Little Wattlebird
Anthochaera chrysoptera
Other Names: Little Brush Wattlebird
Family: Meliphagidae (Honeyeaters, 74 species in Australia)
Size: 26-33 cm
Distribution: Within about 50-100 km of the coast of NSW, VIC, lower QLD and Eastern SA, also Eastern TAS.
Status: Common
Habitat: Woodland, heath, scrub, likes Banksia, parks and gardens
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest
The Little Wattlebird is common in parts of Sydney and many other areas. It is found in the Lower Blue Mountains but not in the Upper Blue Mountains (the Red Wattlebird is found in the Upper Mountains). It looks a lot like Red Wattlebird, but without the red flap of skin under its eye (the "wattle"), and it is a darker colour overall with more distinct white spots/stripes.
It has a very distinctive call, a bit like an old wooden cuckoo-clock (it imitates the ticking of the clock and also the cuckoo sound), which sometimes can go on for hours at a time.

Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW

Artwork: John Gould, 'The Birds of Australia', 1848. Original Scanned Image.
Some Birdwatching Resources
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Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds. A
very very large blue hardcover book with a dust jacket that matches the cover. It is the tallest book I own, and it is so big that I have only one shelf that it fits on. You could work out by lifting it a few times.
Colour photos and detailed
descriptions of all the birds. Not a field guide as such (so not as good if you just want a book to learn to identify the birds). Not your usual coffee table book either because it lists every bird. Contains lots of information about every bird in Australia. Excellent.
Click here to purchase from Australia $62.49 AUD |
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Common Birds of Australia (Green Guide), Peter Rowland. A smaller, more introductory book. It won a Whitley Award for best zoological book. The publishers say "This book provides an introduction to the major bird groups, with an emphasis on those that the amateur naturalist and nature-lover is most likely to see. The book is organized into six sections which cover birds of prey, waders and waterbirds, seabirds, songbirds, pigeons and parrots and other birds. Information is organized simply, with individual species or group entries describing key characteristics — where they are found, food requirements and behavioural habits. Each entry is accompanied by a colour photograph and, where appropriate, distribution maps. A key feature of the text is the "gee whiz" spreads which answer many of the most commonly asked questions about why birds do what they do, revealing facts and providing practical information for the amateur enthusiast. In addition, fact panels interspersed throughout highlight surprising snippets of information.
Click here to purchase from Australia $16.99 AUD |
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