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Varied Sittella
Daphoenositta chrysoptera leucoptera
-16.82, 124.92
Field Notes
Description:
"Colouration completely depends on the subspecies..." This subspecies is also called the White-winged Sitella. It has "[a black] crown and head, and its body is either whitish or grey often streaked with black and grey. Its wings are black, with a broad bar in white. The iris is dark orange, and the eye-ring legs and feet are orange-yellow. The beak is [yellow or can be] orange with a black tip that can extend as far as the base." (Wiki)
Habitat:
Spiralling headfirst down this tree at Mt Hart.
Notes:
The first time I have seen this bird! My first thought when I saw it was that it was a Treecreeper. After some research I discovered that that can be a common first glance mistake :) Here's why: "At first glance a foraging Varied Sittella may appear to behave rather like a treecreeper as it probes crevices in the bark of trees for insects and other invertebrates while scurrying about the branches and trunks. However, closer observation shows that sittellas spiral head-first down the trunks of trees, while treecreepers spiral up the trunks." (Birdlife Australia: http://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/varied-sittella )
Reference: http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/viewphotos.php?c=475&pg=2
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