DIGITAL FIELD GUIDE: BIRD SPECIES COMMONLY FOUND IN THE MOGGILL CREEK CATCHMENT
Most photos in these lists were taken in the catchment and most are the copyright of Ed Frazer. Supporting information is supplied by James Butler.
Tim Siggs has kindly permitted the inclusion of links to videos in his YouTube Australian Bird Video Collection, taken outside the catchment. To view all videos in Tim’s collection, please click here.
Note: blue shaded rows indicate a dimorphic species, breeding and non-breeding or hepatic form
1. WATER BIRDS | |||||
BIRD SPECIES | WHERE THE BIRD FEEDS | FOOD TYPE | RELATED REFERENCES
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NOTES | |
Australasian Darter ♂ Snake-bird |
Under water surface | Fish | Feather Fascination February 2018 | 94cm. Fairly common resident. Found in large shallow waters: reservoir and in Moggill Creek in deeper pools where there are fish. Roosts in trees and fences near the water. Another name is ‘snake bird’ because of the long-kinked neck coiled to strike. | |
Australasian Darter ♀ Snake-bird |
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Australasian Grebe ⚥ Little Grebe |
Water surface and diving underwater | Small fish Freshwater insects |
Feather Fascination February 2015 | 26cm. Common resident. Prefers still, shallow water: dams not creeks. Walks poorly on land, because its legs are so far back for diving. Can be mistaken for a duckling. | |
Australian Pelican ⚥ | On and under water surface | Fish Birds |
1.9m. Nomadic over large areas in response to climate events. Perhaps only possible site is the Reservoir and Rafting Ground Reserve from which they can be seen flying over the Brisbane River. Feed in large shallow waters. | ||
Australian Wood Duck ♂ Maned Duck or Goose |
Grasslands | Grasses Occasional insects |
Feather Fascination April 2018 | 50cm. Common resident. Not a good swimmer, nests in tree hollows, sometimes far from water. Can be found on grasslands near the riparian habitat. | |
Australian Wood Duck ♀ Maned Duck or Goose |
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Black Bittern ⚥ | Shallow water | Fish Amphibians |
66cm. Resident. Roost and nest in trees, and are found in tree-lined wetlands. Feed during the day and night. | ||
Black Swan ⚥ | Freshwater | Underwater and Emergent vegetation | 1.4m Nomadic and highly dispersive. Only seen on Gold Creek Reservoir, prefers large open waters. | ||
Buff-banded Rail ⚥ Banded Landrail, Rail |
Ground level, wet grasses | Plants Crustaceans Insects Seeds Fruit Frogs |
Feather Fascination October 2014 | 33cm. Common resident but elusive. Prefers rank vegetation near wetlands, creeks, dams, well-vegetated urban gardens near bushland. | |
Cattle Egret (Breeding) ⚥ | Ground, grassy paddocks | Grasshoppers Insects |
Feather Fascination November 2018 | 53cm. Common resident. Prefers grazing paddocks, follows cattle, horses; woodlands, wetlands. Best chance in paddocks with cattle or horses! Looks wonderful in breeding plumage. | |
Cattle Egret (Non-breeding) ⚥ |
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Dusky Moorhen ⚥ Waterhen |
Freshwater swamps | Aquatic plants Insects Frogs |
40cm. Common resident. Found near water in natural settings – wetlands, reservoir, and dams; and in urban settings ponds, small lakes. | ||
Eastern Great Egret ⚥ Large Egret, White Crane |
Shallow water | Fish | 1m. Nomadic and fairly common, dispersive in response to climate events like droughts and floods. Prefers shallow fresh waters. Can be found at the Reservoir, dams, and wetlands. | ||
Eurasian Coot ⚥ | Swimming | Aquatic plants Insects Frogs |
Feather Fascination July 2019 | 38cm. Nomadic and dispersive. Often in large flocks. Favour large water bodies, shallow enough to have underwater and emergent vegetation. Spend most of their time on the water, mostly away from the bank. | |
Great Cormorant ⚥ Black Shag, Big Black Cormorant |
Under water surface | Fish Crustaceans Insects frogs |
92cm. Fairly common resident. Favours large bodies of water: Reservoir or very large dams on properties. Is nomadic, moving according to rainfall. | ||
Grey Teal ⚥ | Freshwater surface | Water plants Snails Beetles Spiders Seeds |
46cm. Nomadic and affected by climate events, may turn up anywhere on fresh water, reservoir and large dams. Mainly inland, retreats to coast in numbers during drought. | ||
Hardhead ♂ White-eyed Duck |
Water surface and diving underwater | Seeds Flowers Grasses Sedges Invertebrates |
60cm. Nomadic and affected by climate events, dispersive and irruptive. True diving duck, rarely on land. Probably only found on reservoir and bigger, deep dams. | ||
Hardhead ♀ | |||||
Intermediate Egret ⚥ Plumed Egret |
Shallow water | Fish | 70cm. Nomadic and fairly common, dispersive in response to climate events. Prefers shallow fresh waters. Can be found at Reservoir, dams, wetlands. | ||
Latham's Snipe ⚥ Australian or Japanese Snipe |
Shallow water and ground | Seeds & plant material Worms Spiders Insects Molluscs Centipedes |
Feather Fascination January 2015 Feather Fascination September 2015 |
31cm. Migratory wader, here in summer. They are found in any vegetation around wetlands, in sedges, grasses, lignum, reeds and rushes. Use their long bills to probe the mud. Roost by day, feed at night, mornings and evenings. | |
Lewin's Rail ⚥ Lewin's Water Rail |
Mud layer wet grasses |
Crustaceans Molluscs Worms Insects |
Nightlife in the Catchment - Ed Frazer | 27cm. Very rare, dispersive. Near Threatened Species (DERM); Significant (BCC). Prefers dense vegetation in wetlands near forests: reservoir, dams, riparian zone. Very elusive and hard to observe, it rarely comes onto open ground. Seen near Reservoir in May 2012. | |
Little Black Cormorant ⚥ Little Black Shag |
Under water surface | Fish | 64cm. Common resident. Favours large bodies of water. Only found on Reservoir, not in creeks. Fish form 99% of its diet. It observed on the water it means there are fish in the water. | ||
Little Pied Cormorant ⚥ Shag |
Under water surface | Crustaceans Insects Some fish |
64cm. Common resident. Found in shallow waters: reservoir, Moggill Creek, dams, wetlands. Roosts on trees and logs to rest after feeding with wings outstretched to dry them. Roosts at night and nests, communally. | ||
Nankeen Night-Heron ⚥ Rufous Night-Heron |
Shallow water | Insects Crustaceans Fish Amphibians |
Feather Fascination November 2017 | 64cm. Nomadic, in response to rainfall. Feeds at night time, roosts during the day beside water. | |
Nankeen Night-Heron ⚥ (Juvenile) |
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Pacific Black Duck ⚥ Black Duck, Brown Duck |
Freshwater surface | Water plants Snails Beetles Spiders Seeds |
Feather Fascination May 2018 | 60cm. Common resident. Found on reservoir, dams, creeks, swimming pools, public gardens. Mostly stays on water. Cannot dive, feeds by upending. | |
Pale vented Bush-hen ⚥ | Ground level, wet grasses | Aquatic plants Insects Frogs |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 28cm. Uncommon resident. Conservation Status: Significant (BCC). Prefers tall grass in riparian zones and wetlands. Difficult to see in the grass, but does enter water and moves along streams, so can be found out in the open. Reservoir is the place. | |
Plumed Whistling-Duck ⚥ | Grasslands | Grass | YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 62cm. Nomadic and dispersive. Night time they fly long distances to feed on grasslands. Day time flocks rest and sleep beside water with other waterfowls. | |
Purple Swamphen ⚥ Bald Coot, Eastern Swamphen |
Shallow freshwater grassy wetlands |
Soft shoots of water Plants Frogs Snails |
Feather Fascination April 2019 | 48cm. Fairly common resident. Prefers dense wet tall grasses near water. Not easily seen until it comes out onto open ground. Has adapted to urban landscapes: lakes, parks, playing fields near shelter. | |
Royal Spoonbill ⚥ | Shallow water, less than 40cm; fresh or salt water | Freshwater fish Shrimps in tidal flats Other crustaceans Insects |
Feather Fascination March 2016 | 80cm. Nomadic, moving with the availability of habitat. Moves to the coast during droughts. | |
Spotless Crake ⚥ | Ground level, wetlands | Seeds Fruit and leaves of Aquatic plants Worms Snails Spiders Beetles |
Nightlife in the Catchment - Ed Frazer | 21cm. Cryptic resident. Freshwater wetlands with dense margins. More often heard than seen. | |
White-faced Heron ⚥ Blue Crane |
Shallow water | Fish | Feather Fascination January 2018 | 70cm. Common resident, locally nomadic. Found in many natural and urban habitats: creeks, wetlands, pools, dams, fishponds. Often seen in flight or near ponds in Moggill creek. | |
White-necked Heron ⚥ Pacific Heron |
Shallow water | Fish | 1.06m. Locally nomadic and fairly common. Prefers shallow fresh waters. Can be found at Reservoir, dams, wetlands. | ||
Yellow-billed Spoonbill ⚥ | Shallow fresh water | Freshwater insects and their larvae |
92cm. Nomadic. Freshwater wetlands, dams, lagoons and swamps, and sometimes in dry pastures, but rarely uses saltwater wetlands. It can use much smaller areas of water than the Royal Spoonbill. | ||
Silver Gull
Larus novaehollandae
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Ground feeder, scavenger | Freshwater insects and their larvae |
Mainly coastal or large water bodies.
Rarely seen in MCCG area - more likely along Brisbane River.
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2. LAND BIRDS |
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BIRD SPECIES |
WHERE THE BIRD FEEDS
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FOOD TYPE
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RELATED REFERENCES
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NOTES
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Australasian Figbird ♂ Green or Yellow Figbird, Banana-Bird |
Canopy level | Fruit Other plant parts |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 30cm. Common resident, but nomadic in search of fruiting trees. Very noisy and in large numbers when a big fig tree is fruiting. Found in rainforests, eucalypt forests, riparian zones, backyards near forests. Male has red skin around eye. | |
Australasian Figbird ♀ | |||||
Australian Brush-Turkey ⚥ Scrub Turkey |
Forest floor | Seeds Grain Fruit Invertebrates |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 70cm. Common resident. Males build a large mound to incubate eggs from a number of females with environmental microbial heat. Young dig their way out of the mound and are then on their own with no parental involvement. | |
Australian Hobby ⚥ Little Falcon |
Aerial | Birds | 35cm. Uncommon visitor maybe driven by climate events. Found in woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and sometimes well-treed urban areas. Very fast, dark-headed falcon; very visible when hunting as it relentlessly pursues other birds. | ||
Australian King Parrot ♂ | Canopy level | Seeds Fruits Nectar Flowers |
Feather Fascination August 2019 | 44cm. Common resident, dispersive. Found in all natural habitats and in urban backyards and parks. Moves to wherever there are suitable trees or shrubs with fruits, flowers and seeds. | |
Australian King Parrot ♀ | |||||
Australian Magpie ⚥ Black-backed Magpie |
Open ground far from cover | Ground dwelling invertebrates Insects Worms |
Feather Fascination April 2016 | 44cm. Very common resident. Found at the edges of most forests and in clearings. Very common in the suburbs where there is open grasslands for them to feed. Wonderful singer. | |
© Dale Borgelt |
Australian Masked Owl ⚥ | Ground level | Small mammals Rodents Rabbits Possums Reptiles Birds Insects |
Summer Newsletter 2012 | 55cm. Residents with large territories. Inhabits forests, woodlands, timbered waterways and open country on the fringe of these areas. The main requirements are tall trees with suitable hollows for nesting and roosting and adjacent areas for foraging. |
Australian Owlet-Nightjar⚥ Moth Owl |
Ground to mid-level foliage at night | Nocturnal flying insects Insects on ground Foliage |
Feather Fascination September 2019 | 24cm. Resident but difficult to detect. Roosts by day in entrance to tree hollow. Found in all habitats: woodlands, forests, riparian zones with suitable trees. Can be found near Reservoir. Very strange looking bird: large eyes and cat’s head! | |
Australian Pipit ⚥ | Ground | Insects Seeds |
19cm. Rare in Catchment, but because of their widespread distribution, conspicuous behavioural displays, and their presence in open, often agricultural landscapes and on the sides of roads, pipits are one of the best-recognised small birds. | ||
Australian Reed-Warbler ⚥ Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Reedbird, Water Sparrow |
Reeds in ponds and water courses | Insects | 17cm. Sedentary while habitat is suitable. Very loud, raucous call. | ||
Australian White Ibis ⚥ Sacred Ibis |
Ground level | Small vertebrates Insects | A Feast Fit for an Ibis - Ed Frazer | 76cm. Nomadic and fairly common, dispersive. Forages in wetlands, paddocks, lawns, garbage tips, urban parks and gardens.
Ed's note: Take a close look at this photo! It depicts an Ibis eating a cane toad. Ed Frazer, the photographer, watched the Ibis for about 5 minutes, in which time it made three trips to the dam to wash the toad, presumably to wash off the poisonous secretions. The toad was alive through most of this. The Ibis adjusted the toad's position in its beak all the time - perhaps it was making it secrete poison so it could be washed off. It swallowed the whole thing and then just went on feeding along the edge of the pond. Quite remarkable! |
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Azure Kingfisher ⚥ | Shallow, slow moving or still water | Small crustaceans Aquatic insects |
Feather Fascination July 2018 | 19cm. Common resident. Can only be found near water, it is a water kingfisher. It seeks prey from a perch about 1 m above the creek or pond. Usually travels by flying above the water. To find it sit beside Moggill Creek and wait and listen and watch. | |
Photo courtesy of Paul Campbell |
Barking Owl ⚥ | All levels: canopy level to ground level. Also takes prey from water | Small to mid-sized mammals (sugar gliders and bats), birds and insects | 45cm. Uncommon resident. Found in forests and woodlands, often along watercourses. Roosts by day in leafy trees by watercourses, sometimes with prey in its talons. Sometimes active and vocal before dark. Unmistakable voice: woof, woof! | |
Barred Cuckoo-shrike ⚥ Yellow-eyed Cuckoo-shrike |
Canopy | Insects | Feather Fascination February 2019 | 26cm. Summer breeding migrant. Uncommon. The Reservoir is specified as one of the best place in Brisbane to see it. Note startling yellow eye. | |
Bar-shouldered Dove ⚥ Pandanus Pigeon |
Ground level | Grains Seeds of grasses Herbs Sedges |
30cm. Common resident. Found in woodland with a grassy understorey and in nearby open areas, usually near water. Best chance near reservoir. | ||
Bell Miner ⚥ Bellbird |
Canopy layer | Insects Nectar |
Feather Fascination December 2014 | 19cm. Common resident in suitable habitat. Colonies are stationary, and loudly announce their presence with their constant diurnal calling. They are very cryptic in the canopy, and always on the move. Colonies are on Gap Creek Rd just before parking lot, and near the MCCG cottage on Gold Creek Rd. | |
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike ⚥ Blue-jay, Shufflewings, Summerbird |
Canopy level | Invertebrates some plant material |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 36cm. Very common summer migrant from Papua New Guinea; but some remain for the winter. Found in rainforests, eucalypt forests, woodlands and riparian zones. Diagnostically, always shuffles its wings on landing on a branch. | |
Black-faced Monarch ⚥ | Mid layer and canopy level | Insects from foliage | Feather Fascination October 2017 | 19cm. Common Summer breeding migrant from PNG. Look for it is rainforests and eucalypt forests, it is often in the foliage from the mid-level to the canopy. | |
Photo courtesy of Jill and Ian Brown - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Black Kite ⚥ Fork-tailed Kite, Kite Hawk |
Ground level | Lizards Small mammals Insects, especially grasshoppers Also a scavenger |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 55cm. Nomadic. Found in a great variety of habitats, from timbered watercourses to open plains. More normally seen in small groups, it may form huge flocks of many thousands of birds, especially during grasshopper plagues. Most numerous species of raptor in the world. |
Black-shouldered Kite ⚥ | Ground level | Rodents Mice Grasshoppers |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 38cm. Nomadic: treed grasslands and on farms, along roads, and in vacant waste lands of urban and coastal areas. It prefers to hunt during the day, particularly early morning and late afternoon, often hovering with its wings held upright in a V-shape, before dropping down and grabbing prey with its talons. | |
Blue-faced Honeyeater ⚥ | Arboreal all | Arthropods Nectar Fruit |
Feather Fascination June 2013 | 32cm. Common resident, more so in suburbs than in the forests. Contests its territories with the Noisy Miners. | |
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Brahminy Kite ⚥ Red-backed Kite |
Ground level | Fish Frogs Rodents Reptiles Insects |
51cm. Nomadic and rare visitor. Found in open forests near water, riparian zone. Often seen soaring above, distinctive chocolate coloured body, white head. | |
Brown Cuckoo-Dove ⚥ Brown or Pheasant Pigeon |
Canopy layer | Fruit Berries Seeds |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 43cm. Common & nomadic. Found in rainforest trees carrying fruit. Can be approached when feeding. Moves to wherever trees are fruiting. Has a preference for thickets of wild tobacco. Many near reservoir. | |
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Brown Falcon ⚥ | Open grasslands and woodlands | Small mammals Insects Reptiles Small birds |
50cm. Common resident. Perches on poles and other structures. Swoops down to take prey. | |
Brown Goshawk ⚥ Australian Goshawk |
Aerial, ground level | Small mammals Birds Reptiles Large insects |
50cm. Common resident. Prefers open forests, woodlands, riparian zones; sometimes in urban parks. Has a distinctive “frowning” facial pattern. | ||
Brown Honeyeater ⚥ | All levels of trees and shrubs | Nectar Insects |
Feather Fascination March 2019 | 15cm. Common resident. Found in most forests and woodlands, but has adapted to parks and gardens where its constant call announces it presence. Look for birds in isolated trees in parks and streets. | |
Brown Quail ⚥ Silver, Swamp Quail |
Grasslands | Seeds Green shoots Insects |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 22cm. Common resident. Not easily seen. Prefers dense grasslands, often on the edges of open forests & wetlands. Best chance is near Reservoir. | |
Brown Thornbill ⚥ | Mid-level, forest understory | Insects | Feather Fascination July 2018
YouTube video: Brown Thornbill mimics the hawk warning call of a variety of predators to scare off predators threatening its nest |
10cm. Very common resident. Always on the move, difficult to study carefully. Lovely call given often and near your ear because of the level at which they feed. Often found in multi-species groups: fantails, whistlers, finches, thornbills. | |
Brush Cuckoo ⚥ | Perches to take prey in flight or on ground | Insects, especially hairy caterpillars | Feather Fascination January 2013 Feather Fascination January 2016 |
23cm. Fairly common summer breeding migrant from Papua New Guinea. Prefers rainforests, forests, woodlands, riparian zones. Has a strong call that can be heard often, the bird is harder to see. | |
Brush Cuckoo (Hepatic) ⚥ | |||||
Bush Stone-curlew ⚥ Bush Thick-knee, Weeloo, Wilaroo |
Ground at night time | Insects Molluscs Lizards Seeds |
Feather Fascination July 2016 | 59cm. Common resident. In the bush, prefer open woodland and forest, in the day roost cryptically amongst leaf litter and dry grasses; in the urban landscape they breed in car parks, grassy parks. At night as they feed they emit eerie calls. | |
Channel-billed Cuckoo ⚥ Stormbird, Fig Hawk, Hornbill |
Canopy specialist | Fruits, particularly native figs Seeds Insects Baby birds |
Feather Fascination November 2012
Feather Fascination December 2012 Feather Fascination January 2013 |
66cm. Common summer migrant cuckoo, down from Papua New Guinea. Calls loudly for much of the day and night. Seeks fruiting trees in rainforests, woodlands, riparian zones, urban parks and streets. Eggs and young cared for by crows, pied currawong. Look for them being chased by crows. | |
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin ⚥ | Ground layer | Grass seeds, usually on the stalk rather than from the ground | Feather Fascination January 2017 | 13cm. Locally nomadic. Found in reed beds, long grasses, swamps and mangroves. | |
Cicadabird ♂ | Canopy | Insects | YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 26cm. Summer breeding migrant from PNG. Heard more easily than seen. Male and female are very different colours. Its loud ventriloquistic call resembles the forest cicadas. | |
Cicadabird ♀ | |||||
Collared Sparrowhawk ⚥ | Aerial | Birds | 40cm. Fairly common resident. Found in open forests, woodlands, riparian zone. Often seen pursuing its prey in fast flight through forest. Best chances near reservoir. | ||
Photo courtesy of Mike Ford |
Common Bronzewing ⚥ | Mostly near ground | Grain Seeds |
36cm. Rare visitor mainly due to climate events. Found in open woodland. Very few found in the Catchment. Best chance is in cleared, open landscapes with seeding native grasses. | |
Common Myna ⚥ Indian Myna, Mynah |
All | Insects Food scraps Fruit |
25cm. Feral species, introduced into Melbourne in 1860’s and has extended northwards. Aggressive. Very successful in the urban environment. | ||
Crested Pigeon ⚥ Topknot |
Ground | Grain Seeds |
Feather Fascination August 2018 | 34cm. Common resident. Can be found in many parks, in urban landscapes, backyards. Has a specialised feather in its wing that makes a distinctive sound when it takes off. | |
Photo courtesy of Jill and Ian Brown |
Crested shrike-tit ⚥ | Bark | Insects Spiders Fruits Seeds |
19cm. Fairly common resident. Found in most of the habitats, especially rainforests & eucalypt forests. Tears at the bark noisily in search of insects. Look near the Reservoir. | |
Dollarbird ⚥ | Aerial | Insects | 30cm. Summer breeding migrant from Papua New Guinea. Prefers rainforests, forests, riparian zones and urban development close to forests. “Dollar” bird because it has two white round splotches on its wings in flight. | ||
Double-barred Finch ⚥ Banded or Black-ringed Finch |
Grass layer shrub layer |
Seeds on ground Insects |
Nightlife in the Catchment - Ed Frazer | 11cm. Fairly common resident, but nomadic in search of seeding grasses. Found on grasslands, parks, paddocks, near water. Always in a flock and keep moving. | |
Eastern Koel ♂ Cooee, Rainbird |
Canopy specialist | Fruit | Feather Fascination November 2012
Feather Fascination December 2012 Feather Fascination January 2013 |
46cm. Common summer migrant cuckoo, down from Papua New Guinea. Calls loudly for much of the day. Not easily seen. Seeks fruiting trees in rainforests, woodlands, riparian zones, urban parks and streets. Sexes are strikingly different. Eggs and young cared for by mudlarks and friarbirds. | |
Eastern Koel ♀ Cooee, Rainbird |
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Eastern Spinebill ⚥ | Shrub layer | Nectar Honeydew Invertebrates |
17cm. Winter altitudinal migrant, from high altitudes to low altitudes. Prefers forests, woodlands and flowering shrubs in gardens near forests. Are numerous in gardens with grevilleas flowering. Best place is near Reservoir or in your own garden if it has winter natives flowering. | ||
Eastern Whipbird ⚥ | Low dense shrub layer | Invertebrates | YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 31cm. Very common resident, and well known to everyone. The well-known call is a duetting song where the male’s “whip” lash is responded to by the female with a simple two note call that is uttered so as to appear continuous with the male’s. | |
Eastern Yellow Robin ⚥ | Ground layer | Pouncing on insects, spiders and other anthropods | Feather Fascination March 2020 | 16cm. Very common resident. Found in eucalypt forests, rainforests, prefers gulleys. Requires small diameter trees, as it perches sideways and drops to the ground on prey. Can be found are Reservoir and gulleys at Gap Creek. Pounces on prey from a low perch, usually on trunk. | |
Emerald Dove ⚥ Emerald Pigeon, Green Dove, Green-Winged Pigeon |
Ground under rainforest trees | Fallen fruit Seeds |
Feather Fascination October 2019 | 28cm. Locally nomadic. Unlike other fruit-eating birds, this dove’s gut destroys the seeds that they eat which prohibits seed dispersal. Best chances in rainforests near reservoir, but moves through riparian zones. | |
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Fairy Martin ⚥ Bottle Swallow |
High aerial | Flying insects | YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 13cm. Migratory. Moves north to New Guinea for winter. Colony bird: usually hunts and nests in large flocks. |
Fan-tailed Cuckoo ⚥ | Perches to take prey in flight or on ground | Insects | Feather Fascination January 2013 | 27cm. Common resident, partially migratory. Prefers rainforests, forests, woodlands. Best place is around Reservoir. Has a beautiful voice that is often heard. When observed usually flies a few metres and then perches and looks back at observer. | |
Forest Kingfisher ⚥ | Ground level | Insects Worms Small reptiles |
Feather Fascination April 2015 | 23cm. Common summer breeding migrant. Best place to find it is in forest around Reservoir. Prefers woodlands, riparian zones, it is a forest not a water kingfisher, its prey are land animals. | |
Galah ⚥ | Open ground level | Seeds Shoots Roots Insects Flowers |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 38cm. Common resident. Found in open woodlands, riparian zone, urban parks, playing fields, on power lines, fences. Appears to go west in the morning and returns east in the afternoon. Can be seen almost anywhere. | |
Photo courtesy of Mike Ford |
Glossy Black-Cockatoo ⚥ Casuarina Cockatoo |
Canopy layer | Very restricted diet of casuarina cones from selected trees | 51cm. Resident, but can travel large distances. | |
Golden-headed Cisticola ⚥ Barleybird, TailorBird |
Grass layer shrub layer |
Invertebrates | 12cm. Fairly common resident. Found in tall grasses and rushes beside wetlands. Perches to sing from highest stalks. Not difficult to see because they come out of the long grass to sing. | ||
Golden Whistler ♂ | Lower and mid layer of forest | Insects Spiders Other small arthropods Some berries |
Feather Fascination May 2017 | 19cm. Very common resident, with an influx of others in winter which noticeably increases the numbers and observability. Found in rainforests and Eucalypt forests. Call is a beautiful series of whistles! | |
Golden Whistler ♀ | |||||
Green Catbird ⚥ | Canopy | Mainly fruits Figs Flowers Insects Millipedes |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 32cm. Resident in more Western parts. Prefers fruiting and flowering rainforest trees, and large trees in deep gullies. Best place is the wetter, thicker-treed areas around Reservoir. | |
Grey Butcherbird ⚥ Silver-backed Butcherbird |
All levels but mainly ground | Insects Small birds Lizards Eggs |
Feather Fascination May 2016 | 30cm. Very common resident. Found at the edges and on the ridges of most forests. Very common in the suburbs. Its dawn calling is spectacular. | |
Grey Fantail ⚥ | Canopy levels | Flying insects | Feather Fascination August 2013 | 17cm. Autumn, winter altitudinal migrant. Feeds on flying insects, usually higher in the canopy than the Rufous Fantail. Often found with other small birds in a feeding group. | |
Grey Goshawk ⚥ White Goshawk |
Aerial, ground level | Birds Small mammals Reptiles Insects |
Feather Fascination November 2019 | 54cm. Common resident. Near Threatened species. Found in open forests, woodlands, riparian zone. Can be very white in colour and is known to mix with flocks of sulphur-crested cockatoos to camouflage itself so it can prey on ducks and stilts. | |
Grey Shrike-thrush ⚥ | Ground level and mid layer | Insects Spiders Mice Frogs Lizards Birds |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 26cm. Common resident. Searches for food on the ground, generally around fallen logs, and on the limbs and trunks of trees. Best voice in the Eucalypt forest, varied and tonal. | |
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo ⚥ | Ground level or mid level of trees | Insects Caterpillars |
Feather Fascination January 2013 | 17cm. Uncommon Summer migrant, down from Papua New Guinea or northern Australia. Prefers the open woodland. Not seen at the Reservoir in the last ten years. More often heard than seen, has a lovely repetitive call. | |
Large-billed Scrubwren ⚥ | All layers, but not on forest floor | Insects | 13cm. Very common resident. Can be found in forests on trees, in foliage, climbing on trunk and branches, moves constantly. Best place is at Reservoir, where it is as common as White-browed Scrubwren but foraging much higher than the latter. | ||
Laughing Kookaburra ⚥ Laughing Jackass |
All levels | Small animals Insects Eggs |
47cm. Common resident. Can be found almost everywhere. Each group broadcasts its territory by chorus calling. | ||
Leaden Flycatcher ♂ Blue Flycatcher, Frogbird |
Mid level to top of canopy | Flying insects Insects on foliage |
Feather Fascination December 2019 | 16cm. Summer breeding migrant from PNG and north-east Queensland. Prefers open eucalypt forests and woodlands. When it lands on a branch it flicks its tail in a way that traces out a horizontal figure of eight. Found near Reservoir in forests and in gulleys leading off from Gap Creek Reserve. | |
Leaden Flycatcher ♀ Blue Flycatcher, Frogbird |
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Lewin's Honeyeater ⚥ | Mid layer and canopy | Fruit Nectar Insects Invertebrates Honeydew |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 22cm. Very common resident. Can be found in most habitats, and comes freely into urban backyards. Most honeyeaters utilize nectar for energy but they all need insects as a source of protein. The Lewin’s call is the most common forest bird call in the Catchment. | |
Little Bronze-Cuckoo ⚥ | All levels | Caterpillars Beetles Flies Ants |
Feather Fascination January 2013 | 15cm. Spring, Summer migrant. Eggs and young cared for by gerygones. Prefer dryer open forests and woodlands. | |
Little Corella ⚥ | Ground level | Grains Grass seeds Bulbs Roots |
39cm. Sedentary and nomadic. Very common, very widespread. All types of habitats across the width of Australia. Form large flocks. Need water every day. | ||
Little Eagle ⚥ | Ground, shrub and canopy levels | Rabbits Other live mammals Insects |
55cm. Adult birds are mainly sedentary, while the young birds disperse. It tends to inhabit open woodland, grassland and arid regions, shunning dense forest. Forages on the wing or from a high exposed perch. | ||
Little Friarbird ⚥ | Canopy layer | Nectar Honeydew Invertebrates |
29cm. Uncommon resident. Nomadic in search of blossoms, calls often as it feeds. | ||
Little Grassbird ⚥ | Ground layer shrub layer |
Insects Spiders Other anthropods |
Nightlife in the Catchment - Ed Frazer | 15cm. Nomadic to sedentary. Locally common. Found in swamps and marshes, preferring thick reed beds. Vegetation on drains in Catchment. | |
Little Lorikeet ⚥ | Canopy layer | Flowers Fruit |
16cm. Common resident, much less obvious than the Rainbow and Scaly Lorikeets. Call is very high pitch. Found in most forest habitats and has adapted to urban treed landscapes. | ||
Little Shrike-thrush ⚥ Rufous Strike-thrush |
Ground level and mid layer | Inspects Spiders |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 19cm. Common resident. Prefers the wetter forests: rainforests, Eucalypt forest, riparian zones with dense foliage. Wonderful voice. When observed it does not flee. | |
Photo courtesy of Chris Read |
Long-billed Corella ⚥ | Ground level | Grass seeds Grain crops Bulbs and roots Insects |
41cm. Adults sedentary, young dispersive. Grasslands and grassy woodlands. Much less common than the Little Corella. Has a “red slash” across the throat. | |
Magpie-lark ⚥ Mudlark, Peewee, Pewit |
Open ground far from cover | Invertebrates Seeds Small vertebrates |
Feather Fascination January 2013 | 30cm. Very common resident. Can be found wherever there are trees near water, and mud to make the nest. | |
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo ⚥ Pink Cockatoo |
Open ground level | Seeds of grasses and herbaceous plants Fruit Roots Bulbs Insects |
40cm. Resident. Nest in hollow trees. Open forests. (The individuals present in the Catchment are certainly the descendants of escapees. But the present flock is at least 20 years old and has been resident for that period.) | ||
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Marbled Frogmouth ⚥ Plumed frogmouth |
Ground level | Nocturnal insects | 48cm. Resident. Found in deep, wet, gulleys in lowland wet forests. Roosts during the day, hunting and feeding at night. Hunt from low perches, stumps of low branches. | |
Masked Lapwing ⚥ Masked Plover, Spurwinged Plover |
Open ground level | Invertebrates | Feather Fascination June 2017 | 38cm. Very common resident in open bushland, edges of reservoir and dams, and in urban parks, playing fields, etc. Can be seen, and heard, almost anywhere. Known to swoop people who come too close during the breeding season, they lay eggs on bare ground. | |
Mistletoebird ♂ Mistletoe Flowerpecker |
Canopy level | Mistletoe fruit Nectar |
Feather Fascination April 2020 | 11cm. Common resident. Nomadic in search for fruit. Found in any forest that supports the mistletoe plant. Digests the fleshy outer fruit parts and excretes the sticky seeds onto branches. Look in the canopy when mistletoe fruiting, revealed by call. | |
Mistletoebird ♀ | |||||
Photo courtesy of Mike Ford |
Musk Lorikeet ⚥ | Canopy layer | Flowers Fruit |
23cm. Drought induced visitor, uncommon, nomadic, dispersive. Was last seen in great numbers in the Catchment in the 2009 drought, which brought them from the drier forests they prefer to the moister coast. | |
Noisy Friarbird ⚥ Leatherhead |
Canopy layer | Nectar Honeydew Eggs Baby birds Invertebrates |
Feather Fascination August 2017 | 35cm. Common resident. Nomadic in search of forest blossoms. As it name implies it is very noisy wherever it is and its movements can be easily tracked. | |
Noisy Miner ⚥ Mickey, Soldierbird |
All layers | Nectar Honeydew Invertebrates |
Feather Fascination October 2016 | 27cm. Common resident in urban settings, in narrow riparian zones, and on the edges of forests. Their aggressive behaviour towards small woodland birds is well known. They will usually only share their territory with the large black and white birds: magpies, butcherbirds, currawongs. | |
Noisy Pitta ⚥ Buff-breasted Pitta |
Forest floor | Insects Woodlice Worms Snails Berries Fruit |
Nightlife in the Catchment - Ed Frazer | 21cm. Common resident, but not easily seen. Prefers wetter, darker rainforest and wet eucalypt forest floors. Most recent reports are from around the Reservoir. If found, it allows careful observation as it feeds in litter. | |
Olive-backed Oriole ⚥ | Canopy | Fruit Insects Seeds Nectar |
Feather Fascination September 2016 | 28cm. Very common resident. Found in rainforests, eucalypt forests and woodlands and riparian zones. Calls often in breeding season. Can be found with figbirds on fruiting trees. Very strong mimic. Bill is bright red. Usually alone. | |
Oriental Cuckoo ⚥ | Grass level, trunk, low branches | Hairy caterpillars | Feather Fascination January 2013 | 33cm. Very rare summer non-breeding migrant, breeds in and north of Japan. Prefers rainforests, forests and riparian zone. | |
Oriental Cuckoo ⚥ (Hepatic) |
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Pacific Barn Owl ⚥ Screech Owl, White Owl |
Ground level | Small mammals, mainly rodents and birds Some insects Frogs Lizards |
40cm. Nomadic. Open woodlands, grasslands; farms; towns. Very uncommon in the Catchment. | ||
Pacific Baza ⚥ Crested Hawk |
Canopy and aerial | Stick insects Frogs Grubs Reptiles Small mice |
Feather Fascination April 2013 | 45cm. Common breeding resident. Only hawk found in well-treed urban areas. Otherwise in open forests, woodlands, riparian zones. Can be found throughout the Catchment; lovely to watch feeding dismembered stick insects to young. | |
Painted Button-quail ⚥ | Leaf-littered ground level | Seeds Fruit Insects |
19cm. Fairly common resident. Prefer open, dry woodland with fallen timber on the ground. Foraging leaves platelets, which indicates their presence. Are seen more readily than the previous button-quail. | ||
Pale-headed Rosella ⚥ | All layers, ground to canopy | Seeds Fruit Grasses Flowers Herbs Berries Nectar Insects |
Feather Fascination October 2015 | 32cm. Common resident. Prefers open habitats, grasslands and woodlands, but can be found in forest. Has adapted to urban settings and can be found in grassy reserves, clearings, orchards. | |
Paradise Riflebird ⚥ Female or juvenile male |
Forest floor to high in the canopy | On trunks and branches for insects, spiders and centipedes Fruit |
30cm. Rare visitor: found in subtropical and temperate rainforests, mostly in mountains and foothills, and adjoining wetter eucalypt forests, like the west of the Catchment. | ||
Peaceful Dove ⚥ | Ground level | Small grass seeds sedges Small insects |
21cm. Common resident. They need to drink at least twice a day, so prefer woodlands near water, riparian habitats, parks and gardens, Reservoir. Has a call that is very distinctive and very loud, and often used. | ||
Peregrine Falcon ⚥ Black-cheeked Falcon |
Aerial | Birds,:pigeons and ducks | 47cm. Uncommon visitor maybe driven by climate events. Prefers cliffs and gorges, steep terrain, which it even finds in the middle of Brisbane on tall buildings. Famous throughout the world for its speed and power, and general all round magnificence. | ||
Pheasant Coucal ⚥ (Non Breeding) Cane Pheasant, Swamp Pheasant |
Ground and lower layers of trees | Insects Small vertebrates Lizards Birds |
A Very Pheasant Christmas - Ed Frazer | 70cm. Common resident, well adapted to the urban landscape, visiting house backyards, crossing roads, wandering across lawns; also, found in the Catchment forests, and around the reservoir. | |
Pheasant Coucal ⚥ (Breeding) |
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Pied Butcherbird ⚥ | All levels but mainly ground | Small reptiles Frogs and birds large Insects |
36cm. Very common resident. Found at the edges and on the ridges of most forests. Very common in the suburbs. Its dawn calling is spectacular. | ||
Pied Currawong ⚥ | All layers of forest and on the ground | Fruit Vertebrates Invertebrates |
Feather Fascination October 2016 | 50cm. Very common resident. In most forests and in urban settings: parks, picnic grounds, reserves. | |
Photo courtesy of Chris Read |
Powerful Owl ⚥ | Canopy level | Ringtail Possum Great Glider Tawny Frogmouths Cockatoos |
Feather Fascination May 2020
YouTube video by Tim Siggs -regurgitating a pellet |
66cm. Fairly common resident. Vulnerable species in Queensland. Wonderfully loud call can be heard at night. Roost cryptically in day often with prey in its talons; but can be revealed by alarm calls of small birds. Prefers forested gullies and ridges, hilly woodlands but also city parks. Australia’s largest owl: 66cm high. |
Rainbow Bee-eater ⚥ Rainbow Bird |
Aerial | Flying insects Bees and wasps Dragonflies Beetles Butterflies |
Feather Fascination December 2013 | 28cm. Fairly common dispersive resident. Prefers open woodland habitats; needs open ground suitable for burrows in which to nest. Can be seen in large flocks feeding on the wing calling in a wonderful chorus. “Rainbow” because of it multi-coloured feathering. | |
Rainbow Lorikeet ⚥ | Canopy layer | Nectar Pollen Fruit Seeds |
Feather Fascination June 2014 | 32cm. Very common resident but nomadic in search of flowering eucalypts. Can be seen and heard almost everywhere at any time. Has adapted to the urban landscape, congregating in the evening on certain street trees, making a racket! | |
Red-backed Fairy-wren ♂ | Open grassland layer | Insects Seeds |
Feather Fascination February 2013 | 13cm. Common resident. Require tall grass. They spend most of the cooler parts of their day foraging in grass 60%; then preening/loafing in thorny shrub 17%; then being vigilant in trees 14%. Smallest Fairy-wren. | |
Red-backed Fairy-wren ♀ And young males |
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Red-browed Finch ⚥ | Ground and shrub layer | Seeds Insects |
Feather Fascination March 2013 | 12cm. Common resident. Found in groups in open forests gulleys, moving rapidly through the shrub layer. Wings made an audible noise when they take flight. The male courts female with a large (12cm) green grass stalk held horizontally in his beak. | |
Red-capped Robin ♂ | Visually scanning from a perch, it darts out and back to take prey from the ground, off a tree trunk, leaf or branch | Insects Spiders |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 12cm. Irregular visitor to the Catchment, probably driven by climate events. Main distribution is West of the Great Divide, extending over to WA. First seen and photographed in the Catchment in September 2017. Only the male has the unmistakable "red-cap"; the female is mostly brown. Smallest of the three "red" robins that can be found in Brisbane. Its habitat includes drier scrubs and woodlands, It does not visit gardens so its distribution has been modified by urbanisation. | |
Image courtesy of Tom Tarrant - not taken in the Moggill Catchment |
Red-capped Robin ♀ | ||||
Image courtesy of Chris Reid - not taken in the Moggill Catchment |
Regent Bowerbird ♂ | Canopy | Fruit Berries Insects |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 30cm. Resident in more Western parts. Prefers fruiting and flowering rainforest trees, and large trees in deep gullies. Best place is the wetter, thicker treed areas around Reservoir. Feeds on wild tobacco fruit. |
Regent Bowerbird ♀ Juvenile male or female |
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Restless Flycatcher ⚥ Scissors Grinder, Dish Washer |
Mid-level canopy | Flying insects Spiders Centipedes |
Feather Fascination December 2016 | 22cm. Uncommon resident, partly nomadic. Reveals itself with its famous “Scissors Grinder” call. Found in open Eucalypt forests and woodlands. | |
Rose Robin ♂ | Low to mid layer | Insects | YouTube video by Tim Siggs - Rose Robin calling | 13cm. Fairly common winter migrant. Found in gulleys in rainforests and eucalypt forests and in riparian zones. Can be found at Reservoir and in gulleys off clearing at Gap Creek Reserve. | |
Rose Robin ♀ | |||||
Rose-Crowned Fruit Dove ⚥ Red-Crowned Fruit Dove |
Canopy level | Fruits Insects |
Feather Fascination March 2017 | 25cm. Nomadic and dispersive in search of food trees. Feeds on fruiting trees in rainforests, adjacent eucalypt forests & woodlands. Look near Reservoir. | |
Rufous Fantail ⚥ | Low to mid layer | Insects | YouTube video by Tim Siggs | Summer breeding altitudinal migrant. Goes back to the hills in winter, and as it leaves, the Grey Fantails arrive. | |
Rufous Songlark ⚥ | Ground layer | Insects Spiders Other arthropods |
17cm. Favours open grassland, grassy open woodland, and farmed land. | ||
Rufous Whistler ♂ | Canopy layer | Arthropods | YouTube video by Tim Siggs
YouTube video by Tim Siggs - singing |
18cm. Very common resident. Found in open Eucalypt forests and woodlands. More often on ridges. | |
Rufous Whistler ♀ | |||||
Russet-tailed Thrush ⚥ | Ground, forest floor | Insects | Nightlife in the Catchment - Ed Frazer | 27cm. Uncommon resident. Found on floor of rainforests, eucalypt forests with leaf-litter and debris on the floor. Cryptically coloured to be very hard to detect in leaf-litter. Best chance is around reservoir in closed forests. | |
Sacred Kingfisher ⚥ | Aerial and ground layer | Lizards Frogs Worms Beetles Bugs Spiders Grasshoppers |
Feather Fascination April 2015 | 23cm. Common summer breeding migrant, but some remain for the winter. Can be found in forest around Reservoir, but also other forest habitats on ridges. Prefers woodlands, riparian zones, it is a forest not a water kingfisher, its prey are land animals. | |
Photo courtesy of Mike Ford - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Satin Bowerbird ♂ | Canopy | Fruits Insects |
Feather Fascination July 2013
Feather Fascination February 2016 YouTube video by Tim Siggs - male bird calling YouTube video by Tim Siggs - female bird plumage |
32cm. Common resident. The male bowerbird is solitary and builds famous bower with blue decorations. Only female builds nest, incubates eggs & raises young. Best chances near reservoir, prefers rainforest. |
Satin Bowerbird ♀ Juvenile male or female |
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Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet ⚥ | Canopy layer | Nectar Pollen Fruit Seeds |
Feather Fascination June 2014 | 24cm. Very common resident but nomadic in search of flowering eucalypts. Less obvious and fewer in number to the Rainbow Lorikeet, and less comfortable in the urban setting. | |
Scarlet Honeyeater ♂ | Canopy layer | Nectar Honeydew Invertebrates |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 11cm. Very common resident, with some increased migration in Spring. Found in big numbers high in the canopy feeding on eucalypt flowers. Often revealed by their calls. | |
Scarlet Honeyeater ♀ | |||||
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo ⚥ | All levels | Caterpillars Beetles Flies Ants |
Feather Fascination January 2013 Feather Fascination January 2016 |
18cm. Common Summer migrant, down from Papua New Guinea or northern Australia; a few remain here as well. Eggs and young cared for by thornbills, wrens and flycatchers. Prefer rainforest, open forest, gardens. | |
Silvereye ⚥ White-eye, Waxeye, Grape-eater |
All layers mainly high in canopy | Insects Jumping spiders Fruit |
Feather Fascination August 2013
Feather Fascination August 2015 YouTube video by Tim Siggs - Silvereye singing |
13cm. Very common resident, but nomadic. Found in most forests and in suburban trees. Usually in a flock, and travel quickly through the canopy of the forest, calling often. | |
Image courtesy of Paul Campbell |
Southern Boobook ⚥ Mopoke, Morepork |
Ground level | Small birds Rats Mice Moths Grasshoppers |
36cm. Common resident, easily heard at night almost anywhere, but difficult to see when it roosts in daytime. Its roost can be revealed by alarm calls of small birds. Can be found in forests, but also in urban settings. Quite a small owl. | |
Spangled Drongo ⚥ | Aerial sallying and canopy layer | Grubs Fying insects Fruit Nectar |
32cm. Common summer breeding migrant, wintering in PNG. Some stay for winter. Found in rainforests and Eucalypt forests. Very noisy birds, calling often, mimic. | ||
Speckled Warbler ⚥ | Ground level, grasses | Insects Seeds |
13cm. Rare resident. Look for them on the ground, usually in pairs. In the Catchment, they prefer the drier ridges with grasses and rocks under the forest trees. | ||
Spectacled Monarch ⚥ | Lower and mid layers | Insects below the canopy in foliage, tree trunks | 16cm. Common summer breeding migrant from north-eastern Queensland. Can be found in mid-layers of rainforests and gulleys in Eucalypt forests. | ||
Spotted Pardalote ⚥ Diamond Bird |
Canopy layer leaf gleaners |
Insects, especially psyllids sugary exudates from leaves |
Feather Fascination August 2013
YouTube video by Tim Siggs - bird calling |
10cm. Common resident with some winter migration that boosts numbers. Pardalotes are more common where trees are mature. Call is strong and distinctive and often heard in the forest. | |
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Spotted Quail-thrush ⚥ | Ground layer | Invertebrates in leaf litter | 28cm. Rare Resident, hard to detect. On the ground it is cryptic; it flushes readily and has a wide range of highly audible calls. | |
Spotted Turtle Dove ⚥ Turtle Dove, Spotted Dove |
Ground layer | Seeds Grains |
32cm. Common resident. Feral species. Found in urbanised landscapes: streets, parks, gardens and open woodlands. Introduced in 1860’s. | ||
Square-tailed Kite ⚥ | Outer edges at canopy level | Birds, especially honeyeaters Insects |
56cm. Uncommon resident. Near threatened species. Prefers tall trees in woodlands, open forests and riparian zone. Difficult to find. | ||
Straw-necked Ibis ⚥ | Ground level | Small vertebrates Insects |
76cm. Nomadic and common, dispersive. Forages in wetlands, paddocks, woodlands, lawns, garbage tips, urban parks and gardens. | ||
Striated Pardalote ⚥ Pickwick, Wittachew, Chip-Chip |
Canopy layer Leaf gleaners |
Insects and their larvae | Feather Fascination August 2013
Feather Fascination September 2017 YouTube video by Tim Siggs - bird calling |
12cm. Common resident with some winter migration that boosts numbers. Striated more common than Spotted Pardalote. Call is very common in urban areas as they are not dislodged by Noisy Miners. Difficult to see birds as they are small & high in canopy, and fly from canopy to canopy. | |
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Striated Thornbill ⚥ | Canopy | Insects | 10cm. Common resident. Prefers wetter eucalypt forests and woodlands. Best chance near Reservoir. | |
Striped Honeyeater ⚥ | Canopy layer | Nectar Honeydew Invertebrates |
Feather Fascination January 2019 | 23cm. Fairly common resident. Prefers drier forest habitats. Often found in parties that call regularly which can lead you to them. | |
Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo ⚥ White Cockatoo |
All levels, ground to canopy | Seeds of native trees Pinecones Seeds of ground plants Insects |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 51cm. Common resident. Can be seen and heard almost everywhere at any time. Locally nomadic in search of seeding trees and seeding grasses. | |
Superb Fairy-wren ♂ Blue Wren, Jenny Wren |
Open ground around trees and shrubs | Insects Seeds |
Feather Fascination April 2014 | 14cm. Resident. Least common of the three fairy wrens. Prefers dense low cover in most habitats, including urban habitats: parks, reserves, gardens. | |
Superb Fairy-wren ♀ | |||||
Superb Fruit-dove ♂ Purple-Crowned Fruit Dove |
Canopy level | Fruits Berries |
Feather Fascination March 2017 | 24cm. Very rare nomadic visitor, first photographed in 2017. Feeds on fruiting trees mainly in rainforests, adjacent Eucalypt forests and riparian habitats. | |
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Swift Parrot ⚥ | Outer canopy | Nectar from flowering Eucalypts | 26cm. Uncommon winter migrant. All birds return to Tasmania to breed in Spring/Summer. They return to the mainland in Winter. The Catchment is one of the furthest points they travel North. Its size is similar to the more common Scaly-breasted Lorikeet. | |
Tawny Frogmouth ⚥ Frogmouth Owl, Morepork |
Ground level | Nocturnal insects Worms Snails Reptiles Frogs |
Feather Fascination June 2019 | 50cm. Common resident. Found in open forests, woodlands, riparian zones, especially near tracks, clearings, urban spaces, houses. Roost cryptically during the day; call frequently, repetitively during the night. | |
Tawny Grassbird ⚥ | Grass layer shrub layer |
Insects | 19cm. Uncommon resident. Requires tall grass. Best chance in grasslands around reservoir. They perch on grass and sing. Longer tails than Cisticola. Not as dependent on water nearby. | ||
Topknot Pigeon ⚥ (Flock) |
Canopy level | Fruits | Feather Fascination August 2018 | 46cm. Nomadic, moves in response to climate events. Goes where there is available rainforest fruit. Often in large flocks flying high over forest. Came in large numbers to MCC in 2009 as great drought brought them nearer the coast. | |
Topknot Pigeon ⚥ | |||||
Torresian Crow ⚥ | Ground layer | Eat almost anything seed Insects Pet foods Human food scraps |
53cm. Common resident. Can be seen almost anywhere. | ||
Tree Martin ⚥ Tree Swallow |
Aerial | Flying insects | 14cm. Fairly common resident. Nests in tree hollows. Can be seen hawking in the sky. Groups sit on power lines and fences in open country and urban areas. | ||
Varied Sittella ⚥ Barkpecker, Tree Runner |
Bark of high branches in canopy | Invertebrates | Feather Fascination July 2017 | 13cm. Fairly common resident but nomadic. They glean from tree trunks or branches, moving downwards on trunks and along the topside or underside of branches. Usually in groups. Best spot is forest near reservoir. Have strikingly yellow legs. Very distinctive body shape that makes identification easier. | |
Varied Triller ⚥ | Canopy layer | Fruit Seeds Insects |
18cm. Common resident. Found in open forests and woodlands and riparian zones. Best chances near Reservoir. Its call is a ‘trill’. | ||
Variegated Fairy-wren ♂ And ♀ in photo |
Shrub layer | Insects A small amount of seeds |
Feather Fascination April 201 | 15cm. Very common resident. The birds feed around the base of small shrubs, and seldom stray into the open. Found in forests and in urban settings. Always on the move through the vegetation. | |
Wedge-tailed Eagle ⚥ Eaglehawk |
Ground level | Vertebrates Rabbits Hares |
Feather Fascination January 2014 | 1.1m. Common resident. Found in steep terrain, on tallest tree. Can be seen high in sky from most parts of Catchment and breeds in the Catchment. Hunts in woodlands and grasslands. | |
Welcome Swallow ⚥ Australian or House Swallow |
Aerial | Flying insects | Feather Fascination December 2015
YouTube video by Tim Siggs - bird in the rain |
15cm. Common resident. Usually in flocks, found easily in the sky hawking insects, or over mown grass on playing fields, or perched on power lines. | |
Whistling Kite ⚥ | Ground level | Mammals Birds Fish Reptiles Insects |
60cm. Nomadic and a rare visitor. Found in open forests near water, riparian zone. Often seen soaring high above, searching for food. Often makes distinctive whistling call while it is hunting. | ||
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike ⚥ Little Cuckoo-shrike, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike |
Canopy level | Invertebrates Some plant material |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 28cm. Common Resident but nomadic. Found in most habitats. Best around Reservoir. | |
White-bellied Sea-Eagle ⚥ White Breasted Sea-Eagle |
Water surface level | Fish Turtles Sea snakes Birds |
90cm. Common resident but dispersive over its large territory. Reservoir is only area of water that can support their feeding behaviour. Can be found near the sea or large inland bodies of fresh water. Excellent flier for its size, brilliant hunter. | ||
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
White-breasted Woodswallow ⚥ | Aerial | Flying insects | YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 18cm. Nomadic. Found most easily at Kenmore Village on the power lines, it has nested in that area during the summer. |
White-browed Scrubwren⚥ Spotted Scrubwren |
Dense scrub layer just above ground | Invertebrates Some seeds and fruits |
Feather Fascination September 2018 | 13cm. Very common resident. Found in dense vegetation within two metres of the ground in forests, riparian zones, and in parks and gardens. | |
White-eared Monarch ⚥ | Canopy level | Insects | YouTube video by Tim Siggs - bird calling | 14cm. Fairly common resident. Look for it characteristically sallying, hovering and fluttering around the outer foliage of rainforest trees or trees in the riparian zone. One of the best places in Brisbane to see this difficult-to-find bird is at the Reservoir. | |
White-headed Pigeon ⚥ Baldy, Baldy Pigeon |
Canopy level | Seed Fruit |
41cm. Locally nomadic and highly dispersive seeking fruit trees. Only rarely seen, flies strongly and directly. Has adapted to the fruit of the Camphor Laurel tree. So look for them perched in those trees. | ||
White-naped Honeyeater⚥ Black-cap |
Canopy level | Nectar Honeydew Invertebrates |
15cm. Common resident with some migration movement along the coast. Found in most forest and woodland habitats. Always high In the canopy, difficult to see; best detected by their high pitched calls. | ||
White-throated Gerygone ⚥ Bush or Native Canary |
Canopy level | Insects | 12cm. Common resident. Prefers open forests, woodlands, riparian zones. Very distinctive call which reveals its presence, but sometimes hard to see in the canopy. Best place is near Reservoir. | ||
White-throated Honeyeater ⚥ |
Canopy layer | Nectar Invertebrates Honeydew Fruit |
15cm. Very common resident. Found in most forest and woodland habitats. Always high In the canopy, difficult to see; best detected by their high pitched calls. | ||
White-throated Needletail ⚥ Spine-tailed Swift |
Aerial: from near ground to very high (2000m) | Flying insects | 21cm. Summer migrant, breeds in Siberia, threatened by loss of habitat on migration route through China. Form large flocks, high in the sky, best seen by floating on back in swimming pool. Look for them in front of summer storms. | ||
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
White-throated Nightjar ⚥ Laughing Owl |
Ground level at night | Nocturnal insects | 37cm. Resident but difficult to detect. Roost cryptically on forest floor in daytime, on ridges, near bare ground, with rocks, bracken. Seen by walking carefully in preferred habitat by day or watch it swoop above forest clearings on dusk. | |
White-throated Treecreeper ⚥ Little Treecreeper, Woodpecker |
Forages on rough bark, starting from base of tree | Mainly ants Other invertebrates Nectar |
Feather Fascination October 2013 | 18cm. Very common resident. Easily seen if searched for on trunk of rough-barked tree not in foliage. Its call is very loud and varied, and it calls often in all seasons. It feeds by walking up tree trunk from low down picking ants from the crevices of rough bark. | |
White-winged Triller ♂ | All layers | Mainly insects, fruit and seeds | 19cm. Nomadic resident. Found in open forests and woodlands and riparian zones. | ||
White-winged Triller ♀ | |||||
Willie Wagtail ⚥ Black-and-white Fantail |
Open ground far from cover | Insects | Feather Fascination October 2016 | 22cm. Common resident. The third of the fantails. Feeding substrate is very different to the other two. Found in most habitats. But is easily seen as it comes into any open grassed area in urban suburbs: parks, playing fields. | |
Wompoo Fruit-Dove ⚥ Bubbly Jack, King Pigeon, Magnificent Fruit-Dove |
Canopy level | Fruit (mainly figs) | Feather Fascination March 2017
YouTube video by Tim Siggs - calling with mate |
50cm. Rare nomadic visitor. Largest and most beautiful of the fruit pigeons. Feeds on fruiting trees mainly in rainforests, adjacent eucalypt forests and riparian habitats. | |
Wonga Pigeon ⚥ | Ground level | Mainly seeds, plus fallen fruit and insects | Feather Fascination November 2015 | 40cm. Common resident. Feeds entirely on the floor of rainforest, open eucalypt forest and quiet gardens near bush, easily flushed with explosive flight. Very strong simple call that is repeated ad nauseam. | |
Photo courtesy of Tom Tarrant - taken outside Moggill Catchment |
Yellow Thornbill ⚥ | Canopy | Insects | 10cm. Fairly common resident. Prefers drier woodlands, riparian habitats and urban parks and gardens. | |
Yellow-faced Honeyeater ⚥ | Canopy layer | Nectar Pollen Fruit Invertebrates Honeydew |
18cm. Common resident, but others are winter migrants. Prefer forests and woodlands. Can be easily found in Gap Creek Reserve, where its frequent calls announce its presence there. | ||
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo ⚥ | All levels | Seeds of native trees and pinecones Seeds of ground plants Insects |
YouTube video by Tim Siggs | 65cm. Fairly common, seasonally nomadic, in search of seeds. Can be found in all of the habitats in the Catchment, but mostly in the forests where there are hakeas, casuarinas and banksias. |