Fantastic photo Roly ! Not sure , I thought the Brush and the Little Wattlebird were one and the same now. The Brush WB might have a little hint of white cheeks .
I found it a bit confusing! My Simpson and Day says figure 610B is a brush Wattlebird and 610A is a Little Wattlebird. However, I can't find the 610A picture!!!!
The drawing of the head appears to show a lot more white on the cheeks of the Little, while the location diagram shows it only inhabiting West Australia. Also, it describes the call as, 'Drawn out complex song; rapid twitterings'.
The bird sctually sounds like an old, rusty village pump, "A-rinky-dink, a-rinky-dink."
I have no idea how to interpret the 'voice' as described in the book!!!! :D
These are all in the same garden (ours) yet this guy seems slightly different again - with a brown patch on the wings and white tips to the tail feathers.
Brush Wattlebird is just a different name for a Little Wattlebird. My morcombe field guide says that there used to be a Western Wattlebird but now they are both just Little Wattlebird. You might need a newer field guide, because a lot of the taxonomy has changed.
Fantastic photo Roly ! Not sure , I thought the Brush and the Little Wattlebird were one and the same now. The Brush WB might have a little hint of white cheeks .
M-L
Little Wattlebird
I found it a bit confusing! My Simpson and Day says figure 610B is a brush Wattlebird and 610A is a Little Wattlebird. However, I can't find the 610A picture!!!!
The drawing of the head appears to show a lot more white on the cheeks of the Little, while the location diagram shows it only inhabiting West Australia. Also, it describes the call as, 'Drawn out complex song; rapid twitterings'.
The bird sctually sounds like an old, rusty village pump, "A-rinky-dink, a-rinky-dink."
I have no idea how to interpret the 'voice' as described in the book!!!! :D
Roly
Healesville
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36062443@N04/sets/72157632450588204/
I guess this one has white tips to the tail feathers and maybe a brown patch on its midriff?
Roly
Healesville
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36062443@N04/sets/72157632450588204/
These are all in the same garden (ours) yet this guy seems slightly different again - with a brown patch on the wings and white tips to the tail feathers.
None of them seem to have the throat wattles.
Roly
Healesville
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36062443@N04/sets/72157632450588204/
Brush Wattlebird is just a different name for a Little Wattlebird. My morcombe field guide says that there used to be a Western Wattlebird but now they are both just Little Wattlebird. You might need a newer field guide, because a lot of the taxonomy has changed.
Actually my preferred list has separated the Little and Western Wattlebirds for some years now.
Details below
The list I follow is http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/conservation/science/taxonomy/
Pizzey & Knight 9th edition 2012 shows the 2 species on p386
Simpson & Day 8th edition 2010 shows the 2 species on p194
Anthochaera chrysoptera tasmanic
Western Wattlebird pic attached
Peter
Thanks pacman, the bird in your photo seems to have quite a bit more white on its cheek.
Roly
Healesville
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36062443@N04/sets/72157632450588204/