Animals of the Great Victoria Desert
Bird and animal observations are an important part of our field trips to the GVD. Some photos taken by our members appear below.
Birds of the Mamungari Conservation Park is a comprehensive bird list compiled by Marlene and Terry Friebe using lists from Friends' visits to Mamungari from 2005 to 2007, the Friebes' nine crossings of the park and Birds Australia's The New Atlas of Australian Birds. The list is in brochure form - please print it to take with you if you are visiting the GVD.
You might also wish to print the following list of birds which Mark Shephard's book (see Facts and Figures) identifies as 'common or widespread' in the GVD:
- Brown falcon, Falco berigora
- Crested pigeon, Ocyphaps lophotes
- Ringneck parrot, Barnardius zonarius
- Mulga parrot, Psephotus varius
- Red-capped robin, Petroica goodenovii
- Hooded robin, Melanodryas culcullata
- Rufous whistler, Pachycephala rufiventris
- Grey shrike-thrush, Collurincincla harmonica
- Crested bellbird, Oreoica gutturalis
- Willie wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys
- Splendid fairy-wren, Malurus splendens
- White-browed babbler, Pomatostomus superciliosus
- Variegated fairy-wren, Malurus lamberti
- Chestnut-rumped thornbill, Acanthiza uropygialis
- Southern whiteface, Aphelocephala leucopsis
- Spiny-cheeked honeyeater, Acanthogenys rufogularis
- Yellow-throated miner, Manorina flavigula
- Singing honeyeater, Lichenostomus virescens
- Grey-fronted honeyeater, Lichenostomus plumulus
- White-fronted honeyeater, Phylidonyris albifrons
- Mistletoebird, Dicaceum hirundinaceum
- Black-faced wood-swallow, Artamus cinereus
Bird and Animal Photos
Click on an image to enlarge it.
Thorny Devil, Moloch horridus. We saw several Thorny Devils on the 2008 Field Trip. Photo: Neil Matthews
Handling a Thorny Devil. They're not called thorny for nothing. Hard man Gordon uses his bare hands, but Neville is a bit more cautious. Photo: Neil Matthews
Thorny Devil Close-up. Photo: ?
Butterfly on Grevillea. A pretty butterfly rests on an old Grevillea pod. Photo: Bill Dowling
Ant Showing Mandibles. An ant (Mrymecia species) emerges from its hole and shows off its mandibles. Photo: June Hudson
Tetralycosa Spider. A captured Tetralycosa spider. Photo: June Hudson
Australian Bustards, Ardeotis australis. These large birds are sometimes seen along the Anne Beadell Highway. Seeing this one in the grass, we stopped the car and this is actually a double exposure of the same bird which lumbered into the air as we approached on foot. Central Australian Aboriginal people may eat these birds, which they call Bush Turkey. In the Arrernte language it is kere artewe. Photo: Bill Dowling