Common Sydney Birds, Part II Trivia Quiz

Answer: Males and females sing duets with alternate notes

Mudlarks are also called peewees, peewits and magpie-larks, however they are not closely related to magpies OR larks- they are more correctly classified as flycatchers. Their nests are made of mud, and they will defend it vigorously against larger birds and even pets and humans.

The male and female sing a duet where each sing alternate notes; the reasons are not really understood, but could be a defence of territory mechanism. They are birds, so do NOT give birth to live chicks- they come from eggs as all birds do. They do not change colour, nor disguise themselves in mud.

Answer: Noisy miner

The noisy miner is well named! They are a regular visitor to my birdbath, and make quite the racket as they have their daily wash. They generally hang around in large groups and love posing and strutting. They are prevalent along the east coast of Australia, and are regarded as a nuisance in some areas.

A butcher bird is a heavier bird and Christopher Plummer was an actor, known for his role in 'The Sound of Music'. I invented the bee hunter.

Answer: Least concern (LC)

They are common in the National Parks that surround Sydney, and can be seen in many backyards across Sydney, and beyond. They range all along the east coast, from Queensland to Victoria. They are also kept as pets, but do not have the vocal range of some of their parroty cousins.

As with many species of birds, the male and female king parrot look quite different. My picture shows a male, with the distinctive red head and breast. His lady love has a green head and breast, with red thighs.

Answer: Crested

Crested pigeons are very common, and regarded as flying pests. They, together with the prolific feral pigeon, make a mess wherever they are. Many buildings use bird spikes to keep them off flat surfaces- they are harmless, but keep the birds from landing.

The difference between the two birds can easily be seen in their crest. The crested had a pointed spike on their head, like a punk rocker, whereas the topknot's is swept back, like a rockabilly haircut.

Answer: Dusky Moorhen

Coots and moorhens are part of the Rail family, which is distributed worldwide. One of the Australian species is the dusky moorhen. I found this bird beside the river, less than 100 metres from my house. They are not particularly disturbed by human proximity.

A dabchick is more properly known as the little grebe, also a common sight in Australian waters. A red-faced malkoha is a type of cuckoo, native to Sri Lanka, and a perentie is a really big lizard, and thankfully only found in the desert areas of inland Australia.

Answer: No

They are very opportunistic feeders, who eat fish, LOTS of fish, but will eat insects, other birds, and even small dogs. I found this pair at the Sydney Fish Markets, where they had a steady supply of scraps to feast on.

Answer: Corella

There are several species, with this bird being the long-billed corella. They are quite a bit smaller than other cockatoos, but can still be destructive. They eat power cables, strip bitumen from roads and can wreak havoc on golf courses.

They also are one of the best 'talkers' and are kept as pets.

Answer: Masked plover

They have very distinctive yellow wattles on their face, and spurs on their wings. Contrary to popular belief, the spurs are NOT poisonous, but they are sharp. During nesting season, they will divebomb anyone, or anything, that comes close to their nest, which is built on the ground. Because of this behaviour, they are also known as spur-winged plovers.

The northern hemisphere plover is a very different bird, and not closely related. The killdeer is a plover, and is native to North America. It gets its name from its call, NOT its eating habits!

Answer: Silver gull

They can be found all around the Australian coastline, as well as New Zealand and nearby Pacific islands. They are quite comfortable around humans, and are well-known for stealing chips from unsuspecting people.

The silver gull has a raucous, ear-piercing squawk when it is upset, and they get upset a LOT! They are easily identified by their brilliant white feathers and bright red beak and feet.

Pacific gulls are much larger than their silver cousins, and much less common around Sydney.

The laughing gull is endemic to the US east coast and Caribbean. The Arctic tern makes its home in Arctic areas (obviously) and is not a gull.

Answer: Maned

Rather confusingly, the Greek 'chenonetta' can be translated as 'chen', meaning goose and 'netta' meaning duck.

They are recognisable by their deep brown heads and mottled breast. They have a small mane on the back of their neck, hence their name. Unlike other ducks, the wood duck prefers to nest in a tree, not on the reeds and vegetation of a waterfront. They are widespread, not just around Sydney, but over most of Australia. In some areas they are regarded as pests, and are quite often hunted to keep their numbers down.