Broadbill - Birdwatcher's site

Woodland Birds

Clockwise from top left: Bluebonnet, Regent Parrot, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Galah, Variegated Fairy-wren and Flame Robin
　© Koji TAGI

　Driving toward west, after you pass through the Great Dividing range, you are into the woodland where eucalyptus and acacia trees patchily grow. Unlikely the rainforest, woodland is open forest with little undergrowth.
　In this types of habitat, dominant groups of bird are cockatoos, parrots and honeyeaters. Bright and colourful cockatoos and parrots normally feed at the edge of the woodland while they are often seed eater. Red-rumped Parrot (photo) is the commonest parrot in the woodland. The grass green parrots often flush from the road side and the forest edge. A similar but, relatively smaller blue-faced parrot is Turquoise Parrot. This is rather rarer but is sometimes seen at the forest edge in the morning and late afternoon. Although Galah is seen most parts of Australia, the original range should be woodland or semi-arid Australia. In the woodland, it becomes commoner and forms larger flock which is sometimes more than a hundred.

　In the morning and late afternoon, a brownish parrot can be sometimes seen along the road. You will recognise the brilliant red and yellow underparts when the parrot flushes. It is Bluebonnet. In the similar habitat, larger turquoise parrot is also seen. Mallee Ringneck or Australian Ringneck has a beautiful plumage with distinctive yellow ring on the neck. I used to spend searching for parrots in the morning and late afternoon. It is such a beautiful scene to see green or red parrots in the orange light on the red soil.

　In the eucalyptus woodland, I was also attracted with seeing red robins. Australian robins are not relative of European Robin. Probably, early immigrants named the dumpy small bird with reddish breast as "Robin".

　There are five species of robins which have reddish breast in Australia. They are Pink Robin, Rose Robin, Scarlet Robin, Flame Robin and Red-capped Robin. Unlikely European Robin, the Australian robins tend to keep quiet and live in the bush or forest silently.

　Scarlet Robin (photo) has scarlet breast with white patch on the front. This robin has black throat and is easily identified from Flame Robin, has orange throat, which occurs in a same habitat in winter. Pink Robin is rarest in the five robins. The striking bird only occurs southeastern corner of Australia. Similar Rose Robin is seen relatively dense forest. It goes up to mountains during the breeding season. Red-capped Robin (photo gallery) has the widest range but is seen in more outback Australia. It is so exciting to see the red robins under the deep blue winter sky in the woodland.

Around the shrubs in the woodland, thin trilling can be heard. The call is similar to Superb Fairy-wren（photo gallery) but should be faster and more metallic. It is Variegated Fairy-wren. Breeding plumage of male is striking but is as female during winter months

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