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Inspiring and Supporting Photographers of Australian Birds

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Rufous Whistler

Rufous Whistler (Image ID 43176)
Photographed byMichael Hamel-Green on Wed 28th Oct, 2020 and uploaded on Fri 30th Oct, 2020 .
Resolution990x1400
Viewed299
ID43176
CommentI had no idea what this bird was, so enquired in our Forum’s Bird Identification section, always so helpful in guiding novitiates like myself through the arcane classifications of twitchery and the intricacies of dress codes in some 800 or more Australian bird species, not to mention the countless subspecies, nor the different outfits birds of each gender put on or take off in different seasons or at various stages of growing up. Fortunately, Ian Wilson was able to sort me out in no time at all. It is apparently a Rufous Whistler. But there is no reddish plumage on it, one might ask. Silly question. She is a female Whistler and so has no red plumage, nor black collar, but rather prefers to wear a beautiful whitish-grey dark-streaked number. Ian went on to clarify that she is a migrant who travels down south from Queensland to nest and breed every summer. Obviously she had just heard that, after the end of lockdown, it was now safe to visit Melbourne, which is where I spotted her a few days ago in the Woodlands Historic Park. Of course, there might be problems on her return trip to winter over in Queensland. Two weeks in bird quarantine. But I suspect that this Rufous Whistler will cross that border when she comes to it. Birds without borders, sharing their songs wherever they go. Something we humans might also consider once we have conquered this virus. As John Lennon once imagined, we could and should “all live as one” instead of putting up walls against migrants and refugees.
EquipmentNikon Z7 with Nikon 300mm PF f/4 telephoto
ISO 800
1/2000th f7.1
LocationWoodlands Historic Park, Back Paddock, Victoria
Keywordsfemale, adult
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