alice river - apostle birds
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Apostlebird (one of about twenty that landed in a tree within 5 metres from where I was sitting. They are unbelievably noisy! Not the most attractive bird, but they are real characters of the bush and always scruffy and grubby. They are also a very social bird. They went about their business as if I was not there.)
Scientific Name: Struthidea cinerea
Description: The Apostlebird is a medium-sized dark grey bird with a short strong bill, brown wings and black tail. It is normally seen in groups of six to ten birds, and is usally seen on the ground. It belongs to the group of birds known as 'mud-nesters', the Family Corcoracidae, noted for their communal life style and their bowl nests constructed of mud and plant fibres.
Similar species: The Apostlebird is often found in association with the White-winged Chough, which belongs to the same family and has similar habits (communal living, mud nests, ground-foraging). However the White-winged Chough is quite distinctive, being black with white wing panels visible in flight, as well as having a long curved beak and a bright red eye.
Distribution: The Apostlebird is found in eastern Australia in inland areas from lower Cape York Peninsula, Queensland to northern Victoria and from Naracoorte to Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. There is also an isolated population in the Elliott and Katherine areas, Northern Territory.
Habitat: The Apostlebird is found in open dry forests and woodlands near water. It may also be found in farmlands with trees, as well as along roadsides, in orchards and on golf courses
Seasonal movements: Sedentary, with some local movements to more open areas in autumn and winter.
Feeding: The Apostlebird usually eats seeds and vegetable matter, insects and other invertebrates and, sometimes, small vertebrates. In autumn and winter, it will move to more open country, where seeds become the more important part of its diet. The Apostlebird forages on the ground in groups, often in association with the White-winged Chough. The Apostlebird can also be known as the 'Grey Jumper', for its hopping gait and, because it lives in groups, it can be known collectively as the 'Happy Family' or the 'Twelve Apostles'.
Breeding: Apostlebirds form a 'breeding unit' of around ten related birds - a dominant male and several females plus immature birds (the previous season's young) that act as helpers. The nest is a large mud bowl, placed on a horizontal branch 3 - 20 m high, and reinforced and lined with grass. All members of a group assist with nest building, as well as feeding of nestlings, while only the adults usually incubate the eggs. More than one female may lay eggs in the same nest. While many eggs may be laid usually only four nestlings will survive to fledge, with numbers possibly restricted by the size of the nest. Two broods may be raised in a season.
Calls: Rough, scratchy, discordant: 'ch-kew ch-kew'; also: nasal 'git-out' when disturbed.
Minimum Size: 29cm
Maximum Size: 33cm
Average size: 31cm
Average weight: 128g
Breeding season: August to March
Clutch Size: Two to five; more when more than one female lays
Incubation: 18 days
Nestling Period: 18 days
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2025
__________________________________________
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
alice river - apostle birds
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Apostlebird (one of about twenty that landed in a tree within 5 metres from where I was sitting. They are unbelievably noisy! Not the most attractive bird, but they are real characters of the bush and always scruffy and grubby. They are also a very social bird. They went about their business as if I was not there.)
Scientific Name: Struthidea cinerea
Description: The Apostlebird is a medium-sized dark grey bird with a short strong bill, brown wings and black tail. It is normally seen in groups of six to ten birds, and is usally seen on the ground. It belongs to the group of birds known as 'mud-nesters', the Family Corcoracidae, noted for their communal life style and their bowl nests constructed of mud and plant fibres.
Similar species: The Apostlebird is often found in association with the White-winged Chough, which belongs to the same family and has similar habits (communal living, mud nests, ground-foraging). However the White-winged Chough is quite distinctive, being black with white wing panels visible in flight, as well as having a long curved beak and a bright red eye.
Distribution: The Apostlebird is found in eastern Australia in inland areas from lower Cape York Peninsula, Queensland to northern Victoria and from Naracoorte to Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. There is also an isolated population in the Elliott and Katherine areas, Northern Territory.
Habitat: The Apostlebird is found in open dry forests and woodlands near water. It may also be found in farmlands with trees, as well as along roadsides, in orchards and on golf courses
Seasonal movements: Sedentary, with some local movements to more open areas in autumn and winter.
Feeding: The Apostlebird usually eats seeds and vegetable matter, insects and other invertebrates and, sometimes, small vertebrates. In autumn and winter, it will move to more open country, where seeds become the more important part of its diet. The Apostlebird forages on the ground in groups, often in association with the White-winged Chough. The Apostlebird can also be known as the 'Grey Jumper', for its hopping gait and, because it lives in groups, it can be known collectively as the 'Happy Family' or the 'Twelve Apostles'.
Breeding: Apostlebirds form a 'breeding unit' of around ten related birds - a dominant male and several females plus immature birds (the previous season's young) that act as helpers. The nest is a large mud bowl, placed on a horizontal branch 3 - 20 m high, and reinforced and lined with grass. All members of a group assist with nest building, as well as feeding of nestlings, while only the adults usually incubate the eggs. More than one female may lay eggs in the same nest. While many eggs may be laid usually only four nestlings will survive to fledge, with numbers possibly restricted by the size of the nest. Two broods may be raised in a season.
Calls: Rough, scratchy, discordant: 'ch-kew ch-kew'; also: nasal 'git-out' when disturbed.
Minimum Size: 29cm
Maximum Size: 33cm
Average size: 31cm
Average weight: 128g
Breeding season: August to March
Clutch Size: Two to five; more when more than one female lays
Incubation: 18 days
Nestling Period: 18 days
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2025
__________________________________________
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.