82 Le Souef and Macpherson, The Birds of Sydney, r,,^^"^ 



The Birds of Sydney. 



By a. S. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., and Dr. Johx Macpherson, 

 R.A.O.U. 

 The district included in this survey is the city of Sydney and 

 its suburbs, including two large parks, the Botanical and Zoological 

 Gardens. The gardens and the parks are well \\-ithin the city, 

 and are surrounded by dwellings. 



Practically all large cities have their characteristic birds, and 

 it is ver}- pleasant to note the number of wild species which 

 manage to hold their own in the vicinity of Sydney in spite of 

 many restraining circumstances in the shape of cats and the 

 ubiquitous egg-hunting boy, and in competition with the large 

 number of imported Sparrows and Starlings that are specially 

 fitted to hve in towns. 



Several species are especially numerous. In the streets we find 

 numbers of Welcome Swallows, whilst almost any bit of greenery 

 will give shelter to the " Jacky Winter" {Micntca fascinans), 

 the Wren- Warbler {Malnriis cyaneus) and the famiUar " Willie 

 Wagtail " [Rhipidura motacilloides), while a shrubbery' will be 

 the stronghold of a Yellow Robin {Eopsaltria anstralis), and a 

 Spinebill {AcanthorJiynchits) will soon locate and \nsit any flowers. 

 The Silver-eyes and. the Grallinas are more widel}^ spread ; the 

 fonner seem to visit any odd trees about the city, and the latter 

 look after lawns and bowUng greens wherever they are not 

 molested. 



The class of birds in a city is governed to some extent by the 

 kind of trees which have been planted in the parks and suburbs ; 

 and, as so many of our AustraUan birds are specialists on the 

 eucalypts, the presence of these trees naturally attracts many 

 species, and Sydney is especially fortunate in this respect, as the 

 parks round the harbour have to a large extent been left in their 

 original state, and are a splendid sanctuar}' for the wild birds. 



In good seasons a few Painted Quail {Turnix varia) are often 

 to be found in the Sydnej' parks. In the spring of 1919 a httle 

 covey Uved for some time in a thick patch of Paspaliim grass 

 growing on a rise in Ashton Park and adjoining some tea-tree 

 scrub. 



' A pair of Little Crakes {Porzana paliistris) Uve in Centennial 

 Park ; they are generally hard to observe, being wary and quick 

 to take cover. 



Black Moor-Hens {Gallinula tenehrosa) have recently taken 

 possession of the water-Uly pond in Centennial Park and also the 

 ornamental waters of the Botanic Gardens, where they have 

 become quite tame. They come to be fed by the public, and 

 between times will be seen diving in the shallow water, evidently 

 after water-plants, or searching round the banks of the islands 

 after insects. They seem to be resident, and probably nest. 



Numbers of AustraUan Coots [Fnlica australis) are to be seen 

 all the year round in the ponds in Centennial Park, and they will 



