Pale-tailed Kangaroo on Black Mountain Nature Reserve, a Rose Robin and some migrating honeyeaters

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Yes my comment about Red Kangaroos having a pale tail was a general comment to suggest that calling a macropod a Wallaroo because of a pale tail is not always valid but in no way suggesting that there are any of them here or that Con’s photo could fit a RK. It was sort of in suggestion that a pale tail goes against being an EGK.  The male Wallaroo I saw yesterday had a very definite black tail and feet, the blackest bits of him that was otherwise very dark brown to black...... So there is a sex difference in colour in the Wallaroos here as well as size and shape. Red Kangaroos also have a sex difference in colour but Eastern Grey Kangaroos apparently don’t, or not noticeable......  I think from its build and shaggy fur Matthew’s photo is a Wallaroo. Its tail is pale with a dark tip. The books say Wallaroos have a bare (unfurred) nose which appears to be the case.

 

Philip

 

From: Matthew Willis [
Sent: Sunday, 10 May 2015 6:42 PM
To: Steve Holliday
Cc: canberrabirds chatline
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Pale-tailed Kangaroo on Black Mountain Nature Reserve, a Rose Robin and some migrating honeyeaters

 

Based on all of this, I'm thinking this must be a Wallaroo I saw hanging out with the Eastern Greys at Tidbinbilla a few months back.

 

Wallaroo?

 

Matthew

 

 

 

On Sun, May 10, 2015 at 5:58 PM, Steve Holliday <> wrote:

Been away for a week but have a couple of comments to add.

I think tail colour is an easy and reliable way to separate a grey female Wallaroo from an Eastern Grey, at least in our local area -  the tail is consistently cream or even pale yellowish, as shown in Con's photo, Eastern Grey invariably has a black end of the tail. Very useful when the animal is fleeing from you. I note Philip's comment about Red Kangaroos having a pale tail but would be surprised if there are any wild ones within 200km of the ACT.

As regards distribution, there are quite a few Wallaroos in the quieter, hillier parts of Goorooyarroo NR, I have seen up to a dozen at a time there. Last year I saw 2 near the Mt Ainslie summit, the only Wallaroos I have recorded there. They may be part of a small resident population, or perhaps more likely, wandered across the Federal Highway from Gooroo. A few years ago while doing bird surveys along the undeveloped parts of the Molonglo, west of Coppin's Crossing, I saw many Wallaroos (and a lot of feral goats!).

Regards

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: Con Boekel [
Sent: Saturday, 2 May 2015 4:49 PM
To: canberrabirds chatline
Subject: [canberrabirds] Pale-tailed Kangaroo on Black Mountain Nature Reserve, a Rose Robin and some migrating honeyeaters

Not a bird, but someone conversant with macropodic marsupials might know why this one has a pale tail.

There was a female Rose Robin lurking between the electricity substation, the CSIRO workshop and the ANGB plastic house, Frith Road this afternoon. I heard Rose Robin calls on three other occasions but was not sure whether it was the same bird. It was hanging around with a large MFF. There were large parties of honeyeaters (up to 50). Going on the calls alone, White-naped Honeyeaters were in the majority.

Con

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