Djarawong Lodge Birds - A to B
Australian Brush Turkey
The Australian Brush-turkey has a mainly black plumage, bare red head, pale blue throat wattle and flattened tail. They feed on insects, seeds and fallen fruits, which are exposed by raking the leaf litter or breaking open rotten logs with their large feet. The majority of food is obtained from the ground, with birds occasionally observed feeding on ripening fruits among tree branches. They are notorious for digging in and around the perimeter of the rainforest that adjoins the property.
They incubate their eggs in a large mound of organic matter that the male builds approximately 4 m in diameter and 1 m high. Eggs are laid by several females in a single mound. The eggs are incubated by the heat given off by the rotting vegetation. The hatchlings are fully feathered and are able to walk and fend for themselves immediately. Remarkably, they are able to fly just a few hours after hatching.
Azure Kingfisher
The Azure Kingfisher is a small kingfisher with a long slender black bill and a short tail. The head, neck, upper parts and breast sides are deep azure blue with a violet (purplish) sheen. The neck has a distinctive orange stripe on each side and there is a small orange spot before each eye. The throat is pale orange-white, grading to orange-reddish on belly and under tail. The flanks and sides of the breast are washed purple to violet. The legs and feet are red.
They are never far from water, preferring freshwater rivers but enjoy the water features here at the property.
They form monogamous pairs that defend a breeding territory. Both parents incubate and feed the chicks. The nest is at the end of a burrow dug out of soil or in our garden beds. They are often seen at the rear of the property amongst the Ixoras.
Blue-Winged Kookaburra
The Blue-winged Kookaburra is a large kingfisher with a big square head and a long bill. It has a distinctive pale eye. The head is off-white with brown streaks, the shoulders are sky blue and it has a uniform blue rump. The throat is plain white and the under parts are white with faint scalloped orange-brown bars. The back is mid brown. Males have a dark blue tail while females' tails are barred red-brown or blackish.
Blue-winged Kookaburra is also known as the Barking Kookaburra. As they are shy and often quiet in the foliage they may be overlooked. They can be seen on the electrical wires leading to the house or in the rainforest edges.
Blue-winged Kookaburras eat a wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates. They consume mainly insects, reptiles and frogs in the wetter months, and fish, crayfish, scorpions, spiders, snakes, earthworms and small birds and mammals at other times.
After a controlled dive with their bill open, food is grabbed from the ground. The bill has a special groove near the end of the upper mandible which helps in holding prey. After returning to a perch, the prey is beaten and then swallowed. They show extra care when snakes are the prey.
Brahminy Kite
The Brahminy Kite is one of the medium-sized birds of prey, with a white head and breast. The rest of its body is a striking chestnut brown. The very tip of its tail is white. The wings are broad, with dark 'fingered' wing tips and the tail is short. The legs are short and not feathered, the eye is dark and the lemon yellow coloured bill is strongly hooked. It sails on level wings along shorelines and mudflats.
The Brahminy Kite is a bird of the coast, and is seen particularly in the cane cutting season swooping down to capture the mice and small snakes that run for cover during the cutting season. The Brahminy Kite feeds on dead animals, insects and fish. It swoops low over water, the ground or tree tops and snatches live prey or carrion from the surface.
Bush Stone Curlew
The Bush Stone Curlew, is a large, slim, mainly nocturnal, ground-dwelling bird. It is mostly grey-brown above, streaked with black and grey. It is whitish below with clear, vertical black streaks. The bill is long and black, and the eye is large and yellow, with a prominent white eyebrow.
Bush Stone-curlews are nocturnal birds, doing all their feeding and other activities at night.
The Bush Stone-curlew is quite an unusual looking bird, and unlike any other bird found in Australia. Bush Stone-curlews have a wide-ranging diet, but prefer to feed on insects, small lizards, seeds and occasionally small mammals. Feeding takes place at night. All food is taken from the ground.
Bush Stone-curlews have a remarkable courtship dance. Individuals stand with their wings outstretched, their tail upright and their neck stretched slightly forward. The birds will stamp their feet up and down, like a soldier marking time.
We are lucky enough to have one living here at the B&B and she will take a fly right from your hand if you can catch one! You will see her sleeping in the garden during the day, and she blends right in with the mulch!