From Opus

Photo by Birdeye
Kumerangk/Hindmarsh Island, South Australia

Cereopsis novaehollandiae

[edit] Identification

75-90cm

• Grey plumage
• Rounded black spots
• Black tail and flight feathers
• Pink legs
• Black feet
• Short, decurved black bill
• Green cere

[edit] Distribution

Australasia: breeds on islands off the southern coast and Tasmania. Range is limited to the extreme southern edges of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, where it can be locally common.

Photo by The Bosun
Hindmarsh Island, Goolwa, South Australia, January 2011

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Subspecies grisea is not recognised by most authorities^[2].

[edit] Habitat

Offshore islands, usually granite, in areas of pasture, tussock grass or low heathy scrub.

[edit] Behaviour

Typically in small to large flocks.

Difficult to approach, except where well protected from the activities of man, e.g. Mariah Island on Tasmania, a preserve, where they are very tame.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes tussock grass, spear grass, herbs, succulents, barley grass and clover.

[edit] Breeding

They nest in the grassy tussocks. The 5 eggs are incubated for about a month.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. Parks and Wildlife, Tasmania
4. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links