Monthly Archives: November 2013
Eastern Whipbird calling
Eastern Whipbirds are usually difficult to spot. They move fast, and somehow they always manage to put a bush between you and them, or to position the sun behind them to blind you. So I was delighted to catch this video of an Eastern Whipbird making his weird call. The sound is a long drawn-out whistle, followed by a mini explosion a bit like the crack of a whip. Hence the bird’s name!
Common name: Eastern Whipbird
Scientific name: Psophodes olivaceus
Approximate length: 30 cm
Date spotted: 23 November 2013
Season: Early summer
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: -33.776508,151.254956
Australian Brushturkey kicking up leaves
The Australian Brushturkey, also called a Bush Turkey or a Scrub Turkey, is a truly weird bird. This male is a lovely specimen: large, with a bright red head and long yellow dewlaps, officially called a wattle, hanging from its neck. I followed it round a corner, where it started doing what these birds are known and loved (or hated) for: kicking up the leaves and dirt with its big strong feet. They can make a real mess of your garden.
Brushturkeys do fly, though they’re a little ungainly in the air.
Common name: Australian Brushturkey
Scientific name: Alectura lathami
Approximate length: 75 cm
Date spotted: 6 November 2011
Season: Summer
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: -33.782572,151.255698
Sydney Birder 