Birds that are included on the Fauna Sign include: Black Swan, Masked Lapwing, Spotless Crake, Sacred Ibis, Little Pied Cormorant, Royal Spoonbill, Grey Teal, Whistling Kite, Black Duck, Australian Little Grebe, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamp Hen, Cattle Egret, and Clamorous Reed Warbler.
The details of the birds listed are:
Black Swan
(Cygnus atratus)
The largest of our waterfowl, its long neck allowing it to reach and feed on underwater vegetation. They swim with neck arched or erect and often carry feathers or wings raised in aggression display. After nesting, which is usually during winter, they moult and become temporarily flightless. At this time they often gather on open water in large flocks.
Masked Lapwing
(Vanellus miles)
Easily identified by the yellow wattle on the face. It frequents swamp margins and wet grasslands. Feeds on worms, insects and other small invertebrates. During dry or cold weather they eat seeds. They are loud and aggressive both before eggs are layed and after they are hatched, diving and screaming at people and animals that come too close.
Spotless Crake
(Porzana tabuensis)
This bird is one of the most difficult birds to see because of its dark plumage and secretive nature. It frequents the thickly reeded margins of swamps and lagoons. Spotless crakes appear to to stay in one place unless the habitat dries out or is polluted or otherwise destroyed. They feed on molluscs, insects and small tender pieces of aquatic plants.
Sacred Ibis
(Threskiornis molucca)
Its most distinctive features are its pure black head and long drooping bill. It feeds mainly in water, where it moves its head from side to side, continuously for food. It can also be seen feeding on grassed areas and on irrigated lands. A "V" formation of birds flying with necks out-stretched is likely to be a flock of Sacred Ibises or Straw-Necked Ibises.
Little Pied Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax melanoleucos)
It is most common in fresh water, but it is also found in sheltered waters along the coast. On inland water this bird feeds on yabbies and insects. Its plumage is permeable to water which helps lower its buoyancy. After swimming it shakes the water out of its plumage and stands still with wings outstretched to dry.
Royal Spoonbill
(Platalea regia)
The spoon-shaped bill that makes this bird distinctive is not simply a decorative feature. As the bird wades through the shallow intertidal lagoons it moves its partly open bill from side to side. It grasps prey in the spoon-shaped tip of the bill, and then with an upward flick of the head, throws their head back , and swallows it. Fish is the more common food but they also eat crustaceans.
Grey Teal
(Anas gibberifrons)
Grey teal are highly nomadic and most swamps and lagoons support a few at any time. However the mass of birds wander the whole continent according to the distribution of rain and flood. The grey teal depends for life on the flooding of inland rivers for breeding and on permanent coastal swamps for drought refuges.
Whistling Kite
(Haliastur sphenurus)
Whilst the whistling kite is found throughout Australia, it is most common in open woodland country near swamps, rivers and lakes. The bird is a scavenger and will eat any kind of carrion. It occasionally takes a young waterbird and sometimes kills fresh water crayfish. It also feeds on insects such as grasshoppers and caterpillars.
Black Duck
(Anas superciliosa)
They are probably the most numerous ducks in Australia and more widely distributed as a breeding species than any other. From a distance they appear similar to the grey teal but do not perch so often on dead trees in the water. It is very much a surface feeding duck, taking its food from the water by dabbing, dredging and upending.
Australasian Little Grebe
(Podiceps ruficollis)
The oval yellow spot between the bill and yellow eye is a distinguishing feature of this bird. Like other grebes, it often dives to feed and swims considerable distances underwater. Its nest is a floating mass of water weeds, usually damp throughout. When the nesting bird is disturbed, it quickly covers the eggs in the nest with plant material to make them inconspicuous.
Dusky Moorhen
(Gallinula tenebrosa)
Has a slim bill, bright red at the base and on the forehead shield. The bill is tipped yellow. It is a strong swimmer and it usually prefers a swamp that has areas of open water interspersed with floating weeds. In such a a habitat it feeds on underwater weeds, upending like a duck. On land it feeds on vegetable matter, seeds, insects and frogs.
Purple Swamp Hen
(Porphyrio porphyrio)
Has a deep triangular scarlet bill and shield, deep blue head and body set off by black upper parts. It flicks its tail when walking or swimming, showing the white undertail. It prefers not to swim and like other members of the rail family, it can run fast on land. It climbs and roosts in trees over water.
Cattle Egret
(Ardiola ibis)
The plumage of this bird is normally white, but in the breeding season it develops orange/buff feathers on its head, neck and back, and its bill turns red, with a yellow tip. Its legs also turn red. It is the smallest of the egrets. As well as feeding in swamps on small aquatic animals, they feed in loose flocks among grazing cattle, horses and buffaloes in the north.
Clamorous Reed Warbler
(Acrocephalus stentoreus)
This species lives and nests in the rushes and reeds which line our wet areas. Often present in considerable numbers in suitable habitats in Southern Australia, most reed warblers migrate to warmer regions in autumn, returning again the following spring to breed. It is the outstanding singer of the reed beds during summer.
* It was placed as part of the Bicentennial celebrations of 1988; erected by the Hunter Bird Observers Club Inc. *
Any errors in transcription totally mine! NB Some of the scientific names given on this sign are different to those commonly found on 'Google searches'.
Visited: 1446, Sunday, 22 January, 2017