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Hi everyone,
I have just returned from a trip into northern NSW in which I
found two birds in unusual colour forms:
a) Monday 24 April - near Oakhampton Homestead, 14km north of
Manilla - a mostly pure white Pied Butcherbird with a dark eye and pale brown
tail/tail coverts. There were several normal PB's nearby. The bird has
apparently been around for some months and had been causing much speculation as
to it's identity. Is 'leucistic' (or leukistic) the term for this form, and is
it a chance mutation?
b) The other bird was an all-black Willie Wagtail found on 27
March at the beachside car park at the start of the littoral rainforest walk
near Iluka. I believe this is called a melanistic form.
Other highlights were Plum-headed Finches at both the Borah
Travelling Stock Reserve (where there were also lots of Turquoise Parrots) and
the Mille TSR near Barraba, and a couple of very obliging Noisy Pittas at the
Dorrigo National Park (Glade Picnic Area) on 29 April.
Richard
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