An Australian Bird Book: A Pocket Book for Field UseLeach, John Albert
Science
An Australian Bird Book: A Pocket Book for Field Use
Leach, John Albert
Birds -- Australia
=259* Restless Flycatcher=, Scissors Grinder, Grinder, Willie
Wagtail (e), Dishwasher (e), Who-are-you? _Seisura inquieta_,
A.
Stat. c. _open_, _scrub_ 8
Upper shining black; under white; like 256 but throat white;
hovers; f., throat, breast buff. Insects. Harsh grinding,
"Tu-whee, tu-whee."
2
8
=260 Black-faced Flycatcher= (Carinated), _Monarcha
melanopsis_, Timor, N.G., N. Ter., E.A.
Stat. r. _brushes_ 6.7
Forehead, face, throat black; upper gray; wings, tail brown;
chest gray; abdomen rufous; f., sim. Insects. Loud whistle,
"Why-yew, witch-yew."
====
Order XXI. (continued)
More than half the species of birds making up the family of
Caterpillar-eaters are restricted to the Australian region.
The common Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike has many names. Leatherhead, Blue
Pigeon, and Blue Jay are amongst the most common, and all are
wrong. The Leatherhead is a Honey-eater, and is better known as the
Friar-Bird. The Cuckoo-Shrike is not a Pigeon, but is a perching bird;
nor is it a Jay, which is a Northern Hemisphere bird, a member of the
Crow family.
The Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike is partly migratory, being stationary
in the northern parts of its range, but migratory in the south. It
occasionally reaches New Zealand. These birds undergo many changes of
plumage before assuming the adult dress. The Little Cuckoo-Shrike,
in particular, has several plumage phases, the throat and neck being
black in the young, but gray in the adult. Its Cuckoo-like flight
undoubtedly suggested part of the name. When young males are unlike
the adult males, they usually resemble the female. Here, however, the
adults of both sexes are similar.
The male White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater resembles a Hooded Robin
(249). It is supposed to be shy, but at the Tallangatta excursion,
two pairs were attending to domestic duties in the school ground and
surprised all by their fine musical performances. The male called
"Peter, Peter," or some syllabize it "Pretty Joey," and then broke
into a trilling song that fully equalled any canary performance I have
heard. This was repeated frequently during the day. The female seemed
to have a creak in her note, which, however, was musical. The bill is
slender in this species.
The Jardine Caterpillar-eater is rare and very shy. It keeps to the
topmost branches of lofty trees. The male is dark blue-gray and black,
and has a strong bill. The brown female is quite dissimilar, her
whitish under surface being crossed with numerous brown arrow-head
markings.
The Cuckoo-Shrikes and Caterpillar-eaters are, like the Cuckoos, very
fond of caterpillars, and so should receive all the protection we can
give them.
(continued below)
====
[Page 126]
[Illustration: [261] [262] [263] [264] [265] [265^A]]
F. 120. CAMPOPHAGIDAE (10), CUCKOO-SHRIKES,
Caterpillar-eaters, 186 sp.--104(103)A., 63(61)O., 2(1)P.,
19(19)E.
1
1
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