Glimpses of Australian bird life

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G LI APSES OF..

Australian
Bird Life...

MELBOURNE

T. C. LOTHIAN, 49 ELIZABETH STREET

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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BIRB LIFE

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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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2

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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STRAUA

By ROBERT HALL, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S.

ABOUT 90 ILLUSTRATIONS.

312 Crown 6vo, Clotb» 3s. 6<L

T

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