Australian Magpie

A medium-sized black and white bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. The same species in both countries with nine sub species. There are few places in Australia without a magpie.
Its sound is very familiar. Melodious. Pleasant. Musical. Wide variety of calls. Mimic birds, dogs, horses and humans.
Black and white feathers. Normally the body is black but in Tasmania the rump is white. The male has white feathers on the back of his head. In the female they are more grey feathers. Black and white feathers. Gold brown eyes.
Spends a lot of its time on the ground. Walks. No hopping.
Omnivorous. Mostly lots of invertebrates. Insects. Small animals.
Is territorial. Common on the Domain. Prefers open grasslands, fields and parks
Adapts well to humans. When breeding the male can over react to intruders. Has a reputation for swooping and attacking anybody approaching the nest. The majority of magpies do not swoop.
Nest is a bowl of stick lined with grass or bark, built by the female high in the fork of a tree. August to December.
2/5 eggs. Babies are fed by the female. Though the male if inclined will fed the female. 

Black Currawong

Endemic to Tasmania and the nearby islands within Bass Strait. Common in highland areas. Seen on the domain in winter. Generally found at higher altitudes.
Black except for tip of tail and patch of white in wing.
Noisy with a loud call perhaps noisier when it is about to rain. Occur if flocks often making a uniform noise.
Male and female look the same.
When feeding it grabs whatever is available. Lizards, mice, invertebrates, berries, fruit. Will snatch food from a human hand.
Nest is a large mash of sticks high in a tree. August to December.
Eggs 2/4. Both parents feed the chicks.
Omnivorous including berries, invertebrates and small vertebrates. 

Black Headed Honeyeater

Distinguishing feature is black head and throat. Green feathers on top and white below. A small black bill.
An endemic bird. Only found in Tasmania and Bass St Islands.
Occurs in all native vegetation, orchards and urban areas. Wet and dry forests. Main diet is insects. Also eats nectar. Feeds on insects in the canopy. Often hangs upside down from branches. Forages amongst the leaves not the bark.
Nest in large loose colonies. Nest is bark, grass and moss.
2/3 spotted pink eggs.
​ Mates for life. Both sexes build the nest, incubate and feed the young. 

Eastern Rosella

Feathers are very colorful. Red head. Body is black, yellow, green and blue. Found in South Eastern Australia. Tasmanian bird is a subspecies.
Found in most native areas and urban areas. Open native forest. Parks and gardens. Feeds mainly seeds on the ground. Also fruit, nectar, flowers and insects. 
Red head. White cheeks. White beak. Males and females similar.
Breed in spring. 2/6 eggs.
​Nest is a hollow high in a tree.
​If breeding they give food to each other. 

Eastern Spinebill

A honeyeater found in all South-eastern Australia in forest and woodland areas, as well as gardens in urban areas of Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.
Distinctive feature is black, white and brown feathers, a red eye, and a long down curved bill.
Females and young are smaller and duller. Feed on nectar in trees and flowers and insects and invertebrates.
 Prefers dry sclerophyll forest as on the Domain.
Often seen hovering and flittering energetically.
The nest is twigs and grass in the fork of a tree. 1 to 4 eggs. Female sits on the eggs and both parents feed the young. August to December. 

Forest Raven 
​
Forest raven is called the Tasmanian raven. Found in Tasmania and parts of Victoria and NSW.
Black feathers; large black curved bill; short tail. Glossy black. Black beak. Male and female are similar.
Found in all of Tasmania. Including native areas, orchard, pine plantations and urban areas.
Feeds on insects, small lizards and birds and dead animals such as road kill. Forages in pairs or small flocks. Likes our rubbish, scraps and road kill.
Nest is high in a tall tree. Sticks and twigs lined with leaves and feathers. Female incubates the eggs and is fed by the male. Both parents feed the young.  Nest can be reused
Normally 4 to 5 eggs. Female incubates the eggs. Both parents feed the young.
Breed from August to January.

 Green Rosella 
​ 
Found only and common in Tasmania. Variety of habitats.
A large rosella.
Yellow head. Blue cheeks. Red forehead.
Feathers are yellow on head; Body is green and black with yellow belly.
Found in all Tasmania.
Eats everything.
Majority is seeds. Plus, fruit, berries, flowers, nectar and insects on the ground or in trees.
Forage in the canopy and shrubs.
Nest is a tree hollow. Female incubates alone. Both parents feed the young. September to January. 4 to 8 egg laid in a tree hollow. Female incubates the eggs.
Usually pairs or small flocks. 

Masked Lapwing 

Also called the masked plover or plover.
Ground dwelling bird. brown wings, black head, yellow wattles, yellow spurs near their wrist. Sexes are similar.
Found in most of Australia and also found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.
Common in urban grasslands.
Most of his time on the ground searching for insects and worms and larvae.
Builds a nest on flat ground. Both parents incubate and feed the young. Both parents will defend their young by attacking intruders or attempting to lure them away from the nest.
These attacks are unnerving but seldom result in physical contact.  The birds prefer you to run away.
Loud piercing calls. Swops aggressively on intruders.
Occur anywhere flat green and near water.
Breed. Winter to spring. Pairs bred for life.
3 to 4 eggs. Young leave nest on the ground when hatched. Young wander widely. Adults  look after them. Family remains together for 8 to 10 months.
Often swoop to defend eggs or young. The swoop is a threat or bluff. No contact.

Musk Lorikeet
​
Found in South Eastern Australia which includes Tasmania. Common in big cities.
Mainly green.  Red and blue on head. Yellow band on wings.
Often seen high in large noisy flocks feeding on nectar when gum flowers are out.
Also eats seeds, fruit and insects.
Apricots apples flowers and nectar.
Nets in small hollow branches of living gum trees. August to January. 

​The Noisy Miner 
​
A honeyeater common to South-eastern Australia.
Feathers are grey; yellow patch behind the eye; white tip of tail. Yellow beak; yellow feet.
Noisy minor is noisy. Songs; alarms and constant vocalisations. Harsh single notes.
Will aggressively defend its territory from other birds.
Feeds on nectar, fruits and insects.
Normally lives in a colony.
Nests in leafy trees.
Female builds the nest deep and cup shaped. From anything soft. Both adults fed the young.

Striated Pardalote 

The most common pardalote. Least colorful. Very small short tailed bird often heard or seen foraging noisily in the tree tops.
Found in most areas of Australia. Numerous sub-species. Some migrate a long way. Others remain all year in the same spot.
Very small, short tail. Often heard not seen.
Feed amongst the leaves of trees. Eat insects and their larvae. 
Nest is a tree hollow or a tunnel in a bank. Often parade around the entrance to their nest. Males and females both incubate and feed the young.
Breed June to Feb.
2 to 5 eggs.
Nest of bark and grass in a tree hollow.
Both parents incubate and feed young.

Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo 

A relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests. They are also often pets. Live in big cities.
Large white parrot with a yellow crest and yellow under wings. Sexes look the same. Very noisy.
Prefer wooded areas. Common around towns or cities. Stay in the same area all year.
Eat berries, seeds, nuts and roots.
Lays eggs in a tree hollow. Both parents incubate and care for chicks.
Calls are loud and screeching.
Live up to 70 years in captivity. 20 to 40 years in the wild. 

​Yellow tailed black cockatoo
Mainly found in South-eastern Australia. Can occur in small to large flocks.
Unlikely to see a cockatoo on the Domain but possible. 
Feathers are mainly black. Yellow cheek and yellow tail band.
Loud calls travel far.
Diet is mainly grubs eating the trees. And seeds of native plants and seeds of crops and pine cones.
Nest in hollows high in trees.  

Yellow-throated Honeyeater
​
Found only in Tasmania and Bass St Islands. Originally the same bird as a honey eater on mainland Australia but has evolved into a separate species.
Feed mainly on insects. Also, nectar and fruit. Forages in the bark.
Aggressively defends its territory against other birds including other honey eaters.
Female builds a nest of grass, bark and hair. Female incubates and feeds young.
Breeds August to December.
2 top 3 eggs.
Nest within a meter of the ground. In a low bush or grass.
Female incubates and feeds the young. The male drives the young away at about three weeks. 

The Yellow Wattlebird (Tasmanian Wattlebird)

Found only in Tasmania. Endemic. Australia’s largest honeyeater. Active, noisy and loves flocks. Makes a loud gargling, coughing noise audible from a far.
Slim bird with a long tail, short bill and yellow wattles on either side of head. Dark wings and yellow belly feathers. Males bigger than females.
Common around the Domain.
Feeds on nectar, fruit and insects at all levels. 
Nest is twigs, bark and grass about 1 to 3m above the ground. Normally in a eucalyptus.
Both adults incubate and feed the young.
Active and acrobatic often in our garden.
Call is a rude coughing grunting sound. 

Acknowledgement
I am very grateful and very thankful to Australian Birds (https://www.birdlife.org.au/) for some of the photos presented on this page.  
I have taken a few of the photos from my time on the Domain.  I am really happy to share them.