Silver Gull Silver Gulls will always be associated with the sea, beaches and harbours, but they also live in large numbers in man made surroundings, parks, gardens, and dare we say it, cricket grounds. They can also be found far inland wherever there is water, whether fresh or brackish. They are supreme scavengers, living on almost anything, and they positively love rubbish dumps. Somehow, they retain their pristine appearance even in the most sordid of surroundings. Silver Gulls are typically known as Seagulls. Description. Males and females are alike. The head, neck… Continue reading
Australasian Grebe The two small grebes found in South Australia are an interesting example of two similar species using different habitat types to reduce competition. The Australasian Grebe prefers small freshwater bodies, feeds mainly on fish, keeps close to the shore and seldom forms large flocks. The Hoary-headed Grebe tolerates both fresh and brackish waters, likes large bodies of water and spends much time in the middle where it feeds mainly on invertebrates. It often gathers in large flocks. The Australasian Grebe feeds mainly on fish which it pursues underwater after diving,… Continue reading
Hoary-headed Grebe Hoary-headed grebes feed mainly on arthropods (insects, crustaceans and arachnids) rather than fish. They take a wide variety of prey and so can utilise those that appear in temporary waters. Foraging is mainly by deep diving and feeding on the bottom. They are the most gregarious of grebes forming groups and large flocks. In non-breeding plumage the two small grebes in our area (Hoary-headed and Australasian) can be hard to tell apart and good views are needed to be certain. The Australasian has a golden iris, the dark cap does… Continue reading
Brolga Brolga congregate in huge flocks in the tropical north, but they penetrate as far as the south-east of South Australia in small numbers. Much of their earlier habitat has been drained and converted to cultivated pastures and cropland. Brolga have a widely varied diet. Major food items are the tuberous roots of sedges, but they also take insects, crustaceans, small vertebrates, and in cultivated areas, cereal grains and nut crops. They feed by digging with their large bill in drier areas, and foraging in shallow waters and wetlands. Breeding is… Continue reading
Australasian Darter Darters swim low in the water and their long, sinuous neck is very snake-like, hence the common name of ‘snake bird’. One of the most entertaining sights along the river is to watch a darter, after it has captured its prey by spearing it, juggle to turn the fish around and swallow it head-first without hands to help. It usually succeeds! Like cormorants they spend a long time with their wings spread out to dry. Darters feed mainly on fish, but also take amphibians, water snakes, terrapins and aquatic invertebrates…. Continue reading
Nankeen Night Heron Night Herons are gregarious birds. During the day they congregate in large groups in the canopies of trees from which they fly out at dusk giving sporadic croaks, to forage until dawn. Nankeen Night Herons have a catholic diet. They eat fish, a variety of small vertebrates (amphibians, chicks and eggs of other birds, small mammals such as mice, crustaceans, arthropods of various kinds particularly aquatic insects, and human rubbish. They tend to forage alone using passive techniques such as standing and walking slowly but are sometimes more active, capturing… Continue reading
Glossy Ibis The Glossy Ibis differs from other South Australian Ibises in being dark brown and not white. It is also much smaller and rarer. They occur in small flocks and can often be overlooked. The Glossy Ibis feeds on adult and larval insects (aquatic insects. dragonflies. grasshoppers, crickets etc), worms, leeches and small vertebrates. Also feed on seeds of grain crops such as rice. Forages in small flocks by walking slowly and probing with the long bill. Breeding occurs from October to February. Nests colonially often with other waterbirds such as… Continue reading
Black-backed Bittern Black-backed Bitterns are small, well camouflaged bitterns, adept at hiding in reedbeds. Many birders have never seen one. Their presence may be detected by a low, monotonous croak, and then watching for the birds making low flights over the reedbeds, or perching low on reed lined pools. Black-backed Bitterns feed on crustaceans, aquatic insects, tadpoles, and small fish. They forage by standing and waiting at the water’s edge, or perched on emergent vegetation, then stabbing. Black-backed Bitterns breed from mid-October to late January. Typically, they breed as solitary pairs. The… Continue reading
Australian White Ibis Older texts refer to the Australian White Ibis as the “Sacred Ibis”. That is because, the Australian White Ibis and the Sacred Ibis of Africa were at one time thought to constitute a single species. Now, however, the Australian White Ibis is regarded as a separate species in its own right. Their numbers have increased rapidly over recent years, particularly in towns, where they have learnt to scavenge human waste. In fact they have become a nuisance in certain areas. The Australian White Ibis eats a wide variety of… Continue reading