Green Catbird at the Australian Reptile Park
Green Catbird
The Green Catbird is a species I have only seen on a handful of occasions in the wild. The bird shown in the photo above was taken in one of the walk-through aviaries at the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford, north of Sydney. We recently visited the park on a family outing with our grandchildren.
The Green Catbird gets its name from its cat-like call. The green part of the name is obvious! The species is one of two catbirds in Australia, the other being the Spotted Catbird which lives in far north coastal Queensland, a species I have yet to see. Green Catbirds on the other hand are found along coastal areas of southern Queensland and eastern New South Wales.
Catbirds inhabit rainforests where they feed on fruit. They are known to raids fruit trees in orchards and gardens.
Green Catbird
White-breasted Ground Dove, Adelaide Zoo
White-breasted Ground Dove
Today I feature another species I have not yet seen in its natural habitat, the White-breasted Ground Dove. Today’s photos were again taken in the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia. This zoo has an excellent bird collection on display.
As this species is found in Papua New Guinea, a country I have yet to visit, it’s not surprising that I have not seen this bird in the wild. Visiting a zoo is not quite the same, but is a good way of seeing birds I may not otherwise get to see.
As the name suggests the White-breasted Ground Dove is a species that spends a lot of time feeding while on the ground. It eats seeds, berries and insects and can be found in the dense undergrowth of the rainforest. Sounds like it might be a bird hard to find in its natural habitat.
I’m not absolutely certain, but I think that the photo above shows a male, while the one below is of a female which has duller colours than the male.
White-breasted Ground Dove