Sunday, October 12, 2014

Corellas bring buzz but don't fully fit the bill

Finding four birds rarely seen anywhere near this patch gave me a buzz yesterday on main road west of Ingham. 
Problem. Birds don't truly fit either of only possible species: Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris; a South Australian) or Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea; mostly west of Great Dividing Range). But escapees have established themselves near some eastern cities, including Townsville (130km south of Ingham).
My birds may be hybrids: the bills aren't quite long enough, but Littles don't have red throats.
So, don't know where they came from, where they went, what they are, if I'll ever see them again. Isn't birding wonderful?!
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1 comment:

  1. geoff from WarragulDecember 6, 2014 at 8:36 AM

    I think you're right that these seem hybrid. Long-billeds are definitely spreading their range. They are now widespread in Vic and NSW. Even common in Melbourne. But yours don't have a long bill. Where I now live, both are found equally, but long-time residents say the Long-billeds are recent arrivals. It is not easy to distinguish them without close observation

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