Masked Lapwing

Vanellus miles novaehollandiae 

Appearance:
Medium-sized, ground-dwelling bird
White underparts
Brown wings and back
Black crown, nape and shoulders
Yellow bill 
Bright yellow wattle  

I am posting this bird today in an attempt to try to get my husband to stop pointing them out to me.  I have lost count of the number of times I've heard  "Ooo....there's a different one.  What's that?" My answer is always the same.  "It's a Masked Lapwing".  They appear to be everywhere in Tasmania: on the beach, in fields, next to the road.  They also always seem to travel in pairs.  Probably so they can say to each other "Ooo....look at that one with the camera.  She's different."

Learn more about the Masked Lapwing.

Pacific Gull

Larus pacificus

Appearance:
Mostly white
Dark wings and back
Very thick, yellow bill with red tip
Yellow legs 
Light eye
Juveniles:
     Mottled brown all over
     Dark eye, legs and bill

This lone Pacific Gull was looking for handouts with a bunch of Silver Gulls on the beach in Burnie on the northern Tasmanian coast.  It looked huge in relation to the others. Strangely, the smaller gulls didn't seem intimidated by it.  They probably know there is strength in numbers.

Learn more about the Pacific Gull.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Calyptorhynchus funereus
 

Appearance: 
Large cockatoo
Short crest on top of head
Black plumage
Pale yellow tail band
Male:
    - black bill
    - pinkish-red eye-ring
   - dull yellow cheek patches
Female:
    - bone-coloured bill
    - grey eye-ring]
    - bright yellow cheek patches



 

This is another one of Maria Island's noisy residents. A pair of these birds were wailing and screeching as they
flew from tree to tree in search of food. The adults are normally quiet when feeding, but these ones made very loud 'munching' sounds as they ate the cone-like seeds/fruit.


Learn more about the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.
 

Green Rosella

Platycercus caledonicus

Appearance:
Medium-sized parrot
Yellow head, neck and underparts 
Greenish-black upperparts
Blue cheek patch
Red frontal band above the beak
Long, green tail with blue outer feathers
Blue shoulder patch on wings
Yellowish-green rump
Dark brown eyes
Grey bill and legs
Female:
    - may have orange-red hue on the front of the neck
    - smaller beak than the male
Juveniles: 
     -under-wing stripe
     - dull yellow-green head and underparts
     - dull green upperparts

The Green Rosella is one of  twelve species of birds that are endemic to Tasmania. This means they are found nowhere else on earth.

Another prolific bird on Maria Island is the Green Rosella.  Their high, ringing calls could be heard most of the day as groups of them cavorted in the trees.  I have just read that a group of parrots is called a pandemonium.  No need to ask how that came about!

Learn more about the Green Rosella.

Cape Barren Goose

Cereopsis novaehollandiae

Appearance:
Large, bulky goose
Short black bill
Bright greenish-yellow cere
Grey plumage with black spots
Black tail and flight feathers
Pink legs
Black feet


I had been told that Maria Island was a bird watcher's Mecca where you can see all twelve of Tasmania's endemic birds, including the rare Cape Barren Goose. Having convinced my husband to accompany me, we took an early ferry over to the island. The morning started off with a bang as a couple of Cape Barren Geese were there to welcome us as we got off the boat. Walking up to the Darlington townsite, several more of these birds made an appearance. By the end of the day, I swear we had seen at least a hundred of them.  Maybe not so rare after all?

 Learn more about the Cape Barren Goose.

Superb Fairywren

Malurus cyaneus

Appearance:
Small bird
Long tail
Brown legs
Female / Juvenile / Male (non-breeding):
    Brown upperparts
    Grey-white underparts
    Red-orange area around eye
    Brownish bill
Male (breeding):
    Bright blue forehead, ear coverts and upper back
    Black mask
    Black or dark blue throat and chest
    Dark blue tail
    Grey-white underparts
    Brown wings

Male - breeding plumage

On our first day in Hobart, we took a drive up to Mt Wellington. Stopping along the way, I saw this colourful male with a large number of females. That's rather odd I thought. However, I now realize that some of them were probably males in non-breeding plumage. 

Learn more about the Superb Fairywren.

Brown Falcon

Falco berigora

Appearance:
Small to medium-sized raptor
Rounded tail
Brown upperparts, ranging from light to very dark brown
Pale buff underparts
Red-brown head with narrow, black stripe below eye
Light crown
Off-white chin
Spotted red-brown wings with dark brown quills
Light blue-grey bill with black tip
Brown eyes with blue edges
Juveniles:
     Buff face, throat and nape 

Driving to the Water Treatment Plant outside of Melbourne, I spotted this bird sitting quietly on a fence post right next to the road.  I assumed it would fly away when we stopped the car but, to my surprise, it remained on its perch.  Apparently, this is how Brown Falcons search for their food, unlike other falcons that hunt by chasing their prey in flight. Whatever the reason for its behaviour, it was a great opportunity for getting some really good photos.  

Learn more about the Brown Falcon.