Rankins Springs, New South Wales
Allan James Park, main street of Rankins Springs, NSW
On our way home from visiting family in Sydney last year we stayed one night at Rankins Springs. I was pleased that we could do this because on many other occasions we had only driven through this delightful little town in mid-western New South Wales.
On several occasions we had stopped for a short break, including one occasion when we had lunch in the Allan James Park shown in the photos on this page. It is a lovely park with many shady trees and it takes the traveller off the busy main road through the town. It is a good spot to rest, relax, have a cuppa or a meal before heading off west towards Adelaide, east to Sydney, south to Griffith or north to Lake Cargelligo.
The park also affords a good introduction to the birds of the area. This town is something of a mecca for birders with many species easily seen here, including Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Apostle Birds, White-winged Choughs and Red-rumped Parrots.
Allan James Park, main street of Rankins Springs, NSW
Java Sparrows, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Java Sparrow, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Java Sparrow (also called Java Finch or Java Rice Finch) is native to the Indonesian Islands, including Java and Bali. It is a seed eater and is commonly found in grain farming areas such as rice fields. It can become a pest to farmers in some areas.
This beautiful little finch is also a common cage bird around the world.
The birds in these photos were taken in a walk-through aviary at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
Java Sparrow, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Java Sparrow, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Bleeding Heart Pigeon, Taronga Zoo Sydney
Bleeding Heart Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
I took these photos of a Bleeding Heart Pigeon in a walk through aviary in Taronga Zoo, Sydney. This bird is quite an arresting species with its bright red colour on the front looking very much like it has been wounded in some way. They are a species kept commonly in aviaries here in Australia and many zoos have a small collection of them as well.
Bleeding Heart Pigeons are from the Philippine Islands and are a member of the dove and pigeon family of birds. Pigeons and doves drink in a unique way in the bird kingdom. Most birds fill their beaks and tilt their head bad allowing water to dribble down the throat. Pigeons and doves on the other hand are able to suck water up through their beaks.
Bleeding Heart Pigeons eat fruit, berries, seeds and insects. It is a bird of the lower levels of the forests.
Further reading:
- Bleeding Heart Pigeons – information from the Honolulu Zoo website.
Bleeding Heart Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Chukar Partridge, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Chukar Partridge, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The attractive Chukar Partridge is a bird found across Asia and parts of Europe. It is considered a good game bird and belongs to the pheasant family. There are feral introduced populations in North America and New Zealand, being released as game birds for shooting. A small population also existed for a while in New South Wales though the latest edition of the Simpson and Day Field Guide suggests that this population is now extinct. It is the national bird of Pakistan.
The bird in the photo above was taken in a walk through aviary at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Much closer to home, however, my cousin recently had one in his garden here in Murray Bridge in South Australia. He sent a photo of it for identification wondering what it was. I guess someone is missing a beautiful bird from their aviary here in my home town.
Nicobar Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Nicobar Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Nicobar Pigeon is named after the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean SE of India. Although they are named after these islands, their distribution is much broader, stretching to the east through the Malay Peninsula and the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
I’ve never visited or been birding in this part of the world so I’ve not seen the Nicobar Pigeon in its natural environment. The iridescent colours of its plumage makes this a stunning bird. The birds shown in this photo was seen in a walk through aviary at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
Nicobar Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney