Alice Springs Airport. Bird. Guide

Transcription

1 Alice Springs Airport Bird Identification Guide

2 About this guide The Alice Springs Airport (ASA) Bird Identification Guide has been produced for quick reference material to assist Operations Safety Officers with on-ground identification of the birds and flying foxes that are at risk of colliding with aircraft. Potential risk species that occur at Alice Springs Airport have been included in this guide to improve the identification of the species, with a particular focus on difficult to identify species. Airport Operations continue to use other reference material and maintain observations on all bird species on the airfield. Disclaimer: This information provided in this Guide is of a general nature and for use at Alice Springs Airport. It may or may not apply or be appropriate to your particular circumstances. It is not legal advice nor is it a substitute for obtaining legal or other professional advice from a qualified person. To understand your obligations to relevant wildlife management laws you should make your own enquiries and consult a professional or other qualified advisor regarding your particular circumstance and situation. Alice Springs Airport endeavours to ensure this Guide is complete and accurate however accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions of the information. Creative Commons This document titled Bird Identification Guide, by Alice Springs Airport is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence ( This publication should be attributed as: Alice Springs Airport, Bird Identification Guide (2013). Enquiries regarding the licence and any use of this Guide are welcome. Alice Springs Airport Airport Management Centre T: F: E: enquiry@ntairports.com.au PO Box 796 Alice Springs NT 0871 Santa Teresa Road Alice Springs NT

3 1 2 Similar species: Masked Woodswallow black-faced woodswallow Small just over sparrow-sized. Grey with black Zorro face mask. The second most commonly struck species at Alice Springs Airport. Sits on dead trees & swoops on insects in the air. Often in groups, sometimes huddled together on a branch. Insects. Masked Woodswallow ironically this species has more of a black face (see picture). However, it is pale underneath & also lacks tail notches. Less common. Large open space over which to hawk for insects. White notches in tail.

4 3 4 5 Similar species: Oriental Pratincole Australian Pratincole Small bird similar size to a blackbird. Sandy orange-brown. Slender with relatively long legs. Pointed, narrow black wings. Red on bill indicates breeding. Good runner. Runs along the ground (long legs are obvious). Graceful in flight. Bobs head up & down. Darts to catch insects. Not normally in flocks. Insects. Oriental Pratincole rarely seen in Central Australia, is usually only present from October to December, & in dense flocks (see picture). A common visitor of airfields. High insect numbers associated with cleared areas. Likes stony ground (i.e. gravelly patches) & open grasslands. Pointed, narrow black wings.

5 6 7 Juvenile (spotted wings) 8 Distinctive underwing pattern WHISTLING KITE Medium-sized bird of prey. Frequently gliding or soaring with wings flat. Fingered wing tips. Rounded tail. White patches on under side of wings. Loud penetrating whistle call. Active during the day, roosts in trees at night. Distinct very loud whistling call. Often glides low over treetops. Can occur at high altitudes when using thermals. Scavenger for insects, lizards, small mammals & carrion. Black Kite. Bush fires (feeds on fleeing insects etc.). Food waste & carrion. Thermals (up-currents). Distinctive underwing pattern and rounded tail.

6 9 10 Juvenile 11 Black KITE Most struck bird at Alice Springs Airport. Medium-sized bird of prey. Only bird of prey with forked tail (but can also appear square or twisted). Adult is various shades of brown not black. No pale patches on wing undersides (compared with Whistling Kites). Active during the day, roosts in trees at night. Tail often twisting from side to side when in flight. Can occur at high altitudes when using thermals. Gregarious species. Scavenger for insects (especially grasshoppers & caterpillars), lizards, small mammals & carrion. Whistling Kite. Bush fires (feed on fleeing insects etc.). Food waste & carrion. Thermals (up-currents). Alice Springs Tip. Forked tail.

7 Similar species: Masked Lapwing banded lapwing Small similar size to a blackbird. Distinctive black breast-band. Ground dweller chasing insects in short runs. Pairs to small groups. Breed after rain. Aggressive when nesting will swoop intruders or distract by pretending to have a broken wing. Take flight with wild cries. Also call at night. Seek shade during heat of the day. Ground-dwelling insects. Masked Lapwing bigger with no breast-band (see picture). Stony open ground with short grass. Distinctive black breast-band.

8 16 17 nankeen kestrel Small bird of prey about half the size of kites. Rufous upper-parts ( nankeen means rufous). Pale under-parts. Pointed wing tips & black band on tail. Likes to rest on a low perch (e.g. a fence post). Hovers on the spot above grasslands before swooping on ground prey. Small mammals, birds & insects. Frequently perches on furnishings at ASA. Hovers over grasslands watching for prey. Pointed wing tips and black band on tail.

9 18 No black band on tail Brown Falcon Medium-sized bird of prey. Colour varies from all-over dark brown to orange-brown back & whitish front. Usually hunts from perches (rather than soaring) & takes prey on the ground. When soaring does so with very upswept wings. Often uses an old nest from another species for their own. Usually silent when perched. Feeds mostly on small mammals, insects & reptiles. Nankeen Kestrel much smaller, all pale underneath, with a black band at end of tail, & yellow around the eye & bill. Frequently perches on furnishings at ASA. Double brown teardrop.

10 19 20 Similar species: Peaceful Dove Diamond Dove Tiny slender dove. Red ring around eye. White spots on wings. Slow mournful cooing call. Feeds on ground in pairs or small flocks. Totters about quickly on short legs. Wings whistle when taking off. Perch on trees & fences. Grass seeds. Peaceful Dove has blue ring around eye & prefers less dry habitat (see picture). Open grassed areas. Red eye ring.

11 21 22 Budgerigar Small parrot. Bright green with yellow head & back. Diamond-shaped tail with long point in flight. Quick direct flight. Nomadic linked to availability of food & water. Usually in flocks, can be in the hundreds after rain. Feed on ground. Grass seeds. None much smaller than any other parrot in the region. Open grassed areas after good rain. Shape in flight. Rain dependant

12 23 24 Juvenile Zebra Finch Tiny bird. Adults have red bill. Zebra-striped tail. Males have chestnut cheeks. Squeaky call. Juvenile birds have no colour. Social birds often large flocks at waterholes. Feed on ground. Undulating bouncy flight. Grass seeds. None. Open grassed areas with nearby water. Red bill & stripy tail.

13 25 26 Magpie Magpie- Lark Larger than Magpie-lark much stouter bill, dark eye & no white on face. Feed mostly on the ground. Territorial throughout the year. Aggressive to humans when nesting. Distinctive yodelling call, often at night. Stick nest. Small magpie (but actually not related). Is about two-thirds the size of Magpie & is white underneath. Feed on the ground. Walk with a back-forward head movement. Territorial throughout the year. Mud nest.

14 Acknowledgements Content prepared by EcOz Environmental Services. Photos courtesy of: Photographer Image numbers Adrian Boyle # 3, 6, 8, 20 Colin Haddon # 10 Don Hadden # 13 Michael Dahlem # 7 Peter Hammond # 16 Pete Morris # 4 Rohan Clarke # 1, 2, 5, 9, 11, 14, 17, 18, 19, 26 Graeme Chapman # 22 Wikimedia Commons JJ Harrison # 12 Prankphonecall # 15 Toby Hudson # 25 Peripitas # 23 Lip Kee Yap # 24 Guillaume Pillet # 21

15 NOTES

16 Alice springs Airport Airport Management Centre T: F: E: enquiry@ntairports.com.au PO Box 796 Alice Springs NT 0871 Santa Teresa Road Alice Springs NT UPDATED JUNE 2013 FIRST CLASS IN GRAPHIC DESIGN