A few endemics from Tasmania

Photo: Strong-billed Honeyeater.

Tasmania has 12 endemic bird species of which I managed to connect with 11 during my visit. The only one I didn't get was the species with the most restricted range, 40-spot pardolete.

Strong-billed honeyeater is one of three endemic honeyeaters in Tasmania. Black-headed is very similar to this except that it has an all black head and is smaller.

Juvenile strong-billed honeyeaters with yellow bills and nape patches.

Yellow-throated honeyeater.

Tasmanian scrubwren.

Black currawong. The black race of grey currawong also occurs in Tasmania but that has a white vent and a less heavy bill.

Green rosella.

Tasmanian native-hen is like a flightless moorhen but the size of a purple swamphen.

Other endemics enocuntered but not photographed were dusky robin, scrubtit, Tasmanian thornbill and yellow wattlebird. The one endemic which I didn't see was 40-spot pardolete. I was at one of the main sites for the species at Bruny Island Neck, but the presence of a king penguin on the beach distracted me and eventually we ran out of time to search for the pardolete.