Cowra Woodland Birds

The Cowra Woodland Bird Program has monitored the progress of woodland birds for over twenty years. The survey runs four times a year over around 100 separate sites selected within a 30 kilometre radius around Cowra, in central New South Wales. This winter’s survey produced some good bird numbers for the time of year, a response to several good years of rain in wheatbelt of Australia.

An Eastern Rosella takes its time to get moving on a misty morning in Cowra.

This Sulphur-crested Cockatoo has found refuge in the middle a fast moving creek, still at flood levels from the previous week's heavy rains.

A Mistletoebird in a rather dormant looking tree, perhaps looking for insects to accompany its fruit and seed diet?

These two characters seem to have left their White-winged Chough family group and made the Cowra Holiday Park their home.

White-naped Honeyeaters were out in force this winter, at times seen in flocks of ten to twenty birds and challenging the normally dominant White-plumed Honeyeaters.

A regular around the camping ground, the introduced Blackbird.

Treasures of the woodlands

The Cowra Woodlands Birds Program spring survey was again spectacular as bird activity ramps up with the warmer weather and the breeding season begins in earnest. It was heartening to see a number of the rarer target birds this year: Diamond Firetails, a number of Brown Treecreepers, Gilbert’s Whistlers, a Chestnut-rumped Heathren and many Woodswallows; Masked, White-browed and Dusky.

The Eastern Yellow Robin, often seen along bush paths in the eastern Australian bush.

The Red-rumped Parrot shows its iridescent greens and blues, the parrot’s red rump out of sight. Surprisingly this common parrot is becoming less common in the woodland regions.

The Little Raven inhabits the farmlands of south-eastern Australia. Often seen in large flocks across the woodlands.

These exquisite orchids hide among sparse grasses and herbs in less fertile areas.