Weekly Challenge Dec 09

Week 4

Photo 1

Photo 1 – Banded Honeyeater. One of the true black and white Honeyeaters. Note that the throat is white unlike the Pied and Black Honeyeaters that both have black throats.

Photo 2

Photo 2 – Pale Yellow Robin (Race nana). This is the north east Qld race of the Pale Yellow Robin which is distinguished from the southern race by the pale rufous-buff on the lores.

Photo 3

Photo 3 – Spotted Catbird. A mountain rainforest bird that is confined to north east Qld. It is similar to the Green Catbird which is not seen in north east Qld so identification is made easy. Don’t mistake it for a female Satin Bowerbird which is quite different and has a blue eye.

Photo 4

Photo 4 – White-streaked Honeyeater. A resident of northern Cape York Peninsula where it is common.

Weekly Challenge Nov 09

Week 3

Photo 1

Photo 1 – MacLeay’s Honeyeater. A true bird of the tropics. Usually found in the rainforests in the Townsville region where it is quite common. Once seen the bird is easily recoginised as is its call.

Photo 2

Photo 2 – Bower’s Shrike-thrush. Found in the rainforests. Can be mistaken for a Little Shrike-thrush. Look for the dark head and black bill. It has a much darker head, it’s more heavily streaked than the Little Shrike-thrush and the rufous breast colour goes all the way up the throat.

Photo 3

Photo 3 – Black-backed Butcherbird. This photo is a bit unfair in that it was taken well up into Cape York Peninsula where the Grey Butcherbird does not occur. The difference in colour of the Grey and Black-blackbacked Butcherbirds is very good distinguishing point but once a good ID has been made on the Black-backed Butcherbird the head and neck pattern is quite different to the Grey Butcherbird as the field guides will show.

Photo 4

Photo 4 – Victoria’s Riflebird (Female). Another rainforest bird. The colours of the female Victoria’s Riflebird are quite different to the stunningly coloured male. Other than the colour, its size and its long bill are the main point of ID.