Struthidea cinerea

The Apostlebird is a medium-sized dark grey bird with a short strong bill, brown wings and black tail. It is normally seen in groups of six to ten birds, and is usally seen on the ground. It belongs to the group of birds known as 'mud-nesters', the Family Corcoracidae, noted for their communal life style and their bowl nests constructed of mud and plant fibres.

Alectura lathami

The Australian Brush-turkey has a mainly black body plumage, bare red head, yellow throat wattle (pale blue in northern birds) and laterally flattened tail. The Australian Brush-turkey is not easily confused with any other Australian bird. It is the largest of Australia's three megapodes (Family Megapodiidae). The megapodes are a distinct family of the group of fowl-like birds (Order Galliformes), which includes quails, turkeys, peafowl and junglefowl.

Ardeotis australis

The Australian Bustard is one of Australia's largest birds. It is a mainly grey-brown bird, speckled with dark markings, with a pale neck and black crown, with a slight crest and a white eye-brow. There are bold black and white markings on the wing. The female is slightly smaller than the male. Newly hatched chicks are striped dark and light. The Bustard has a 'snooty' appearance as it walks sedately along, holding its head and neck high. When disturbed, it will walk away slowly, still watching. When it does fly, the flight is strong, with the ends of the wing feathers characteristically spread and up-curved. It may be found in small groups or singly. This species is also called the Plains Turkey or Wild Turkey.

Alisterus scapularis

Male Australian King-Parrots are the only Australian parrots with a completely red head. Females are similar to males except that they have a completely green head and breast. Both sexes have a red belly and a green back, with green wings and a long green tail. They are normally encountered in pairs or family groups.

Pelecanus conspicillatus

There are seven species of pelicans in the world, all of which are similar in shape and, with one exception, are primarily white in colour. Males are larger than females. The most characteristic feature of pelicans is the elongated bill with its massive throat pouch. The Australian Pelican's bill is 40 cm - 50 cm long and is larger in males than females. Pelicans have large wings and a wingspan of 2.3 m - 2.5 m.

Corvus coronoides

Australian Ravens are black with white eyes in adults. The feathers on the throat (hackles) are longer than in other species, and a bird tends to extend these when calling, while holding its head and body in a horizontal position. Australian Ravens are usually seen in pairs. Another aid to identification of this species is the absence of wing-flicking while calling. Young birds resemble the adults, but have dark eyes, shorter throat hackles and often the presence of a pink, fleshy gape. This species is sometimes called a crow.

Tadorna tadornoides

The Australian Shelduck is a large, brightly coloured duck with a small head and bill. The male head and neck are black, tinged green, with a white neck ring and occasionally a white ring around the base of the bill. The upper parts are mainly black, while the underparts are dark brown with a cinnamon breast. White upperwing coverts form a white shoulder patch. The wings are black and deep chestnut with a large green speculum (window in wing). The female has a white eye-ring and a chestnut breast. This species is also known as the Chestnut-breasted Shelduck, Mountain Duck and Sheldrake.

Threskiornis molucca

The Australian White Ibis is identified by its almost entirely white body plumage and black head and neck. The head is featherless and its black bill is long and down-curved. During the breeding season the small patch of skin on the under-surface of the wing changes from dull pink to dark scarlet. Adult birds have a tuft of cream plumes on the base of the neck. Females differ from males by being slightly smaller, with shorter bills. Young birds are similar to adults, but have the neck covered with black feathers. In flight, flocks of Australian White Ibis form distinctive V-shaped flight patterns. Another common name for this bird is Sacred Ibis, but this more appropriately refers to a closely related African species.

Scientific Name: Vanellus tricolor

Easily identified by the distinctive black cap and the yellow bill and eye separated by a bright red patch of skin, the banded plover or lapwing stands no more than 25cm in height. Although these markings, combined with a pure white throat and abdomen, give the bird a striking appearance, they blend in superbly with their grassland home.


Like its close relative, the spur-winged plover, banded plovers will feign injury to try and distract predators away from their nest. If this doesn't work, outright attack will follow with aerial dive-bombing of any potential threat, including trespassing humans.


Habitat: A widespread bird of southern Australia, including Tasmania, ranging as far north as Central Queensland and the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Open grasslands and plains are its preferred habitat. In this environment the birds are provided with an excellent view of any approaching danger.


Diet: The diet is varied consisting of insects and other invertebrates, seeds, green shoots and leaves and is often dictated by seasonal availability.


Reproduction: The nest is usually no more than a scrape in the ground lined with a little dry grass. In spring, 3-5 conical-shaped, beautifully camouflage eggs are laid. The chicks hatch after about a month and are active and feeding themselves within a day or so of hatching.

Cladorhynchus leucocephalus

The Banded Stilt is a plump-bodied wader, with long orange or pink legs. Adult males and females are similar. The head and body is white with a broad chestnut band across the breast, extending down to the belly. This band fades or even disappears when the birds are not breeding. The wings are black with a conspicuous white trailing edge in flight. The eyes are brown and the black bill slender and straight. Immature stilts do not have black or chestnut on the underparts, the wings are brown and the legs are dull pink. Banded Stilts commonly gather in small parties or large flocks.This species may also be called the Bishop or Rottnest Stilt.

Ninox connivens

The Barking Owl is a medium-sized hawk-owl. Hawk-owls lack the definite heart-shaped face of the tyto-owls (which include the Barn Owl, Tyto alba). Adult Barking Owls are grey-brown above, with white spots on the wings, and whitish below, heavily streaked with grey-brown. The head is almost entirely grey-brown, and the eyes are large and yellow. Young Barking Owls have less streaking on the underparts and are mottled white and grey-brown on the rear of the neck. Barking Owls are nocturnal birds (night birds), although they may sometimes be seen hunting during the day.

Size: 51-61cm

Habitat: Distributed throughout most of inland Australia, this raptor prefers arid scubland, and open woodlands. Feeds on small mammals and birds.

Notes: Face and breast black, head and body chestnut/brown. White patches under wings, black wing tips. Breeds Winter-Spring.

Phalacrocorax fuscescens

The Black-faced Cormorant is a large pied (black and white) cormorant with a naked black face. The upper parts are also black, the underparts are white, with a black mark on each thigh. The bill is dark grey, and the eyes are blue-green. The legs and feet are black. This species is also called the Black-faced Shag (shags are strictly marine cormorants).

Coracina novaehollandiae

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes have a black face and throat, blue-grey back, wings and tail, and white underparts. They are slender, attractive birds. They have a curious habit of shuffling their wings upon landing, a practice that gave rise to the name "Shufflewing", which is often used for this species. Wing shuffling is also carried out by most other species in this family.

The call most often heard is a soft churring, often being described as a warbling "creearck".

Young birds resemble the adults, except the black facial mask is reduced to an eye stripe. These birds may be confused with the White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Coracina papuenis, which also has a black eye stripe. This species is much smaller however, being only 26 - 28 cm in length compared to 32 - 34 cm for the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike.

Milvus migrans

The Black Kite is a medium-sized raptor (bird of prey). From a distance, it appears almost black, with a light brown bar on the shoulder. The plumage is actually dark brown, with scattered light brown and rufous markings, particularly on the head, neck and underparts. The tail is forked and barred with darker brown. This feature gives the bird its alternative name of Fork-tailed Kite. The eye is dark brown and the bill is black with a yellow cere (area of skin around the nostrils). Both sexes are similar. Young Black Kites are generally lighter in colour than the adults, and have a comparatively shallower forked tail.

Elanus axillaris

Black-shouldered Kites are medium to small raptors (birds of prey), and are mostly pale grey above, with a pure white head, body and tail and black shoulders. The wings are white underneath, with black wing tips and the wing span is 80 cm to 100 cm. Females are larger than males. The red eye is marked by a black comma that extends behind it. The nostrils are yellow and the legs and feet are also yellow. The Black-shouldered Kite has a direct flight with quick shallow wing beats interspersed with glides on upswept wings (like a seagull), and is often seen hovering, with feet dangling.

Cygnus atratus

In adult Black Swans the body is mostly black, with the exception of the broad white wing tips which are visible in flight. The bill is a deep orange-red, paler at the tip, with a distinct narrow white band towards the end. Younger birds are much greyer in colour, and have black wing tips. Adult females are smaller than the males.

Distribution
Black Swans are found throughout Australia with the exception of Cape York Peninsula, and are more common in the south. The Black Swan has been introduced into several countries, including New Zealand, where it is now common, and is a vagrant to New Guinea.

Habitat
Black Swans prefer larger salt, brackish or fresh waterways and permanent wetlands, requiring 40 m or more of clear water to take off. Outside the breeding season, Black Swans travel quite large distances. Birds fly at night and rest during the day with other swans.

Feeding
The Black Swan is a vegetarian. Food consists of algae and weeds, which the bird obtains by plunging its long neck into water up to 1 m deep. Occasionally birds will graze on land, but they are clumsy walkers.

Breeding
Black Swans form isolated pairs or small colonies in shallow wetlands. Birds pair for life, with both adults raising one brood per season. The eggs are laid in an untidy nest made of reeds and grasses. The nest is placed either on a small island or floated in deeper water. The chicks are covered in grey down, and are able to swim and feed themselves as soon as they hatch.

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae.

Adults are 33-36 cm long. They have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are mainly white with a dark cap and a dark back.

The taxonomy of this bird is still somewhat contentious: some sources believe that there are as many as five distinct species; others consider some or all of these to be subspecies. The five forms are:

nominate Himantopus himantopus himantopus, which occurs in most of the warmer parts of southern and southeastern Europe, southern Asia and north Africa.
the Black-necked Stilt, which breeds from the US to northern South American has a dark head with a white spot over the eye (see Gallery). It is recorded as Himantopus mexicanus in the Sibley-Monroe checklist.
the southern South America melanurus is larger than mexicanus and often has a white crown.
the rare and endangered Hawaiian knudseni has more extensive black on its neck than the American forms.
leucocephalus of southeastern Indonesia and Australia has a white head.
The breeding habitat of all forms is marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. The nest site is a bare spot on the ground near water. These birds often nest in small groups, sometimes with avocets.

Some populations are migratory and move to the ocean coasts in winter.

These birds pick up their food from sand or water. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans.

Oxyura australis

The Blue-billed Duck is one of only two Australian species of stiff-tailed ducks - diving ducks with spine-like tail-feathers. It is a small and compact duck, with a length of 40 cm. The male's head and neck are glossy black, and the back and wings are a rich, chestnut to dark-brown. During the summer breeding season the male's bill turns bright blue. The female is brownish-black above, with narrow bands of light brown and mottled light brown and black below. The female's bill is dark grey-green. In the non-breeding season the male resembles a dark female. The tail is usually held flat on the water, although during courtship, or when alarmed, it is held fully erect.

Entomyzon cyanotis

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is a large black, white and golden olive-green honeyeater with striking blue skin around the yellow to white eye. The crown, face and neck are black, with a narrow white band across the back of the neck. The upperparts and wings are a golden olive green, and the underparts are white, with a grey-black throat and upper breast. The blue facial skin is two-toned, with the lower half a brilliant cobalt blue. Juvenile birds are similar to the adults but the facial skin is yellow-green and the bib is a lighter grey. This honeyeater is noisy and gregarious, and is usually seen in pairs or small flocks. It is known as the Banana-bird in tropical areas, for its habit of feeding on banana fruit and flowers.

Pionus menstruus menstruus

Dacelo leachii

The Blue-winged Kookaburra is a large kingfisher with a big square head and a long bill. It has a distinctive pale eye. The head is off-white with brown streaks, the shoulders are sky blue and it has a uniform blue rump.The throat is plain white and the underparts are white with faint scalloped orange-brown bars.The back is mid brown. Males have a dark blue tail while females' tails are barred red-brown or blackish. Otherwise the sexes are similar. The legs and feet are grey and the bill is dark above and yellowish below. Juveniles have paler streaks on the head with darker mottlings. There is slight geographical variation with plumage more buff in north-western Australia (race clifoni). The Blue-winged Kookaburra is also known as the Barking or Howling Jackass or Leach's Kookaburra. As they are shy and often quiet in the foliage they may be overlooked.

Ninox novaehollandiae

The boobook owl is a nocturnal hunter. Its diet comprises small mammals, birds and invertebrates. Like all owls, it is superbly adapted for night-time hunting. Its soft feathers effectively eliminate the noise of its flapping wings, allowing it to swoop upon unsuspecting prey.

The boobook nests in the hollows of trees, where it lays two to three white eggs. It should always be remembered that dead trees are as important as live ones, as they are the home for a wide range of mammals and birds. Once cleared, it may take hundreds of years for a tree to form such hollows.

Falco berigora

The Brown Falcon is a small to medium-sized raptor (bird of prey). Birds range in size from 41 to 50 cm, with the female larger than the male. The Brown Falcon has a range of plumage colours, from very dark brown to light brown above and off-white below. Generally, the upperparts are dark brown and the underparts are pale buff or cream. The sides of the head are brown with a characteristic tear-stripe below the eye. Birds from the tropical north are very dark, with a paler face and undertail, while those from central Australia are paler all over. The Brown Falcon is normally silent at rest, but gives some cackling and screeching notes when in flight.

Younger birds resemble dark adults, but have less obvious barring on the tail, and a buff-yellow colour on the face, throat and nape of the neck.

Paler birds may often be confused with the Nankeen Kestrel, F. cenchroides, which is quite a bit smaller and has a more rufous crown. Dark Brown Falcons may be mistaken for slightly larger Black Falcon, F. subniger. The Black Falcon has longer legs and lacks barring on the tail. The Black Falcon also appears sleeker in shape and movements.

What does it look like?
Bush Stone-curlews are birds standing 50 - 60 centimetres high, with long gangly legs, large yellow eyes, and grey-streaked upper parts. Their colouring makes them hard to see in bushland, especially in the dusky shadows and evenings, when they are most active.

Where does it live?
The curlew's range in Victoria is now largely confined to grassy woodlands and farmland, particularly in central and western regions and the northern plains. While the bird is found in all mainland states, its range has declined drastically in southeastern Australia. It is now extinct in many former spots south of the Great Dividing Range. While its Victorian and New South Wales stronghold is along the border region, it is sparsely distributed and continues to decline.

The curlew likes to roost and nest in grassy woodlands of buloke, gum or box with low, sparse grassy or herb understorey. Nests are usually beside a fallen log, which probably makes it harder for foxes to find. Curlews prefer a sparse understorey so they can see predators while foraging for insects.

Branches on the ground are essential for the bird's camouflage, and it is unlikely to attempt nesting without it. Research and experience shows how important 'untidy' landscapes covered with fallen timber are for birds, small mammals, reptiles and insects.

Did you know...
If disturbed Bush Stone-curlews crouch down or freeze, rather than fly away
The bird has a distinctively eerie call, "wer-loo wer-loo", which is often the only way to know this secretive nocturnal bird is out and about
Historically the species has been recorded in groups of 50 to 100 birds. However these large flocks no longer occur in Victoria, and many sightings on private land have declined from 4 to 1 pair per property in the last 30 years

Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus

The adult Grey Butcherbird has a black crown and face and a grey back, with a thin white collar. The wings are grey, with large areas of white and the underparts are white. The grey and black bill is large, with a small hook at the tip of the upper bill. The eye is dark brown and the legs and feet are dark grey. Grey Butcherbirds measure 24cm - 30cm, and both sexes are similar in plumage, but the females are slightly smaller than the males. The song is a lovely rich piping with some mimicry and harsher notes.

Young Grey Butcherbirds resemble adults, but have black areas replaced with olive-brown and a buff wash on the white areas. The bill is completely dark grey and often lacks an obvious hook. They are sometimes mistaken for small kingfishers.

The Black Butcherbird, C. quoyi, from the rainforests and mangroves of the north of Australia is all black, with a blue-grey bill. The widespread Pied Butcherbird, C. nigrogularis, is larger and boldly marked in black and white.


Pied Butcher Bird Cracticus nigrogularis

The Pied Butcherbird is a medium-sized black and white bird (33cm - 37cm). It has a full black hood, dark brown eye and long, hooked, grey and black bill. It has a broad white collar that goes all around its neck and a black bib (throat area). The rest of the underparts are white and the legs are black. The upper parts are mostly black, with large patches of white on the wings and rump. In flight, the white corners of the otherwise black tail are easily seen. Both sexes have identical plumage, but the male is slightly larger than the female. The Pied Butcherbird's voice is a beautiful, melodious fluting, sometimes given in turn by several individuals. Many people consider this the best singer of Australia's birds.

Young Pied Butcherbirds are generally duller than the adults are. The areas of black are replaced with brown and white areas are washed with buff. The birds also have an ill-defined bib, which becomes more distinct with age.

The Pied Butcherbird is larger and more boldly marked than the Grey Butcherbird, C. torquatus, and can be separated from the Black-backed Butcherbird, C. mentalis, of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, which lacks a black bib. It can be distinguished from other black and white birds, such as the Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen, and the Magpie-lark, Grallina cyanoleuca, by the black head and bib separated from the black back by a complete white collar, and white underparts. The bill is much larger than that of the Magpie-lark.

Phaps chalcoptera

Common Bronzewings are medium-sized, heavily built pigeons. The male has a yellow-white forehead and pink breast. Both sexes have a clear white line below and around the eye and patches of green, blue and red in the wing, characteristic of all bronzewings. The Common Bronzewing is a cautious pigeon, and rarely allows close approach. If startled, it flies away with a clatter, keeping low to the ground while moving in a steady, direct manner. Young Common Bronzewings are duller and browner than the adults. The metallic wing patch is absent or not easily seen.

Acridotheres tristis

The Common Myna is brown with a black head. It has a yellow bill, legs and bare eye skin. In flight it shows large white wing patches. The Common Myna is a member of the starling family and is also known as the Indian Myna or Indian Mynah.

Ocyphaps lophotes

The Crested Pigeon is a stocky pigeon with a conspicuous thin black crest. Most of the plumage is grey-brown, becoming more pink on the underparts. The wings are barred with black, and are decorated with glossy green and purple patches. The head is grey, with an pinkish-red ring around the eye. If startled, this pigeon takes to the air with a characteristic whistling flight, and glides with down turned wings. The whistling sound is produced by the air passing over a modified primary feather on the wing. Upon landing, the pigeon swings its tail high in the air.

The Crested Tern is the second largest of the terns found in Australia and one of the most commonly seen species. It measures 49 cm in length and has a pale yellow bill, scruffy black crest, grey wings and back, and a white neck and underparts. Although it is often observed on its own, the Crested Tern also frequently forms mixed flocks with other species. Most common calls are a raspy 'kirrick' or 'krrow'.

The largest of the terns is the Caspian Tern, S. caspia. This measures 50 to 55 cm, and has a huge red bill. The Lesser Crested Tern, S. bengalensis, with which the Crested Tern may be confused, is slightly smaller and has a bright orange bill when breeding, and it is absent from Australia's south.

Platycercus elegans

There are several colour forms of the Crimson Rosella. The form it is named for has mostly crimson (red) plumage and bright blue cheeks. The feathers of the back and wing coverts are black broadly edged with red. The flight feathers of the wings have broad blue edges and the tail is blue above and pale blue below and on the outer feathers. Birds from northern Queensland are generally smaller and darker than southern birds. The 'Yellow Rosella' has the crimson areas replaced with light yellow and the tail more greenish. The 'Adelaide Rosella' is intermediate in colour, ranging from yellow with a reddish wash to dark orange. Otherwise, all the forms are similar in pattern. Young Crimson Rosellas have the characteristic blue cheeks, but the remainder of the body plumage is green-olive to yellowish olive (occasionally red in some areas). The young bird gradually attains the adult plumage over a period of 15 months

Corvus orru

The Torresian Crow is a large glossy black crow with short throat hackles (feathers). The feathers of the head and neck have white bases. The eye is white with a fine blue eye-ring. Immature birds are duller black with a brown eye. When landing, this species characteristically shuffles its wings. It will be seen outside breeding season in large flocks. It has also been called the Australian Crow.

The Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii is an estrildid finch found in dry savanna, tropical (lowland) dry grassland and shrubland habitats in northern and eastern Australia. They are sometimes referred to as Bicheno's Finch; and also as Owl Finch, owing to the dark ring of feathers around their faces.

The name of the species commemorate James Ebenezer Bicheno, a colonial secretary of Van Diemen's Land appointed in September 1842.

The Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa, at 35-38cm is slightly smaller than a Swamphen. The Bill and frontal shield is red with a yellow tip. The iris is olive, while the body slate-grey and the wings & rump browner. The tail is black with white sides to undertail coverts. Legs red, although sometimes olive below the knee. Sexes are alike, but immature are paler, lack colour on the bill and have green legs. They swim with a jerking head motion.

Eagles Heritage was established in 1987 out of a need to provide homes for permanently disabled birds of prey and owls which had been handed in and cared for by volunteers, but which, due to the nature of their injuries, were unable to make a recovery sufficient for their return to the wild. The fauna you see on display at Eagles Heritage are permanently disabled rehabilitation patients, captive bred birds and individuals which have been tranferred in from other facilities. Many more birds are rehabilitated and returned to the wild each year.

Away from the public view, seven acres at Eagles Heritage has been set aside for wildlife rehabilitation, including a hospital and specialised facilities designed to help sick, injured and orphaned raptors return to the wild. The centre provides training and support for volunteer wildlife rehabilitators who wish to work with these unique and amazing birds. Education opportunities are also available for animal health professionals and students seeking to expand their skills.

Eagles Heritage is proud to be associated with the Society for the Preservation of Raptors (Inc.), a not-for-profit association dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and conservation of birds of prey and owls.

Platycercus eximius

Eastern Rosellas are medium-sized colourful parrots with distinctive white cheek patches. It has a red head, neck and breast, with yellowish to greenish upper parts, a yellow underbody and a yellow-green to blue-green rump, with a red undertail. The shoulders are bright blue. Females are usually similar to males, but sometimes duller and young birds are even duller and can be aged by their bill colour, which is yellow or orange, changing to off-white when mature.

The Eclectus Parrot, Eclectus roratus, is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, northeastern Australia and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimorphism. The males of the species are bright green, having bright candy-corn-coloured upper mandibles and black lower mandibles, and blue or red tail and wing feathers; while the females have red heads and blue to purple breasts, with black beaks. Joseph Forshaw, in his book Parrots of the World, noted that the first European ornithologists to see Eclectus Parrots thought they were of two distinct species. Large populations of this parrot exist in Papua New Guinea, where they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees. Their bright feathers are also used by native tribespeople as decorations.

Chalcophaps indica

The iridescent green wings and shoulders are the most striking features of the emerald ground dove. The head and underside of the male are a pale wine colour, while the beak is bright red. The female in contrast has a more orange coloured beak and the head and breast areas are more greyish-brown. These are relatively small pigeons, rarely exceeding 26cm in length.


Pigeons produce a rich, regurgitated food for their chicks, sometimes known as 'pigeon milk'. On this diet the hatchlings grow at a rapid rate and can fly within a couple of weeks of hatching.



Habitat: As its common name suggests, much of its time is spent on the ground foraging for food, although it is a strong flier when necessary. Its preferred habitat are the rainforests and wet eucalypt forests of coastal eastern and northern Australia.


Diet: Seed and fruit eaters, emerald doves will readily eat and disperse the seeds of many introduced plant pests such as lantana, inkweed and wild tobacco.


Reproduction: Common to all pigeons, male emerald doves carry out an impressive courtship display with rhythmic bowing and cooing repeated many times. Both male and female contribute to building the untidy platform of twigs in which two white eggs are deposited.