species field guide - climatewatch · field guide. australian magpie. cracticus tibicen. when to...

© Nadiah Roslan/Earthwatchclimatewatch.org.au

SPECIES field guide

Australian MagpieCracticus tibicen

When to look:Throughout the year

Its eyes are red-brown

Images courtesy of ClimateWatch users Luca Mav and Nicola Storey 2016

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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 field guide

Crested PigeonOcyphaps lophotes

When to look:August to March

Red eyes with pin-red rings around them

Image by Neon Tomas Buenaflor Rosell

Grey head with a noticeable thin black crest

Similar species:

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 field guide

Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa

When to look:Throughout the year

Black body, white undertail

Image by Marj K.

Yellow tipped red bill

Similar species:

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is larger with a bright purple front and all red bill and shield.

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) is recognised by its snowy white bill and forehead shield.

Black-tailed Native-hen (Tribonyx ventralis) is mainly brownish-grey, with white spots on the flanks. The bill and frontal shield is green, with an orange-red lower mandible (‘jaw’).

Red legs

Size 35-40cm


BIRD field guide

Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australis

When to look:Commonly breeds July to January

Black bill

Image courtesy of Nadiah Roslan

Grey back and head

Similar species:

Western Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria griseogularis): 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 (Tregellasia capito): 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 field guide

Flame RobinPetroica phoenicea

When to look:Commonly breeds August to January

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 field guide

Golden WhistlerPachycephala pectoralis

When to look:Migrates to lowlands in winter; breeds Aug to Feb

White throat

Images courtesy of David Cook Wildlife Photography

Olive-green back and wings

Similar species:

Mangrove Golden Whistler (Pachycephala melanura): 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 field guide

Grey FantailRhipidura albiscapa

When to look:Some migrate north during winter; nests Jul to Jan

Fine white shafts to all but central pair of tail feathers

Images courtesy of Colin Mulvogue

White eyebrow and throat

Similar species:

Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys): 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 (Rhipidura rufiventris): 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 field guide

Magpie-larkGrallina cyanoleuca

When to look:Throughout the year; breeding is opportunistic

Horizontal black line through pale eye; whitish bill

Images courtesy of Angel Oo

Similar species:

Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen): 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 (Cracticus nigrogularis): 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 field guide

Masked LapwingVanellus miles

When to look:Throughout the year; breeding is opportunistic

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

Image: Earthwatch

Similar species:

Banded Lapwing (Vanellus tricolor): 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 field guide

Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrys

When to look:Throughout year; usually nests Aug to Feb

Dinstinctive white belly. Body mostly black.

Images courtesy of Emily Fosbery

Similar species:

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta): 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 flycatcher generally 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


FROG field guideSouthern Bullfrog, Eastern Banjo or Eastern Pobblebonk FrogLimnodynastes dumerilii

When to look:August to April

Grey to olive green, dark brown or black back, with dark marbling or flecks. Warty or rough back

Images courtesy of Stephen Mahony

Prominent gland on outer back leg

Similar species:

Northern Banjo Frog (L. terraereginae): has red colouration around its groin. Giant Banjo Frog (L. interioris): has a bright orange or yellow belly with no mottling. Common Spadefoot Toad (Neobatrachus sudelli, Giant Burrowing Frog (Heleioporus australiacus) and Mallee Spadefoot Toad (Neobatrachus pictus): 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 field guideSouthern Brown Tree Frog or Ewing’s Tree FrogLitoria ewingi

When to look:

Throughout year, particularly from late winter

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 (Litoria paraewingi):

generally smaller, with a slower

call and not normally found in the

same areas. Verreaux’s Tree Frog

(Litoria verreauxi): has dark or

black blotches on its sides,

Lesueur’s Tree Frog (Litoria

lesueuri): has a visible ear drum (a

darker patch just behind its eye).

Half webbed toes; no webbing on fingers

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 field guide

Striped Marsh FrogLimnodynastes peronii

When to look:

August to April

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 often flecked with brown

Dark spots and stripes on its limbs. Long, slender fingers and toes have no webbing


INSECT field guide

Cabbage White ButterflyPieris rapae

When to look:From September through summer

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:

Another white butterfly: won’t have the two or three black spots on the upper side of the forewing. Also, the underside of its hindwing won’t be yellow.

From underneath, the forewing is white while the hindwing is yellowish


INSECT field guide

Common Brown ButterflyHeteronympha merope

When to look:October through May

Mostly orange, with obvious raised vein in middle of forewing. Small eye-spot on each wing.

Image courtesy of ClimateWatch users

Similar species: It is difficult to identify these butterflies when they are resting with their wings closed. Banks Brown Butterfly (Heteronympha banksii banksii): has an eyespot only on its hindwings, not on all wings. Shouldered Brown (Heteronympha penelope): has darker markings near the wing bases giving it a shouldered look, and an extra eyespot on the hindwing Forest Brown or Cyril’s Brown Butterfly (Argynnina cyrila): has more black markings on its upperside.

Underside of wings are paler with faint markings

Males lack pale patches. Females have yellow and dark brown patches near tip of forewings


INSECT field guide

European WaspVespula germanica

When to look:Spring to autumn

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 hang down during flight, and 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 field guide

Honey BeeApis mellifera

When to look:Early spring to weather below 13oC

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: while it is difficult to see, 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


REPTILE field guide

Garden SkinksL. guichenoti and L. delicata

When to look:September to

February

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

Images courtesy of Stephen Mahony

Of the two species, L. guichenoti usually has a ‘heavier’ looking body and a more obvious stripe running along sides compared to L. delicata

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: Lampropholis delicata

L. delicata’s range extends into north Queensland and Tasmania


PLANT field guide

Coastal Tea TreeLeptospermum laevigatum

When to look:Late winter through spring

Grows up to 6m high. Tall bushy shrub or small tree.

Images courtesy of Rachel Mai (flowers)and John Tann (seeds)

Egg-shaped and flat, grey-green leaves

Similar species:

Another species of Leptospermum: won’t have the same flower and fruit characters.

Seeds: flat-topped woody capsule that is 1.5 - 2cm in diameter White flowers

with 5 petals


PLANT field guide

Ribwort PlantainPlantago lanceolata

When to look:September to May

Leaves are long, sword-shaped and form a clump and usually stand upright

Images courtesy of Rich Weatherill

Similar species:

Variable Plantain (Plantago varia): its leaves usually have a toothed, or jagged, edge (not smooth like the Ribwort Plantain) and there is a dense tuft of reddish-brown hairs at the base of each leaf. Also, its flower stem can be shorter, only growing to a height of about 36 cm.

Tussock-like, rosette plant. Grows up to 30 cm high, with the flower stalk up to 1 m high

Flowers form a tight, cylindrical cluster which is 1-7 cm long. Small flowers are initially cream that turn brown rapidly


PLANT field guide

Sweet Scented WattleAcacia suaveolens

When to look:Autumn through spring

Seed pods are oblong, flat, 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-shaped flowers

Evergreen shrub. Gorws 0.3-3 m high

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


PLANT field guide

Silver BanksiaBanksia marginata

When to look:

Flowers appear from February to July (Sep-tember and April in Tasmania), and seed cones appear after flowers

Pale yelllow cylindrical spikes form bottle-brush shaped flowers

Image courtesy of Friends of Black Hill and Morialta Inc.

Seeds are enclosed in dark brown follicles attached to woody cones

Similar species:

The Silver Banksia can be differentiated from most other banksias by its serrated leaves, the notch at the end of the leaf tips, and the silvery underside to its leaves.

Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia): has larger leaves and flowers and its leaves are whorled around the stem (several coming out from the same point on stem) instead of alternate like on the Silver Banksia.

Mountain Banksia (Banksia canei): found above 600m in the semi-alpine areas of NSW and Victoria, it has some sharp points on its leaves, stouter flowers and larger follicles that remain closed for several years.

Green leaves are silvery underneath and may have serrated edges

A shrub, flat-lying plant, or tree


SPIDER field guide

Christmas or Jewel SpiderAustracantha minax

When to look:November to

February

Images courtesy of Volker Fremenau

Similar species:

Gasteracantha sacerdotalis / Thelacanta brevispina 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 field guide

St Andrew’s Cross SpiderArgiope keyserlingii

When to look:Summer and autumn

Often sits with legs in pairs, forming cross pattern.

Images courtesy of Volker Fremenau

Similar species:

Painted Orb Weaver (Argiope picta): 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 (Argiope trifasciata): 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

species field guide - climatewatch · field guide. australian magpie. cracticus tibicen. when to...

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