AUSTRALASIAN Tropical & Subtropical Savanna
passerine birds

The songbirds of the northern Australian tropical bush...

Family Ptilonorhynchidae: Bowerbirds
Family Maluridae: Australian Wrens
Family Pardalotidae: Gerygones & allies

For the page on:
Family Meliphagidae, Honeyeaters
click here

Family Pomatostomidae: Australian Babblers

Pomatostomus temporalis, 'Grey-crowned Babbler', (Wyndham Caravan Park, Western Australia). Found in open habitats across much of Australia, except for inland and southern coasts. 

Family Pachycephalidae: Whistlers, 
Family Oriolidae: Orioles & Figbirds
Family Campephagidae: Cuckooshrikes
Family Artamidae: Woodswallows, Butcherbirds
Family Rhipiduridae: Fantails
Family Corvidae: Crows & Jays
Family Petroicidae: Australasian Robins
Family Zosteropidae: White-eyes
Family Sturnidae: Starlings & Mynas

Family Nectariniidae: Flowerpeckers & Sunbirds

Dicaeum hirundinaceum, 'Mistletoebird', (Wyndham Caravan Park, Western Australia). As suggested by the common name, feeds on mistletoe berries and disperses sticky seeds by wiping them tree branches. Found across most of Australia, except western deserts and Tasmania. 

Cinnyris jugularis, 'Olive-backed/Yellow-bellied Sunbird'.  Bright yellow. Male has throat patch which with right light, is stunning iridescent metallic blue. Inhabits various habitats, mostly mangroves and rainforest, but it is also found in more open habitats and urban areas. The only sunbird found regularly in Australia. Distributed from north-east Queensland, into Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and north into south-east Asia into southern China. However, this widespread and adaptable species is being split into different species. 

For the page on:
Family Estrildidae: Finches
click here

Thinking of travelling again after everything settles down? One of the first expeditions I am booked to work on is the NZ sub-Antarctics with Silversea Expeditions and Australia with Coral Expeditions. And here is a shortened version of one of my lectures in a warmer part of the world.