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Australian Bird Life...
MELBOURNE
T. C. LOTHIAN, 49 ELIZABETH STREET
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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KECT FH®fH INMTMKE
Y^TH NOTES BY
ROBERT HA_L, F.L.S-, C.M.Z.S.
Author of “Tf\e Useful Birds of Soutt\erri Australia ”
"A Key to tl\e i-?rds of Australia ” doir\t Author of “Nature Studies ir\ Australia"
Tl cUvuvue :
T. C. LOTHIAN, 49 ELIZABETH STREET.
1906
TO
US
FOUR.
W
our
FOREWORD.
are few simple aids to the study of birds. “ With Nature and the Camera” has not had the indulgence it should have had given to it. Too few of as see the animals of our country as they really are, and, may be, this booklet will help to focus our eyes, in a general way, on the wild birds of our land. Certainly it simply opens the wide field before us, but it is a beginning, ooooooooo
My fellow-naturalist, Mr. A. H. Mattingley , has very generously placed at my disposal the use of most of the subjects. My thanks and a general apprecia¬ tion will be the reward of many hours’ labour in the obtaining of each picture. Birds are suspicious of strangers — which means the photographer must wait hours, or days, before he can, as a rule, have any marked success with them and his camera. This pleasant burden Mr. Mattingley has had to carry with a large number of his subjects, o o o o o o o
The Albatross pictures were taken by the late Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth ; the first of which, the frontispiece , cost no less a time than twenty days in the obtaining of it. Twenty hours were spent in securing each of many of the other plates. o o o o
The remaining pictures are by my own camera, in conjunction with Mr. Arthur B . Lord, a third lover of nature. They are unique and mostly rare subjects. The birds are all Australian i o o o o o
FH.HERE '•* native
4
WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE.
^pHIS is the largest of our land birds of prey, and one well distributed throughout Australia. It is a daring bird. The nest is
a huge mass of sticks, well arranged, and placed in a large tree by preference. The illustration shows a photograph taken of a
nest situated over a dangerous gorge.
o o o
5
NEST OF WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE
6
MALLEE FOWL.
WAY in the driest part of southern
Australia, where there is any timber, a brown bird about the size of a domestic hen can be seen. It makes a nest of leaves and sand, 16 feet in diameter and 3 feet in height. In it the eggs are placed, and the decomposing leaves make the heat to hatch out the large brown eggs. o o o o o
7
NESTING MOUND OF MALLEE FOWL.
8
WHIP-BIRD.
J N the silent forests of Eastern and Western Australia," and in the densest parts of them, one may hear the sharp crack of what sounds like a great whip in use. It is the Coachwhip-bird calling to his mate. ° o o o o
9
WHIP-BIRD AND YOUNG.
IO
REED-WARBLER.
""pHE little brown bird that sings in the “ noon of night ” about the water’s edge is a lover of the reeds. It is one of the few birds which sing during the night when watching its mate sitting upon the nest
attached to three or four reed stems.
o o o
1 1
REED-WARBLER ON ITS NEST.
12
BLUE WREN.
'"pHIS bonnie bird, dressed in turquoise blue and black, is the Superb Warbler of the scrub. It has a marvellous reputation as a friend of the tiller of the soil. Eighty noxious grubs in a day, and “ ready for more,” is its diet, much to the advantage of fruit¬
growers.
ooooooooooooooooo
BLUE WREN OR SUPEBB WARBLER.
14
BLACK AND WHITE FANTAIL.
''J^HE “Shepherd’s Companion” is ever with him in the back blocks as well as with us in the outer suburbs. It rests upon its nest, beautifully made of grasses and spiders’ webs, and within twelve days hatches out
some of the most useful birds yet known.
O O
>5
shepherd’s companion (black and (white fantail) on nest.
i6
RUFOUS-FRONTED FANTAIL.
jlHANTAILS are to be found in all kinds of country. The Rufous-fronted species inhabits the mountain areas, and there builds a cup-shaped nest, most beautifully made of fibres and spiders’ webs. The accompanying photograph was made by Mr. Mattingley in
a fern glen. ° ° °
oooooooooooo
1 7
2
NEST AND EGGS OF RUFOUS-FRONTED FANTAIL.
THICKHEAD.
'"pHE yellow and black birds of southern forests are mostly Thickheads, because of the breadth of the cranium. Some species are rufous. The illustration shows the nest and eggs of one of the latter in the thinly- timbered scrub. The family is quite an
Australian one. o o o o o
ooooooooo
19
NEST AND EGGS OF RUFOUS-BREASTED THICKHEAD.
20
ROBINS.
y^LL Robins are not red-breasted. Some are jonquil-yellow, others pink, and rose, and scarlet. Some are black and white. The illustration shows the Hooded Robin, the nymph of the woods, feeding its unfledged
young.
ooooooooooooooooo
21
NEST AND YOUNG OF HOODED ROBIN.
22
PIPIT.
"pHE Ground-Lark is well distributed over the Commonwealth. It lives and nests upon the ground, and eats the ground-loving insects, and seeds that are not wanted for
next year.
oooooooooooooooo
'r. y
YOUNG OF PIPIT (GROUND-LARK) IN NEST.
FROGMOUTH.
HIS is the Morepork, but not the bird
that calls “ More pork.” The little brown Owl does that. It has a flimsy structure of twigs to serve as a nest, but rears two very beautiful grey nestlings that soon learn to catch insects in the twilight.
It is a nocturnal bird.
oooooooooo
25
THE NESTLING AND EGG OF TAWNY FROGMOUTH.
26
FROGMOUTH.
^pHE Tawny-shouldered Frogmouth is a mimic of its surroundings, not only in colour, but in form. If grey, it keeps to grey timber ; if brown, to brown timber. Instead of having the graceful outline of most birds, it is angular when resting, in order to appear as a broken limb on the tree. Then it is perfectly quiet. The photograph is a fine one, showing such a bird in a protective
attitude. ooooooooooooooooo
27
TAWNY FROGMOUTH MIMICKING BROKEN LIMB
(arrow indicates position of bird.)
2S
WOOD-SWALLOW.
^pHE bird the boys know as the Summer- bird is a very useful one. In spring it hatches out three little ones, and they, in turn, become insectivorous, and well respected by all the wisest of fruit-growers and their sons. It is well distributed over Australia, o o
29
\
YOUNG OF SORDID WOOD-SWALLOW.
30
QUAIL.
ROUND- LOVING birds are mostly sports¬ men’s Dirds. Many Quail, useful though they are, come to this end. The Painted Quail lies quietly in its nest upon the ground
and at once is photographed.
oooooooc
PAINTED QUAIL ON NEST.
PARROT.
'pHE Rosella, numerically, is a strong species, found broadly distributed and in large numbers. It nests each spring, and places its white eggs in the hollow of a tree. ° ° ° ■>
33
A NEST OF THE ROSELLA
(opened out and photographed).
3+
LYRE-BIRD.
"pHE mocking-bird of the world is found along the eastern coast of Australia. It lives its life away in the wildest gullies of the great gum forests, and each year rears one young. It has a playground to add to
the enjoyment of its days.
oooooooo
35
lyre-bird on its dancing mound.
3^
CUCKOO.
y^USTRALIA has many different Cuckoos,
from 6 inches in length to 2 feet,
but none that calls in imitation of its name. All but the Spur-footed Cuckoo leave other
birds to rear their young. The young of the Bronze-Cuckoo, as shown in the illustration, is a plain little bird during the first few months of its life. Later it evolves into a most beautiful bird, well striped and rich in
iridescent copper.
OOOOOOOOQOOOO
37
YOUNG BRONZE-CUCKOO.
CUCKOO-SHRIKE.
'"pHIS bird, with the flight of a Cuckoo and the bill of a Shrike, is common and well distributed. It is fond of fruit. The nest of the Black-faced species is placed on a horizontal bough, and is beautifully covered with spiders’ webs to agree with its surround¬ ings. The parents give much attention to
their young.
ooooooooooooooo
39
BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE, WITH NEST AND EGGS,
4°
CROW-SHRIKE.
HIS family bears the features of Crow and
Shrike, thus we give them the name. They feed mostly upon the ground, and eat considerably of hard-winged insects destructive to timber. The young remain in the nest until well matured and ready to fly. The illustration shows the fledglings of the Black¬ winged Crow-Shrike, oooooooooooo
4i
BLACK-WINGED CROW-SHRIKE FEEDING ANXIOUS VOUNG.
42
CROW-SHRIKE.
~"pHE accompanying illustration shows the young of the Black-winged species in still younger days. They exhibit a strong wish
to be fed.
oooooooooooooooo
43
NESTLINGS OF BLACK-WINGED CROW-SHRIKE.
44
HONEY-EATER
HE family of Honey-eaters is a large one,
and almost altogether confined to the Australian region. Their tongues are specially formed for collecting nectar from the blossoms distributed throughout the Commonwealth. The Crescent Honey-eater is found upon the shores of south-east Australia and Tasmania, and the illustration shows the bird visiting its nest, which, like that of nearly every other member
of the family, is open and suspended.
O O Q
45
CRESCENT HONEY-EATER AND NEST,
46
THRUSH.
""THE birds figured are the young of the Mountain-Thrush. They are not songsters. There is a grey species, known as the Harmonious Shrike-Thrush, which sings very pleasantly. The Song Thrush, introduced from Europe, is more varied in its song, and more commonly heard in the suburbs, but its voice is no finer than that of the native singer. The Mountain-Thrush loves to frequent gullies and be about the watercourses during all periods
of the year.
ooooooooooooooo
47
YOUNG OF MOUNTAIN-THRUSH IN NEST.
48
AUSTRALIAN CRANE.
| T is better known to us as the Native Companion — a long-legged bird, fond of hot country and swamps. Generally it nests upon the almost bare ground, but the illus¬ tration shows a nest being subject to flood. It was raised each day a little, and finally got to be 3 feet high. The bird indulges in a native “ quadrille.” oooooooooo
49
4
NEST AND EGGS OF CRANE (NATIVE COMPANION).
IBIS
y^LONG the Murray River system we have the Ibis, once common to the ancient Egyptians. It is the same species. The plate shows an egg and young bird in the reed-
beds of the Murray River.
oooooooo
NESTLING AND EGG IN NEST OF WHITE IBIS.
FISH-HAWK.
""pHE Osprey is the universally known name of this bird. It builds a huge structure of sticks upon a lonely beach of the ocean, and lays within the depression of it two large
mottled eggs.
ooooooooooooooo
53
NEST AND EGGS OF OSPREY OR FISH-HAWK.
54
OYSTER-CATCHER.
o NLY on sea beaches may we see this . active, red-legged bird. In the spring it lays two eggs upon the beach, ' but arranges so that the colours of the surroundings will be in keeping with the markings of its eggs.
This is a case of colour-protection.
o o o o o
55
NEST AND EGGS OF SOOTY OYSTER-CATCHER.
PENGUIN.
y^LONG the Australian coasts are two species. They keep to the sea, and almost live in the water, leaving it only at nesting time. The photograph of the Crested Penguins was made by the present writer on Kerguelen’s Land, where this apparently wing¬
less bird may be observed in millions.
o o o
57
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FOREGROUND.
CORMORANT.
| THINK no bird is so well fitted to catch its daily food as the Cormorant. It is thoroughly well developed in every region. Its diet is made up altogether of living fish,
and they know this enemy on sight.
o o o o
59
NESTING COLONY OF WHITE-BREASTED CORMORANTS.
6o
ALBATROSS.
"p'HE largest of sea birds is mostly found in the Southern Ocean. It is a great wanderer, and knows every island in the seas. The illustration shows a colony of Shy Albatrosses nesting on an island in Bass Strait, o o o o
Ol
SHY ALBATROSSES ON NESTS.
62
PRION.
HIS genuine little sea bird is closely
related to the Mother Carey Chickens. It burrows into the ground to nest, and sits upon one white egg. It nests in countless numbers upon the island of desolation known as Kerguelen’s Land. The photograph, by the present writer, illustrates the nesting-burrow of the Dove-like Prion, cut away on one side, o o
NEST AND EGG OF DOVE-LIKE PRION.
ION R HALF OF THE, LONG BURROW HAS BEEN CUT AWAY.
OBTAINABLE FROM ALL BOOKSELLERS
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Biros 00 |
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STRAUA |
By ROBERT HALL, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S.
ABOUT 90 ILLUSTRATIONS.
312 Crown 6vo, Clotb» 3s. 6<L
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HIS is a very fully illustrated work, dealing with the majority of Birds found in Southern Australia, south of an imaginary line drawn @p- from Brisbane on the east to Geraldton on I the west. While the references on the life- histories are made on the useful birds, there are chapters on the birds more or less useful and on those introduced from other countiies.
By the term useful bird is meant one of value to the fruit-grower, agriculturist, and pastoralist— for the most part an insect-eating bird.
A key to each bird is provided, with a reference to nest and eggs. Derivations and accentuations are taken from the author’s “ Key to the Birds of Australia,” as approved by Prof. Tucker, Lift. D.,
with expansions.
This will be found an invaluable and most interesting book to all nature lovers, as it has been prepared by one engaged for many years in the direct study of nature.
Melbourne :
T. C. LOTHIAN, 49 ELIZABETH-STREET.
Walker, may & Co., PRINTERS
25 MACKI LLOP STREET, Melbourne