Birds of the Aranda Bushland

Based on sightings supplied by Canberra Ornithologists Group and sightings made by FoAB members in the Aranda bushland and snow gums area bordered by the suburb of Aranda, Caswell Drive, Bindubi Street, and William Hovell Drive including the pastoral lease and roadside verges. Updated May 2009

English NameScientific NameStatus
Australasian GrebeTachybaptus novaehollandiaeCommon on large dam.
Australian HobbyFalco longipennisUncommon.
Australian King-ParrotAlisterus scapularisCommon resident.
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenCommon over most of the reserve, especially in the paddocks.
Australian PelicanPelecanus conspicillatusUsually in flight to or from Lake Burley Griffin.
Australian RavenCorvus coronoidesCommon crow like bird.
Australian Wood DuckChenonetta jubataCommon around the large dam. Roosts in trees.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikeCoracina novaehollandiaeCommon.  A large proportion of the population is migratory.
Brown-headed HoneyeaterMelithreptus brevirostrisUncommon.
Brown FalconFalco berigoraSometimes seen on light poles near Glenloch Interchange.
Brown GoshawkAccipter fasciatusCommon. May have bred in the lower woodland.
Brown ThornbillAcanthiza pusillaCommon.
Buff-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza reguloidesCommon.
Collared SparrowhawkAccipter cirrhocephalusUncommon, with most individuals leaving in winter. Breeding has occurred in the pine grove.
Common BlackbirdTurdus merulaCommon introduced bird along the urban fringe.
Common BronzewingPhaps chalcopteraUncommon.
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisCommon introduced species especially in the horse paddocks.
Crimson RosellaPlatycercus elegansCommon resident.
DollarbirdEurystomus orientalisUncommon summer migrant, arrives in October/November and departs for Indonesia and PNG in February. Often breeds in the Aranda Bushland.
Double-barred FinchTaeniopygia bichenoviiUncommon though quite large flocks have been seen on the margins of the horse paddocks.
Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosaVisits the large dam.
Dusky WoodswallowArtamus cyanopterusCommon migrant. Usually seen hawking over or perched on trees in the horse paddocks.
Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximiusCommon resident.
Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostrisCommon.
Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australisCommon in woodland.
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisCommon introduced species favouring thistles and briars.
Fan-tailed CuckooCacomantis flabelliformisCommon summer migrant.
Flame RobinPetroica phoeniceaCommon cooler month visitor.
GalahCacatua roseicapillaCommon. Breeds in large dead trees in the rural lease.
Gang-gang CockatooCallocephalon fimbriatumCommon breeding resident. Has distinctive ‘creaking door’ call.
Golden WhistlerPachycephala pectoralisCommon.
Great CormorantPhalocrocorax carboLarge dam.
Grey ButcherbirdCracticus torquatusUncommon.
Grey CurrawongStrepera versicolorCommon though less obvious than its pied cousin.
Grey FantailRhipidura fuliginosaCommon in woodland.
Grey Goshawk *Accipter novaehollandiaeRare visitor.
Grey Shrike-thrushColluricincla harmonicaCommon.
Horsfield's Bronze-CuckooChrysococcyx basalisCommon summer migrant.
Indian MynaAcridotheres tristisCommon introduced species along the urban fringe.
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeCommon and familiar.
Leaden FlycatcherMyiagra rubeculaCommon summer migrant in the dry forest.
Little Black CormorantPhalocrocorax sulcirostrisLarge dam.
Little CorellaCacatua sanguineaRecent arrival in Canberra area. Can be confused with the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo with which it flocks.
Little EagleHieraaetus morphnoidesLocal population is declining.
Little Pied CormorantPhalocrocorax melanoleucosLarge dam
Magpie-larkGrallina cyanoleucaCommon in the paddocks.
Masked LapwingVanellus milesCommon breeding resident in grasslands.
MistletoebirdDicaeum hirundinaceumUncommon.
Noisy FriarbirdPhilemon corniculatusCommon and noisy summer migrant.
Noisy MinerManorina melanocephalaCommon near horse paddocks. Aggressive to other birds.
Olive-backed OrioleOriolus sagittatusUncommon summer migrant with a conspicuous call.
Pacific Black DuckAnas superciliosaCommon and has attempted breeding near the large dam
Pallid CuckooCuculus pallidusCommon summer breeding migrant with distinctive call.
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusSeen recently at a large stick nest near the big dam?
Pied CurrawongStrepera graculinaCommon throughout the reserve.
Rainbow Bee-eaterMerops ornatusSummer migrant.
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus haematodusSmall flocks and single birds have been seen in the bushland. Normally a coastal bird.
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisCommon particularly on the eastern more wooded side of the leasehold.
Red-capped RobinPetroica goodenoviiRare.
Red-rumped ParrotPsephotus haematonotusCommon grass parrot which is often seen along the Bindubi St fringes.
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataOur largest honeyeater. Common and conspicuous.
Rock DoveColumba liviaCommon feral pigeon. Can be seen along William Hovell Drive.
Rose RobinPetroica roseaOne sighting reported March 2009 on COG hotline near junction of Smiths Rd and the walking track.
Rufous FantailRhipidura rufifronsUncommon. May be sighted during spring and autumn migration.
Rufous WhistlerPachycephala rufiventrisCommon in woodland during summer.
Sacred KingfisherTodiramphus sanctaSummer migrant.
Scarlet RobinPetroica multicolorCommon. In the cooler months it can be seen along the leasehold boundary fence.
Shining Bronze-CuckooChrysococcyx lucidusCommon summer migrant
SilvereyeZosterops lateralisCommon small bird.
Silver GullLarus novaehollandiaeOccasional visitor to the large dam.
Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiaeCommonest owl in the region. Makes familiar Mopoke call. Local distribution has been disrupted by the Gungahlin Drive Extension.
Speckled WarblerChthonicola sagittataUncommon ground nesting bird. Has been seen near the junction of the two main roads at the foot of the hill.
Spotted PardalotePardalotus punctatusCommon small bird that feeds in the canopy
Straw-necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollisFairly common overflying or feeding in paddocks.
Striated PardalotePardalotus striatusCommon.
Striated ThornbillAcanthiza lineataCommon.
Stubble QuailCoturnix pectoralisUncommon ground bird which has been seen in the grassland and on the road bordering the leasehold.
Sulphur-crested CockatooCacatua galeritaCommon white cockatoo.
Superb Fairy-wrenMalurus cyaneusCommon species. Can often be seen along the road bordering the leasehold.
Tawny FrogmouthPodargus strigoidesUncommon resident which can be overlooked with its ‘dead branch’ camouflage.
Varied SittellaDaphoenositta chrysopteraUncommon. Similar habits to the treecreeper except that it forages down the trees rather than up them.
Wedge-tailed EagleAquila audaxAustralia’s largest eagle.
WeebillSmicronis brevirostrisCommon. Smallest Australian bird.
Welcome SwallowHirundo neoxenaCommon aerial feeding bird.
Western Gerygone Gerygone fuscaUncommon.
White-bellied Sea-EagleHaliaeetus leucogasterOccasional visitor; one sight record of a bird over Glenloch Interchange.
White-browed Babbler *Pomatostomus superciliosusVagrant? Presumed to be extinct in the ACT until a single bird was recorded near the leasehold boundary along the bottom road between February and May 2006
White-browed ScrubwrenSericornis frontalisCommon along bottom road.
White-eared HoneyeaterLichenostomus leucotisUncommon. Autumn migrant from the high country.
White-faced HeronEgretta novaehollandiaeCommon near dams and swampy areas.
White-naped HoneyeaterMelithreptus lunatusPassage migrant to and from the high country.
White-necked HeronArdea pacificaUncommon visitor to the area of the large dam
White-plumed HoneyeaterLichenostomus penicillatusCommon.
White-throated GerygoneGerygone olivaceaCommon.
White-throated NeedletailHirundapus caudacutusCommon aerial summer migrant which precedes storm fronts.
White-throated TreecreeperCormobates leucophaeaCommon breeding resident which forages up trees feeding of insects in the bark
White-winged ChoughCorcorax melanorhamphosCommon in foraging groups. At least two nesting groups occupy the reserve.
White-winged TrillerLalage sueuriiUncommon migrant.
Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrysCommon and familiar.
Yellow-faced HoneyeaterLichenostomus chrysopsConspicuous autumn migrant.
Yellow-rumped ThornbillAcanthiza chrysorrhoaCommon and conspicuous small bird of grass and understorey that shows its yellow rump when flying.
Yellow-tailed Black-CockatooCalyptorhynchus funereusCommon black cockatoo with wailing call.
Yellow ThornbillAcanthiza nanaUncommon.

For a more comprehensive list, with photos, go to Canberra Nature Map

You can also see photos and listen to the birdsong of some birds from the Aranda Bushland.

The Canberra Ornithologists Group

Visit their website to learn about the group and to see pictures taken by members of the group.

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