From Opus

Poliocephalus poliocephalus

Photo by Tom Tarrant

[edit] Identification

L. 29-31cm

[edit] Adult Breeding

• Brownish-grey above
• Whitish below
• Grey upper breast
• Brownish-grey flanks
• Grey-brown forehead darkening towards black hindcrown and nape
• Whitish streaks over head and cheeks give hoary appearance
• Black chin
• Usually pale yellowish-white iris
• Black bill with white tip
• Olive-green legs

[edit] Adult Non-breeding

G-enerally duller and greyer, streaking on head much reduced but dark cap retained

[edit] Juvenile

Similar to non-breeding adult but with indistinctly striped face.

[edit] Flight

Broad white trailing edge to secondaries on upperwing which continues across most of the primaries.

[edit] Distribution

Southern half of Australia and Tasmania.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Lakes, reservoirs and large swamps.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Breeds November-January or after rains. Nest is a floating heap of vegetation Eggs: 3-6, greenish-white to pale blue initially.

[edit] Diet

Includes small fish and aquatic invertebrates.

[edit] References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019

[edit] External Links