Red WattlebirdScientific name: Anthochaera carunculata
Meaning of name: Anthochaera is from the Greek words anthos, meaning flower, and chairein, meaning to rejoice. Carunculata is from the Latin word carcunculatus, meaning with small pieces of flesh.
Aboriginal name: Wodjalok (wore’cha’lawk).
Distribution: Red Wattlebirds is widespread in the southern areas of Australia.
Description: This bird is up to 37cm long with a 49cm wingspan.
Notes: The furthest distance recorded by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme for this species of bird to travel is 271 km. The oldest bird recorded was still alive when its band was read in January 2003, 13 years 3.4 months after being banded (information as at 10 January 2018).
The photographs for this species were not taken in the reserves of interest to the FQPB.
References: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Various contributors.
What Bird is That? Neville W Cayley. 1978
Australian Birds, their Nests and Eggs. Gordon Beruldsen. 2003
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
Red Wattlebirds can be found in the garden as well as in the bush.
These pieces of Red Wattlebird eggs were found in a residential garden.
Red wattlebirds have red wattles hanging from the sides of their face. Photograph courtesy of B Wykes.
Young red wattlebirds lack the red wattles. This bird had left the nest but was still being fed by its parents.
