Some sedentary birds have a large enough range within a local ecology that they seem migratory. This is the case for a number of birds in The Forest of the Tamborine Mountain Escarpment Protection Precinct.
Here are just some of the birds we’ve photographed during late Autumn / early Winter, which is when they appear on the eastern side of the Mountain. They disappear from the local area once the warm weather starts up again.
1. Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
The Eastern Spinebill is found east of the Great Dividing Range, from north Queensland down to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. They love nectar from a range of flowers, including grevillea flowers. Their long downturned beak is perfect for tunnelling into tubular flowers. They will also eat insects.
They’re not shy birds. In fact, they’re incredibly curious and will sneak a peak to find out what other birds are doing in their territory (without trying to scare them off) and what humans are doing close-by.
2. Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)
The Grey Fantail is found throughout Australia in treed habitats. They feed on a range of insects by foraging at the edge of treed areas and bushes as well as in canopies. They can be easily recognised by their fanned tail and their wispy way of flying when catching flying insects.
These are gregarious birds who will fly in and out of open areas to feed.
3. Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)
The Golden Whistler is a distinctive looking bird, with its bright yellow breast contrasting strongly with their black and white neck and face.
They’re found from north-eastern Queensland, down to Tasmania and across to southern South Australia and south-western Western Australia, preferring denser forests. They love insects, spiders and other small arthropods. They also eat berries.
4. Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)
The Grey Goshawk comes in two colour morphs, 1. completely white and 2. white-chested with grey bars and grey head and wings. The latter can be found on Tamborine Mountain and in coastal areas in northern and eastern Australia.
The Grey Goshawk loves tall forests with a closed canopy, including rainforests. Their diet consists of birds, small mammals, reptiles and insects. The larger female is capable of preying on much larger animals when compared with their male counterpart.
5. White-eared Monarch (Carterornis leucotis)
The White-eared Monarch is a pied monarch-flycatcher. They look a little bit like the very c
ommon Magpie Lark, but with a cross of black on their face and a main black line through their eye.
They can be found on the coastal lowlands and eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range from Cape York to north-eastern NSW. Their natural habitat is rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, and stay mainly in the upper canopy to find food. This makes them much harder to spot.
More on the White-eared Monarch
Great places to find out about birds:
NSW Office of Environment & Heritage