Southern Whiteface, what a cutie
Look at this little cutie! At first I thought it was a finch of some sort, because of its short stubby beak. But it’s a Southern Whiteface, and it’s my first sighting of any Whitefaces. Australia has three: the Southern, Chestnut-breasted, and Banded Whiteface.
According to BirdLife Australia, Southern Whitefaces are listed as vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. I spotted this one at Bendleby Ranges in South Australia:
Common name: Southern Whiteface
Scientific name: Aphelocephala leucopsis
Approximate length: 10-12 cm
Date spotted: 20 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E
Wedge-tailed Eagle in the Flinders Ranges
With a wing span of two metres plus, Wedge-tailed Eagles are magnificent creatures, even when you see them only high in the sky. I’ve not yet seen one up close. That day will come, I’m sure. In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures of one that soared above us as we drove along the tracks at Bendleby Ranges in South Australia.
We were tackling some tough 4WD tracks, which meant that most of us were outside the vehicles, taking videos of each attempt to clamber up a steep hill. At least two of us diverted our cameras to the bird instead! At one stage, it swooped down and flew along a valley below us:
Common name: Wedge-tailed Eagle
Scientific name: Aquila audax
Approximate length: 0.9-1.1 m; wing span 1.8-2.5 m
Date spotted: 19 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E
Crested Pigeons, colours of the Outback
This post describes two Crested Pigeons that I saw in the Flinders Ranges last month. We have Crested Pigeons on Australia’s east coast too, but I haven’t seen any here with colours as vibrant as the two further west.
This Crested Pigeon stands out on the red soil at Bendleby Ranges:
This one glows against the bright blue of the early morning sky at Wilpena Pound:
Common name: Crested Pigeon
Scientific name: Ocyphaps lophotes
Approximate length: 31-35 cm
Date spotted: 19-20 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Bendleby Ranges (32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E) and Wilpena Pound (31°31’36.5″S 138°36’11.6″E), Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Welcome Swallow studying a puddle
At Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges, a little Welcome Swallow pins its gaze on a puddle. Perhaps something moved in the mud, or perhaps the bird sees its own muddled reflection:
Common name: Welcome Swallow
Scientific name: Hirundo neoxena
Approximate length: 14-15 cm
Date spotted: 18 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 31°31’36.5″S 138°36’11.6″E
Australian Ringneck parrot at Wilpena Pound
During a recent trip out west of Sydney, I spent a night at Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges. Early the next morning, I went for a walk and spotted this lovely parrot sitting on a fence. It’s an Australian Ringneck.
The name “ringneck” comes from the yellow collar on the back of the bird’s neck. This particular variety of Australian Ringneck is called a Mallee Ringneck. It has a green and blue head, whereas other races have a dark blue head. “Mallee” comes from an Australian aboriginal word meaning water, and is used to describe terrain covered in low-growing scrubby Eucalyptus trees.
Scientific name: Barnardius zonarius barnardi
Approximate length: 34-38 cm
Date spotted: 19 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 31°31’36.5″S 138°36’11.6″E
Apostlebird looking spruce
I was recently at Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges. A trio of Apostlebirds arrived at our campsite early in the morning and scampered around looking for scraps. Often these birds appear to be a darker, more bluish grey. This one was caught in a ray of sunshine next to the barbecue.
Apostlebirds are chatty, gregarious creatures. I love watching them move and interact with each other. My first recorded sighting of them was near Mungo Lake, NSW, a couple of years ago. That post includes some video footage: Apostle birds nesting and grooming.
Common name: Apostlebird
Scientific name: Struthidea cinerea
Approximate length: 29-33 cm
Date spotted: 18 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 31°31’36.5″S 138°36’11.6″E
Little Corellas are brown in Broken Hill
They’re not really brown. They just look that way because they spend time rolling in the outback mud and in tree hollows. This Little Corella is examining the architecture in Argent Street, Broken Hill:
I haven’t seen such a soiled Corella before. The colouring brings out the blue around the bird’s eye. It does look rather dishevelled though!
Common name: Little Corella
Scientific name: Cacatua sanguinea
Approximate length: 36-39 cm
Date spotted: 21 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Broken Hill, NSW, Australia: 31°57’30.7″S 141°27’54.3″E
Singing Honeyeater unusually ruffled
This is my first sighting of a Singing Honeyeater. According to my bird book, they’re abundant and widespread, but not on the east coast of Australia where I live.
Australia has many species of Honeyeater. So many that I wonder if I should split up the category of Honeyeater on this blog, to make them easier to find. My bird book lists 56 species under “Honeyeater” and there are more, like the Miners which are listed separately.
Most of the Honeyeaters that I see look suave and confident. This particular Singing Honeyeater, though, looks as if it’s awakening from a bad night. Or maybe it’s going for a raptor look:
Common name: Singing Honeyeater
Scientific name: Lichenostomus virescens
Approximate length: 18-22 cm
Date spotted: 21 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Living Desert State Park near Broken Hill, NSW, Australia: 31°54’03.2″S 141°26’23.1″E
Female Mistletoebird in the Living Desert State Park
This is another first sighting for me, from my trip out west of Sydney. A lovely little Mistletoebird perched in a bush:
I love the soft colours of this bird. She’s a female. I’ve yet to see a male, which are more dramatic in their colouring, with blocks of black, red, and white.
Mistloetobirds are tiny, measuring 10 to 11 cm from head to tail. Their favourite food is the fruit of mistletoes. In fact, they eat very little else. Australia has nearly 100 native species of mistletoe.
Common name: Mistletoebird
Scientific name: Dicaeum hirundinaceum
Approximate length: 10-11 cm
Date spotted: 21 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Living Desert State Park near Broken Hill, NSW, Australia: 31°54’03.2″S 141°26’23.1″E
Another Babbler, another first! White-browed Babbler
I’m excited to record my first White-browed Babbler, and to pair it with my first sighting of some Chestnut-crowned Babblers earlier in the day. The birds were in the Living Desert State Park near Broken Hill, NSW.
Common name: White-browed Babbler
Scientific name: Pomatostomus superciliosus
Approximate length: 19-22 cm
Date spotted: 21 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Living Desert State Park near Broken Hill, NSW, Australia: 31°54’03.2″S 141°26’23.1″E
Sydney Birder 