White face and pointed grey bill

Low, bouncing

Dull yellow legs


BIRD

Willie Wagtail When to look:

Dinstinctive white belly. Body mostly black.

Images courtesy of Emily Fosbery

Similar species:

Restless Flycatcher

( ): has a

black head crest which

makes it look more

angular, and lacks the

white eyebrow. Its chin

and throat are white,

instead of black, and its

tail is less rounded and

doesn’t wag.

Any other black-and-

white fantail or

won’t have the black

throat and white

eyebrows.

Distinctive white eyebrows

8-22 cm long from head to tail. It is often seen wagging its tail side to side


BIRD

Zebra Finch When to look:

Male:

Grey with a red bill

Images courtesy of B.G. Thomson (www.auswildlife.com)

Black tail with white bars

Similar species:

There are no bird species

that are similar in

appearance to the Zebra

Finch

Orange-tan cheeks

Flanks are orange-tan with white spots

Female:

Mainly grey with a red bill and black/white face and tail markings

White underparts


FROG

Southern Bullfrog, Eastern Banjo or Eastern Pobblebonk Frog

When to look:

Grey to olive green, dark brown or black back, with dark marbling or

rough back

Images courtesy of Stephen Mahony

Prominent gland on outer back leg

Similar species:

Northern Banjo Frog (L. : has red

colouration around its groin. Giant Banjo Frog (L.

): has a bright orange or yellow belly with no

mottling. Common Spadefoot Toad ( ,

Giant Burrowing Frog ( ) and

Mallee Spadefoot Toad ( : don’t have

the gland on the outer side of hind legs.

Pale yellow stripe that runs from eye to arm

Listen to call: a single ‘bonk’ or ‘plonk’ that is usually repeated every few seconds


FROG

Southern Brown Tree Frog or Ewing’s Tree Frog

When to look:

Pale fawn cream, orange to light brown or green body. Wide brown band from its eyes to down its back

Images courtesy of FlickrCC

Similar species:

Victorian Frog / False Ewing’s Tree

Frog ( ):

generally smaller, with a slower

call and not normally found in the

same areas. Verreaux’s Tree Frog

( : has dark or

black blotches on its sides,

Lesueur’s Tree Frog (

: has a visible ear drum (a

darker patch just behind its eye).

Half webbed toes; no webbing

Listen to call: a a series of rapid, harsh whirring, pulsing notes “creeee creee creee creee creee” repeated 5-15 times

Narrow black or brown stripe from its snout, through to its eye, to shoulder


FROG

Striped Marsh Frog When to look:

Usually a pale stripe running down middle of back. Pale to grey-brown back with darker brown stripes

Image courtesy of B.G Thompson

Similar species:

Spotted Marsh Frog: has spots rather

than stripes on its back.

Barking Marsh Frog: also has spots

rather than stripes on its back.

Salmon-Striped Frog: has pink-to-

orange stripes and lacks the two-

coloured iris.

Two-coloured iris that is golden brown above and dark brown below. White belly which is

with brown

Dark spots and stripes on its limbs. Long,

toes have no webbing


INSECT

When to look:

Black tip on forewing. Up to 5 cm wingspan. Black spot on forewing (one spot for males and two for females)

Image courtesy of ClimateWatch users

Similar species:

won’t have the two or

three black spots on the

upper side of the forewing.

Also, the underside of its

From underneath, the forewing is white while the hindwing is


INSECT

When to look:

Image courtesy of ClimateWatch users

Similar species:

(


INSECT

When to look:

Yellow tip on the body

Image courtesy of Geoff Walker

Black wings covered with white-grey patches

Similar species:

Orchard or Citrus Swallowtail

Swallowtail.

Red and blue patches along its hindwing

The back edge of its hindwing is scalloped


INSECT

Macleay’s SwallowtailWhen to look:

Green on its inner wings

Image courtesy of Geoff Walker

Two green blotches on its forewing

Similar species:

wings won’t have green

colouring on the undersides.

Brown or black outer wings with some white markings

“Tails” at the tip of each hindwing


INSECT

When to look:

May

spots near the tip of its forewing

Images courtesy of Geoff Walker

Female:Similar species:

Dingy or Dainty Swallowtail

hindwing.

the outer half of its forewing

Male:

red spot on its hindwing

on its hindwing


INSECT

European Wasp When to look:

Transparent wings

Image courtesy of Malcolm Tattersall

Yellow legs; black antennae

Similar species:

English Wasp: black marking

on each yellow band on its

abdomen tapers to a point,

while it is a triangle shape on

the European wasp. It is also

restricted to the eastern

parts of Melbourne and

Gippsland region.

Paper wasp: has a longer,

thinner body, orange-brown

antennae, back legs that

is often seen hovering. Its

nest is smaller, usually above

ground and looks like

honeycomb cells without an

outer covering.

Other wasps: most don’t have

the vivid yellow and black

markings.

Bee: has black legs, dull

yellow bands on its abdomen

with no black dots.

Bright yellow and black bands across abdomen.

Pair of black spots and black triangle on each yellow band.


SPECIES

Honey BeeWhen to look:

C

Hairy abdomen with black and brown (or yellow or orange) stripes.

Images courtesy of ClimateWatch users Luca Mav and Nicola Storey 2016

Black head, upper body and legsSimilar species:

A wasp: has yellow legs,

brighter yellow bands on

its abdomen and lacks the

hairiness of the Honey Bee.

Native Australian Bees:

native bees don’t have

hairy eyes like the Honey

Bee. Also a Honey Bee

usually has obvious

“baskets” full of pollen on

its legs.Usually has “baskets” of pollen on its legs


INSECT

Fiddler BeetleWhen to look:

Shiny black back and head

Image courtesy of Greg Miles

Bright yellow-green markings

Similar species:

Green Scarab Beetle: has a

shiny green back with no

distinct markings.

Jewel Beetle: has red

markings on its back.

Golden Stag Beetle: has a

yellow-green shiny back with

no distinct markings.

Other Scarab beetles: have

brown to black markings on a

gold back (rather than gold

markings on a dark brown

back) and lack the violin-

shaped markings on their

backs.

Violin-shaped markings on its back

Dark brown to black legs


INSECT

Leaf Beetle When to look:

Between 2x and 2.5x longer than

wide

Image courtesy of Glenda Walter

Entirely blue or green body (elytra) with linear grooves and iridesent surface.

Distinctive features:

There are 13 species of

in Australia and

all have similar

markings.

No other genus of beetle has

head and entirely blue/green

elytra.

They can commonly be found

on the host plant

another of our

ClimateWatch indicator

species.

Larvae have a distin ve

brown

- underside and

darker dorsal surface with

regular spaced dark spines.

Bright red or orange head with laterally prominent eyes.


REPTILE

Australian Water Dragonformerly

When to look:

September to April

One of two subspecies has a broad black stripe running from behind its eye to its ear

Image courtesy of Ian Sanderson 2015 via FlickrCC

Around 80-90 cm longSimilar species:

Common or Eastern

Bearded Dragon (

): its limbs and tail

are shorter and it doesn’t

have the “crest” of spines

running down its back,

instead it has scales

scattered all over its back,

legs and tail. It also has a

throat membrane which

threatened, while the

loose skin under its jaw.

“Crest” of spines from its head down to its tail with black bands across its body and tail

Grey-brown to olive green body and creamy-white or brown-grey belly

Loose folds of skin under its jaw

Larger, breeding males have a red-orange chest and throat


REPTILE

Garden Skinksand

When to look:

Mainly grey-brown to bronze. Total length 8-10 cm

Images courtesy of Stephen Mahony

Of the two species, sually has a ‘heavier’ looking body

and a more obvious stripe running along sides compared to

Similar species:

Eastern Water Skink: larger

when adult (25 cm to 30

cm long), with small black

spots on its back and white

and black spots on its side.

Blue-tongue Lizard: larger,

with a tail shorter than its

body, and doesn’t have the

stripe running along each

side of its body.

Dark stripe from its nostril, across eye, along each side to its tail

Image:

’s range extends into north Queensland and Tasmania


SPIDER

Christmas or Jewel SpiderA

When to look:

Images courtesy of Volker Fremenau

Similar species:

is

a very similar species with

white pattern on darker

surface of the abdomen.

Male (4 mm); Yellow, brown, white and black pattern

Female (7 mm) ring of black spines, bright yellow and white patterns


SPIDER

St Andrew’s Cross Spider When to look:

Often sits with legs in pairs, forming cross pattern.

Images courtesy of Volker Fremenau

Similar species:

Painted Orb Weaver

( ): less

common than the St

Andrew’s Cross Spider and

doesn’t normally produce a

complete X pattern on its

web.

Banded orb-weaving spider

( ): has

yellow, white and black

bands on its abdomen, and

dark brown and pale

yellow bands along the

entire length of its legs.

Females have a silvery head and dark brown legs with 1 or 2 yellowish bands, while males and juveniles will have brown and cream body and brown legs

It weaves zigzag patterns into its web, forming an X

Silver, yellow, red and black bands across abdomen


PLANT

Black-anther Flax-lilyWhen to look:

Flowers stick up above the leaves, consisting of 6 purple petals (7-12mm length) and 6 stamens (pollen-bearing

These are long, thick and have brown to black tips

Images courtesy of Loraine Jansen (shrub), Swan Bay

Long, feathery shrub

green pointy leaves with vibrant blue to purple

high

Similar species:

Only

is currently

recognised for

Victoria. Nodding Blue

Lily

later in season; leaves

form massive clump

Fruit is blue to purple and 4-10mm in diameter with 3-4 shiny black seeds that persist months

Leaves are long, feathery,

ends and long and stiff

appear red towards base but


PLANT

Cherry BallartWhen to look:

Flowers yellow-green in short, dense, clusters that are usually 6 mm long.

Images courtesy of Annabel Carle and Geoff Carle

Shrub or small pyramidal tree, commonly 8-10m high, yellowish green or bronzy. Numerous branchlets are hairy

become smooth and straight.

Similar species:

is a small

stunted tree restricted

to inland Queensland.

Fruits/seeds: globular, small, hard, greenish inedible nut at the end of a swollen orange to red stalk

Leaves: scale-like, triangular, 0.5 mm long and 2–3 mm long on new growth.


PLANT

Grey Box or Gum-topped BoxWhen to look:

Tree to 25 m high

Images courtesy of Wikipedia & L. von Richter © The

Bark: rough on part or all of trunk, thin, box-type or tessellated (mosaic-like), grey or mottled with grey and white patches

Similar species:

It is closely related to the

Narrow-leaved Box or Grey

Box, (also a

ClimateWatch species),

which is a more inland

species with rough bark

higher up the stem and

smaller leaves, buds and

fruit. Fruits of

are barrel-

shaped and resemble those

of the related New South

Wales tableland and

western slopes species,

. The latter species

differs, however, in having

a greyish to glaucous crown

and larger, often glaucous,

buds and fruit.

Adult leaves: alternate, broadly lance-shaped, 7-17 cm long, 1.5–2-5 cm wide, green on both sides

Flowers are clustered,

sometimes more than 7, more or less arising from the one point

Flower buds egg-shaped to spindle-shaped; tapering at both ends), 5-9 m long, 3-4 mm diameter; scar absent.


SPECIES

Sticky Everlasting When to look:

heads, 20-30mm wide

Small stiff herb 20-80cm high with multiple branches and hair covered stems

Similar species:

May be confused with

broader hairier leaves

heads

hairs or prickles. 30-100mm long, 2-10mm wide linear leaves with bright green elliptic (oval like shape) that have a sticky and rough surface.


PLANT

Sweet Bursaria (Blackthorn) When to look:

White, fragrant

6-10 mm in width

Images courtesy of L. von Richter

Fruits are dark

capsules in clusters

Similar species:

is another

subspecies that is similar

but found in eucalypt

woodlands with heavier

soils. Often found at higher

altitudes in tablelands or

low mountain ranges in SE

Australia.

Capsules are 7 mm in length and 9 mm in width and contain 4 seeds

Woody shrub or small tree that grows 5-10 m in height


PLANT

Sweet Scented WattleWhen to look:

Seed pods are

straight-sided and bluish in colour

Image courtesy of John Tann

Similar species:

Flinders Ranges or Willow-

leaved Wattle (Acacia

iteaphylla): a bushier shrub

up to 4 m high, with longer

seed pods (5 – 13 cm long).

Pale yellow to white, ball-

Evergreen shrub. Gorws 0.3-3 m high

Narrow, straight, blue-green leaves that grow at right angles to stem


PLANT

White Cedar or Cape Lilac When to look:

Deciduous tree that usually grows 10-15 m in height, but it can reach 45 m

Pale purple to white

with 5 petals

Similar species:

There are not any simiar

species in the area that are

easily confused with

Round yellow berries that are 1-2 cm in diameter

Bright glossy green oval leaves that are 2-7 cm in length

bird Àhog jxlgh bird Àhog jxlgh bird Àhog …...2019/06/24 · bird: won’t have the thin...

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