February, 1934 The Queensland Naturalist 
13 
of bracken help to make the island an ideal place for all 
forms of wild life. The waterway between island and 
mainland has a number of sandbanks and mangrove 
islands scattered about it, ensuring a happy hunting 
ground for the many native and migratory wading birds. 
Wading and shore birds: Jabiru (Xenorhynchiis asia- 
ticus). For many years a pair of these big handsome 
black and white storks have homed on Bribie. They stand 
high on long coral pink legs and feed on the swamps and 
back-waters. I have not noticed young birds with them 
at any time; but last year I saw four adult birds moving 
in stately fashion through the timber. If they breed on 
the island it will be well away in the big swamp. The 
jabiru indulges in many a queer antic as it hunts for food. 
Brolgas: ( Megalornis rubicundusf) . — A brolga is 
nearly as large as a jabiru — a grey bird with red about the 
head. They are usually in companies of a dozen or so, and 
their weird call notes are apt to be alarming at nightfall 
when they fly overhead. It gives one a distinct thrill to 
see a company of these birds holding a dancing class 
on a big bare sandbank in' the early dawn. Their move- 
ments are very graceful and they seem to get a lot of 
fun out of their airy dance. 
Black Swans ( Chenopis at rata) congregate in im- 
mense numbers at times at the mouth of the creeks on 
the mainland shore ; and in the back-waters between the 
lesser islands. Egrets (Egrctta alba) , Sacred Ibis ( Thrcs - 
Jciornis molucca ), and the White-faced Heron (Noto- 
plioyx novae-liollandae) are also pretty plentiful there in 
the winter months. 
The Little Egret (Egrctta gargetta ). the Royal Spoon- 
bill (Platalea regia) and White-headed Stilts are to be 
seen but rarely— beautiful birds, all three. 
Pelicans f Pelicanus conspicillatus) have almost dis- 
appeared from the waters of the Passage. A few years 
back they were plentiful and added much to the beauty 
of the surroundings. We saw only one pair of pelicans 
during a three months holiday in that vicinity this year. 
Residents in the sanctuary sav the birds are shot out by 
the men in the fishing boats. T do not know if that is true. 
Cormorants (Pbalcrocorax varius P. atcr and 
P. melanoleucms) are always to he seen — their numbers 
never grow less. Now and again T have noticed a pair of 
the big black Cormorants (Phalcrocorax carbo) flying high 
overhead — they looked always in fine plumage. T have 
not noticed thgm on the sandbanks with the other cormor- 
ants, 
