Bird Life
Birds
"Owing to the richness of the district in both forest and water, birdlife is unusually abundant and varied." This quote was taken from William Ruth's award winning essay in the Victorian Centenary Essay Competition in 1951, which is published as The Romance of a Selection Victoria's Western Border Country 1850-1950.
The open farmland in the district has many larger species - magpies, kookaburras, cockatoos, parrots, ravens. Often seen are the birds of prey especially the majestic wedge tailed eagle. Kites, falcons and hawks are also prevalent. On closer inspection smaller birds do inhabit these areas - chats, quails, finches & wrens.
The wetlands support myriad of birds, including ibis, cormorants, coots, spoonbills, swans and cranes to mention a few.
The stringy-bark forest encourages many smaller species - wrens, robins, tree creepers, and honeyeaters to name a few. The Red Tail Black Cockatoo and emu also frequent here.
At night the eerie call of the mopoke is evidence one of many varieties of owls.
Special birds of the Apsley District
The Bush Stone Curlew, frequents open woodland and will either crouch near the ground and camouflage among sticks or run/fly away when an intruder approaches. Their unique call, an eerie and mournful "kerloo", imitates the sound of a woman being strangled and is usually uttered after nightfall and especially on moonlit nights. The nocturnal birds stand 55cm tall, having long legs, large eyes and a long stout bill. The local Kowree Farm Tree Group (Landcare) is presently seeking sites to fence out their worst predators - the fox.
The Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, RTBC population found around the Apsley district is a separate species to the RTBC found throughout northern Australia. It is a very large (50-64cm) black cockatoo which has a distinct harsh "kree" call. They lay a single egg in large hollow dead red gums usually between October and March. The birds also feed on stringy-bark and buloke seeds. This subspecies is endangered due to habitat clearing and loss of suitable nest trees. The Kowree Farm Tree Group has been funded by the World Wildlife Fund to actively protect and enhance these birds.
The Brolga, also referred to as the native companion it is renown for its graceful dancing. These large birds (70 -130cm) are most commonly seen on shallow wetlands and flooded areas but can also be seen on grasslands and crops. Brolgas feed on a wide range of food including large insects, reptiles, frogs and small mammals, especially rodents. (WCMA).
The Romance of a Selection Victoria's Western Border Country 1850-1950, William Ruth
The Glovebox Guide to Wimmera Wetland Birds, WCMA 2004