Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata· 吸蜜鸟科(4 photos)
Red Wattlebird
33-36 cm. Crown black; face white below red eye; fleshy red neck-wattles (longer, redder with age); centre of belly lemon-yellow; legs pink. Female: smaller, tail shorter. Immature: paler, plainer; wattle small, pink. Singles, pairs, nomadic flocks: noisy, aggressive; acrobatic at blossoms; takes flying insects, hops on ground. Flight strong, direct, undulating, showing white tips to wing/tail feathers. Attracted to gardens, nectar-feeders, vineyards.
- Similar Species
- Little Wattlebird: fine silvery streaks; lacks wattles; yellow belly; note chestnut wingpatches in flight. Yellow Wattlebird (Tas.): larger, paler streaked; long yellow wattles.
- Voice
- hacking cough 'yak', 'yakayak' or 'yaak, yakyak'; deep, mellow, ringing 'tew-tew-tew-tew'. Alarm call: single emphatic 'chock!'; many others.
- Habitat
- eucalypt forests, woodlands, scrubs: mallee, coastal scrubs, heaths; orchards, golf courses, parks, gardens.
- Breeding
- July-Nov.
- Nest
- untidy saucer of sticks, leaves, grass; lined with bark-strips, fur, hair; 2-16 m high in fork, or on bark against trunk.
- Eggs
- 2-3; pale pink/red-buff, spotted red-brown, reddish purple.
- Range & Status
- se., s. and sw. mainland Aust.: in Q, n. to Darling Downs-Brisbane; in NSW, inland to Inverell-Warrumbungle NP-Hillston-mallee areas of sw.; throughout Vic.; s. SA and Kangaroo I., n. to Flinders Ras.-Gawler Ras., coastally w. along Bight; widespread sw. WA, n. to Gt Victoria Desert-Shark Bay. Common. Blossom-nomad. In summer, ranges up to 2000 m in NSW and Vic. Alps; large autumn movement from Gt Dividing Ra. to coastal lowlands/sub-inland plains. In s. WA, moves to coastal and n. areas in autumn.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Anthochaera carunculata carunculata 2. Anthochaera carunculata clelandi 3. Anthochaera carunculata woodwardi
