Range: Australasian
- Animals & Habitats
- Our Animals
- Australasian
FUN FACT
Black Kites eat “on the wing,” catching smaller prey out of the air with their talons and bringing the food directly to their mouths without slowing down.
The Black Kite is a medium-sized, primarily brown raptor. Kites are characterized by their long wings and tails, buoyant and acrobatic flight, and ability to catch food in mid-air. Black Kites are widespread and adaptable and can be found throughout portions of Africa, Europe, and Australasia. They eat small mammals, other birds, carrion, and insects. Their most notable trait is the ability to catch and eat prey while still in flight and they have been observed catching large insects fleeing from wildfires. Unlike most raptors, Black Kites are a fairly social and gregarious species and often gather in large flocks to roost and feed.
Habitat
Nearly ubiquitous, occurring from semi-desert, grassland, and savanna to woodland, but avoids dense forest. Commonly found in aquatic habitats, e.g. rivers, lakes, wetlands, seashores, and nearby in meadows and along margins of wetlands. Often linked with humans and has successfully colonized large urban areas of Africa and Asia.
Diet
Small animals, insects, carrion, and human refuse
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Black Kites often nest in loose colonies and in areas where nesting sites are at a premium, and have been observed nesting only a few feet from one another. Nests are generally built in trees, cliffs, or building ledges, and consist primarily of sticks and twigs. Black Kites typically lay 2-3 eggs which are incubated by the female for approximately 30 days. After hatching, the young birds remain in the nest for an additional 6-8 weeks, and become independent roughly 3 weeks after fledging.
FUN FACT
The Silver Gull is the most common gull in Australia.
The Silver Gull is the most common gull found in Australia. It is most common in coastal areas but can be found throughout the continent. They use a variety of habitats, from sandy and rocky shores to garbage dumps, and breed on small islands. Their diet is as varied as their habitats. The Silver Gull will eat jellyfish, crustaceans, small mammals, and items scavenged from garbage dumps. This species is not globally threatened and is in fact increasing.
Habitat
Uses both coastal (marine) and inland (brackish and freshwater) habitats, including sandy and rocky shores, beaches, garbage dumps, and inland fields. Breeds on small islands, beaches, and peninsulas with low vegetation
Diet
Diet includes jellyfish, squid, worms, insects, crustaceans, arachnids, small fish, frogs, birds and mammals, as well as some plant material, such as seed and berries. Opportunistically steals food from terns, pelicans, and a variety of other birds. Also scavenges along shore and at garbage dumps
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Silver Gulls breed in large colonies on offshore islands. Their nests are located on the ground, often next to low shrubs, rocks, and jetties. Both adults share nest-building, incubation, and feeding duties. The clutch size is 1-3 eggs, incubated for 19-27 days. Young are fed for 4-6 weeks after hatching.
FUN FACT
In cold months, Tawny Frogmouths go into torpor, slowing their body functions to conserve energy and heat.
Tawny Frogmouths are comical looking birds with large eyes and wide mouths. They are found throughout Australia in a wide variety of habitats, from Eucalyptus forests to city parks. They inhabit areas with extreme temperature variation, with very cold nights and very hot days. To stay cool, Tawny Frogmouths engorge the blood vessels in the mouth, which helps to cool air as it is inhaled. In the winter, pairs roost together to share body warmth, and they will often sunbathe in the daylight, opening their beaks wide and moving their heads from side to side for sunlight to penetrate their thick feathers. In the winter, they spend much of their days and nights in torpor.
Habitat
Occurs in a wide variety of open forested habitats, including Eucalyptus forest, trees along watercourses, edges of roadways in rainforest areas, tree-lined roadsides in farmland, city parks and large gardens with shade trees
Diet
Diet consists mainly of large insects and other terrestrial invertebrates (scorpions, spiders, centipedes); will also take frogs, earthworms, snails, slugs, crustaceans, millipedes, lizards, small birds, and small mammals
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
The Tawny Frogmouth's nest is a coarse, loose platform of crisscrossed twigs built in the fork of a tree, or rarely on an old nest of another bird. Both parents incubate a clutch of 1-3 eggs for 28-32 days, with parents feeding each other at the nest. Young fledge after 25-35 days and are fed for another 1-2 weeks after they leave the nest.
FUN FACT
The Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise is the national bird of Papua New Guinea and appears on the country’s flag.
The spectacular Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise is found in lowland forest, hill forest and lower montane forest, secondary growth, forest edges and patches, and even gardens in New Guinea. Eating primarily fruits and arthropods, the species is an important dispereser of mahogany and nutmeg seeds. The male Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise’s tail has two long tail wires and cinnamon-colored feathers, which can be up to three feet in length. Like other birds in this family, this is a lekking species. A lek is a common area where multiple males compete using elaborate courtship displays in order to attract the attention of a female; as many as ten adult Raggiana Birds-of-Paradise have been observed at a single lek. Traditional lek sites tend to occupy prominent positions in local topography, such as a high ridge crest. The Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise is common and widespread with no evidence of significant potential threats.
Habitat
Lowland forest, hill forest and lower montane forest, secondary growth, forest edges, gardens, and even trees and copses in otherwise open deforested areas. Traditional lek sites tend to occupy prominent position in local topography, such as ridge crest.
Diet
Mostly fruits, mainly capsular ones, and figs; also some arthropods
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
This species is polygynous. Leks, including up to ten adult males, typically are located in the upper portions of one or more canopy trees in forest interior or forest remnant. The female builds and attends the nest alone. The nest an open bowl-shaped structure of leaves, leaf pieces, rootlets, vine stems, orchids or ferns and fibers, with discrete egg-cup lining of horsehair-like material, built in tree branches 2–11 m above ground. A clutch is one or (usually) two eggs, incubated for 18-20 days, with a 17-20 day nestling period.
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