Magpie-larkScientific name: Grallina cyanoleuca
Meaning of name: Grallina is from the Latin word grallae, meaning stilts. Cyanoleuca is from the Greek words cyanos, meaning blue, and leucos, meaning white.
Aboriginal name: Dilabot (dill’a’bawt).
Distribution: Found in mainland Australia apart from desert areas.
Description: Up to 30cm long with a 57cm wingspan.
Notes: The furthest distance recorded by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme for this species of bird to travel is 58 km. The oldest bird recorded was recovered 12 years 1.6 months after being banded (information as at 23 June 2012).
References: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Various contributors.
What Bird is That? Neville W Cayley. 1978
Aboriginal names of bird species in south-west Western Australia, with suggestions for their adoption into common usage. Ian Abbott. 2009. Conservation Science Western Australia Journal. Volume 7 No 2 http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/76-publications-and-resources/103-conservation-science-wa-journal
Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/science/abbbs/abbbs-search.html
Male and female Magpie-larks have different plumage on their head and neck. This is a female.
An easy way to remember the difference between male and female is that females have a clean chin, males have a dirty one. This is a male.
These young Magpie-larks are sitting on their nest. They have different head and neck plumage to their parents. This photograph was not taken in the reserves of interest to the FQPB.
