I'm trying to identify two birds, that I haven't been able to find in bird books or online.
One looks like a green lorikeet, it has a bright orange beak, and a barred yellow chest - and loves to eat my apples.
The second is demolishing my figs. Black and white with the build of a kookaburra (although a more rounded head) the head is white with a black line through the eye. Beak like a satin bowerbird. The back is black and white spotty/patchy, the chest is white with brown barring and it has a long brown tail with barring on the end. It has a weird sound: a sort of yelp/bark/chirp.
Any chance of letting us know here you are? Always helps with ID. Don't suppose you have any photos?
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Hi Marion, there are many different Lorikeets. It would help if you could tell us what region you saw the birds.
Sorry Dale, didn't see your post
M-L
Maybe a Scaly Breasted Lorikeet for the first one? Here's a photo, please tell me if I'm close; it's a lot harder working from a worded description than photos:
The second bird you have described sounds much like a female Common Koel.
Brandon (aka ihewman)
What a gorgeous photo!
There are some differences - the beaks on 'my' pair of birds were a bright orange.
The patterning on the chest was similar, but there was no green, it was yellow with fine black or brown lines.
Cooranbong area.
I'm still learning about the male/female differences as well as the immature stage.
Thanks
Marion
Cooranbong area.
Also, the marking on the chest is yellow and the lines are brown or black.
Thanks
Marion
Cooranbong, NSW.
Thanks
Marion
OK. I've seen and heard the male Koel several times. But have never seen this bird before in the 6 years of living here.
Thanks
Marion
The female Koel looks significantly different the male, and apart from a female Koel, I can't think what else it would be...
As for the lorikeet type thing, sorry, I'm out of ideas beyond Scaly Breasted Lorikeet.
Could be an escapee there over 100 types of lorries kept in Australia you could also look up Conures
Could be a hybrid Scaly Breasted, they often cross with other lorikeets (Rainbow, Musk, Purple-crowned).
Or perhaps a mutation of an Indian Ringneck or Alexandrine parrot aviary escapee.
I have to agree with the others, they sound very much like a female Common Koel and a Scaly-breasted lorikeet. Do you think that you would be able to get some photos of them? If not, you could always try and google the images for both of them
I hope that you can find out what they are.
LC
I guess that's why I turned to this website, as I had googled and searched bird books, but couldn't find the ones I had seen in my yard.
Thanks
Marion
I had not realised the possible cross breeding or 'escapees'.
Also had never heard of conures (which I then Googled) - amazing photos!! But they didn't have the bright orange beaks that 'mine' had.
Thanks
Marion