A swamphen and some lemurs

Ring-tailed Lemur, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Ring-tailed Lemur, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Over the last few weeks I have been sharing photos of some of the birds I saw while visiting the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, NSW. On another occasion  I commented that all of the birds seen in the zoo are actually birds that are free and not part of the exhibits. I also commented that many of these birds have adapted to the feeding times of the various animals – a free feed, so to speak.

The Purple Swamphen (see photo below) is one such bird. It was skulking around, perched on a flimsy branch of a tree, waiting for the Ring-tailed Lemurs (see photo above) to finish eating their dinner.

Purple Swamphen, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Purple Swamphen, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

 

Hardhead ducks at Dubbo

Hardhead or White-eyed Duck, Dubbo NSW

Hardhead or White-eyed Duck, Dubbo NSW

Over recent days I have written about and showed photos of the various birds seen on a visit to the Western Plains Zoo near Dubbo, NSW. All of these birds were actually naturally occurring species; none of them were a part of the actual species on display. The wild birds knew how to benefit from the facilities – like the artificial lake near the visitor centre shown above. They also are quick to feed on any unused food put out for the animals.

Today’s post features to Hardhead – also known as the White-eyed Duck. It is found throughout much of Australia in suitable habitat, such as lakes, swamps, large bodies of water, ornamental lakes and even brackish coastal swamps. It is rare in the drier parts of the interior. Although I have only see this species in small numbers, the field guides suggest that it is occasionally seen in large groups numbering in the thousands. It is often dispersive, moving to areas after good rain.

Further reading:

Hardhead or White-eyed Duck, Dubbo NSW

Hardhead or White-eyed Duck, Dubbo NSW

Cheeky Miner birds at Dubbo

Yellow-throated Miner, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Yellow-throated Miner, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

One of the things I noticed on our visit to the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo was the number of honeyeaters. The zoo enclosures and the road visitors take on their tour feature many local plants, especially eucalypts. A good number of these are flowering at any one time and this attracts the nectivorous birds such as honeyeaters.

One of the honeyeater  species which came up close and personal was the Yellow-throated Miner. One of them is featured in today’s photos. We treated ourselves to an ice-cream from the visitor centre and sat in the picnic area nearby to enjoy our treat. This miner came up really close, checking out if we had any morsels to share with it. The close proximity of the bird made photography easy.

Yellow-throated Miners are found over much of Australia except for the wetter eastern and southern coastal regions and Tasmania. A similar species is the Noisy Miner.

Further reading:

 

Yellow-throated Miner, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Yellow-throated Miner, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

 

Pink-eared Duck in Dubbo

Pink-eared Duck, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Pink-eared Duck, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

One of the lovely features of the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales, is the large artificial lake next to the visitor centre. I think it is wonderful that visitors can come to this part of the zoo without paying the entrance fee. This is particularly valuable to casual passers-by who do not have the time to spend a whole day in the zoo. (Two days are recommended to see everything and entrance fees are valid for two days.)

It is also great for local people who just want to have a picnic on the grassed area next to this lake. From the picnic area visitors get a good view of two exhibits: one with monkeys and another with lemurs. I will post photos of the lemurs in a few days.

The artificial lake featured in today’s post had a good range of water birds present. I am assuming that all of these birds are actually wild birds, and not a part of the zoo’s collection; a bonus add-on, if you like.

Featured in today’s photos is a Pink-eared duck, also known as a Zebra Duck because of the striped effect of the feathers. This species is a fairly common one in most of eastern Australia and much of Western Australia. It is rare in Tasmania and mostly absent from the drier interior. It is a highly nomadic species.

 

Pink-eared Duck, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Pink-eared Duck, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

 

Peacocks at Dubbo

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Indian Peafowl at the Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Over recent posts here I have featured some of the birds I saw on a visit to the Western Plains Zoo near Dubbo, New South Wales. As we were leaving several peacocks strutted past us in the car park – all for the world like they owned the place. I have found that this is a common trait in this species of bird.

I should give this bird it proper name: Indian Peafowl. Most people I know will call it a ‘peacock’, but that is more correctly the name given only to the male. The female is called a peahen. The birds shown in today’s post are all males.

This most colourful and charismatic of birds is an introduced species in Australia. The species is native to India and Sri Lanka. Small feral populations exist in many parts of the world, Australia being no exception. They are a common adornment in zoos, parks and gardens in many parts of Australia.

Further reading:

Indian Peafowl at the Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Indian Peafowl at the Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo