Tom, Grev and all,
Regarding the Slaty-backed Thornbill about Bowra/ Cunnamulla etc, I did
many trips into that area from about 1965 until about 1985 and never
recorded the species. We went much further west on a number of occasions
- Nockatunga, Innaminka etc etc. We thought we had it at Adavale at one
stage but it turned out to be a rather odd Inland Thornbill
("Broad-tailed" in those days). I camped near Eulo Bore for a few days
in 2000 and again in 2001 mostly to try to find it after it having been
recorded from there in the early 1990s but no luck.(The first I had
heard of it being recorded in the Cunnamulla-Thargomindah area was about
late 1980s - from Yowah from memory).
Monty Schrader lived at Cunnamulla for close to 30 years and was very
active over that period - and knew his area extremely well. I am sure he
never recorded it despite the fact that his work took him onto
properties up to 150 km from Cunnamulla. He sometimes accompanied us
when we did trips further west.
It would be interesting if the species is establishing itself or
extending eastward. I always rekoned the dry mulga country west from
Cunnamulla was probably suitable habitat and half expected to come
across the species eventually.
Hanzab says "Few records" (for Qld). There is a small scattering of
records listed - from much further W, e.g. Windorah, Jundah, and NW near
Sandringham Station (near the NT border), as well as the one from Eulo
Bore. A single specimen was collected 26 km W of Eromanga (ref. "Notes
on Recent Sightings of Slaty-backed Thornbills in South-western
Queensland", Inglis, Smyth, Joseph - Sunbird 22:46 - this paper
summarises SW Qld records until about 1991).
Lloyd Nielsen,
Mt Molloy
Nth Qld
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