Green Catbird
Ailuroedus crassirostris
Chunky rainforest bird with emerald green upperparts, dark eye, and green-olive underparts with pale streaking. Inhabits the east coast of Australia from southeastern Queensland to the south coast of New South Wales, thus does not overlap with Spotted Catbird. Forages mostly in middle and upper story of the rainforest. Compare female and juvenile Satin Bowerbird (with blue eye, darker bill). Call a very loud yowl, which sounds just like a cat.
Identification
Green catbirds are a medium-sized stocky bird with long, powerful legs and a long, stout bill. The back, wings and rump are brilliant emerald green, with very conspicuous pure white spots at the tips of the tertiaries and secondaries, which, on the tips of coverts, form two white wing-bars. The tail is brownish emerald with white tips. The head is greenish brown mottled black and finely flecked pale buff. The chest is greenish buff to dull emerald with distinctive short white streaks.<p>The bill is horn coloured and the legs are greyish brown.<p>The iris is bright red in direct sun with a partial white eye-ring.<p>Male and female birds share similar plumage, making it very difficult to distinguish between the sexes. Juvenile birds also have similar plumage, although it is duller. Very young birds have fluffy grey down on their heads (Donaghey. R. 1996).
Taxonomy
Genus: Ailuroedus; Family: Ptilonorhynchidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Ailuroedus crassirostris
- Authority
- (Paykull, 1815)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Ptilonorhynchidae
- Genus
- Ailuroedus
Range and habitat
According to The Field Guide to Australian Birds (Michael Morcombe, 2003) (2nd edition), green catbirds are found along the length of the east coast of NSW (in areas of suitable habitat) through to the Cooloola Coast in South East Queensland.<p>The birds are found in subtropical and temperate rainforest and paperbarks, and occasionally in adjacent eucalypt forest.<p>The average home range of the birds is five acres, although this is greatly reduced during breeding season. Breeding territories usually contain several fig trees which regularly produce large amounts of ripe fruit for several months which coincides with the catbird breeding season. Green catbirds drink and bath in pools of water that are found in the crevices of surrounding trees or water courses.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Sierran Elaenia
Elaenia pallatangae
Confusing flycatcher of montane forest. It has olive-gray upperparts, pale yellow underparts, white wingbars, and a small crest that is usually held flat. When crest is raised, it may show some white. Very similar to White-crested Elaenia, but usually brighter yellow on the belly and may show a more conspicuous eyering. Birds in worn plumage may not be identifiable with certainty. Its most common vocalizations, which include clear whistles and burry calls, are similar to those of other elaenias.
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos
Plumage brown above and whitish below with droplet-shaped dark spots; breast has rich buffy wash in fresh plumage (mainly autumn–winter). Appreciably smaller, darker overall, and more compact than Mistle Thrush. An inhabitant of wooded habitats, including parks, gardens, and farmland with hedges and taller trees; often feeds on lawns and grassy verges, but usually near cover. Strident song, often heard in suburban neighborhoods, is more prolonged than that of Eurasian Blackbird, and frequently repeats phrases 2-4 times. A native of Eurasia, introduced to southeastern Australia, New Zealand, and a few surrounding islands.
Lemon-bellied White-eye
Zosterops chloris
Bright yellowish white-eye with a disjunct island range; found from southwestern Borneo to southern Papua. Compare carefully with other local white-eyes. Favors open coastal forest, forest edge, scrubby areas, gardens, plantations, and towns; can be abundant on small islands. Song is a jumbled series of high-pitched notes; it is a common sound during early mornings and late evenings on islands. Calls include sharp descending cheeps and sparrow-like tweets.
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