Old World Warblers

Old World Warblers Family Sylviidae

Clamorous Reed Warbler: Photo: Julian Robinson Three birds of this family are occasionally recorded in the Garden Bird Survey. They are the Rufous Songlark (30 records), Golden-headed Cisticola (11), Brown Songlark (7) and the Clamorous Reed Warbler. The last mentioned is a common resident of reeds around Canberra's lakes.

Clamorous Reed-warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus

Clamorous Reed-warblers live in reeds around lakes and dams. They are easily detected in spring and summer by their continuous loud calling.

They are summer migrants, passing through Canberra gardens where they are sometimes sighted. They are absent from May to July. Numbers quickly build up to a peak from October to January and then decline. Numbers fluctuated widely, due largely to the location of observers. Together with many other migrants, numbers were high in the summer of 1982-83. R=118. BR=NA.

GRASSLAND BIRDS

The following species are grouped because they are generally birds of grassland, and consequently there are few records in the Garden Bird Survey.

Quail Family Phasianidae

Two species of native quail occur in survey records, the Stubble Quail (7 records) and the Brown Quail (2). Both species occur in the region with the Stubble Quail being regarded as an uncommon breeding resident, and the Brown Quail a rare breeding visitor. There is one record of the King Quail, an introduced common aviary bird. Another introduced member of this family, the Common Peafowl has two survey records.

LARK Family Alaudidae

The Skylark, an introduced common breeding resident of grasslands, has been recorded 21 times in the survey. A native species, the Singing Bushlark, was recorded once.

PIPIT Family Motacillidae

The only member of this family recorded in the survey is Richard's Pipit. This native bird, almost identical in appearance to the Skylark, is a common breeding resident of grasslands. There were 47 records in the survey. R=104. BR=64.