"Birds of Australia is an excellent book. The text is comprehensive, the content is effectively organized and researched, and the scholarship is sound. The photographic plates are of a very high quality."--Peter S. Lansley, senior ecologist, Brett Lane & Associates

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7 INTRODUCTION 8 AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE AND RAINFALL 11 HABITATS OF AUSTRALIA 12 Marine and Coastal Habitats 12 Tropical Habitats 17 Temperate Habitats 25 Arid and Semi-arid Habitats 31 Man-made Habitats 36 SPECIES ACCOUNTS 39 Cassowary 40 Emu 40 Megapodes 42 Quail 44 Grebes 46 Ducks, Geese, and Swans 48 Gannet 58 Tropicbirds 58 Pigeons and Doves 60 Frogmouths 70 Owlet-nightjar 72 Nightjars 72 Swifts 74 Storm Petrels 76 Albatrosses 78 Petrels and Shearwaters 84 Penguins 100 Frigatebirds 102 Boobies 104 Darter 106 Cormorants 106 Pelican 108 Stork 108 Cranes 108 Herons and Bitterns 110 Ibises and Spoonbills 116 Osprey 118 Kites, Hawks, and Eagles 118 Falcons 128 Rails, Crakes, and Coots 130 Bustard 136 Stone-curlews 136 Stilts and Avocets 138 Oystercatchers 138 Plovers 140 Jacana 146 Painted-snipe 148 Sandpipers and Snipes 148 Buttonquail 162 Pratincoles 166 Plains-wanderer 166 Skuas 168 Gulls and Terns 170 Cockatoos 180 Parrots 186 Cuckoos 202 Owls 208 Barn Owls 210 Kingfishers 212 Dollarbird 216 Bee-eater 216 Pittas 218 Lyrebirds 220 Australasian Treecreepers 222 Bowerbirds 224 Australasian Wrens 228 Scrubbirds 242 Bristlebirds 242 Australasian Warblers 244 Pardalotes 260 Honeyeaters 262 Australasian Babblers 298 Logrunners 300 Quail-thrushes and Whipbirds 302 Cuckooshrikes 306 Sittella 310 Whistlers and Allies 310 Figbird and Orioles 318 Woodswallows 320 Butcherbirds and Currawongs 324 Fantails 328 Crows 330 Monarchs 332 Australian Mudnesters 338 Birds-of-paradise 340 Drongo 342 Australasian Robins 342 Larks 352 Pipit and Wagtail 352 Grassbirds 352 Cisticolas 354 Reed Warbler 354 White-eyes 356 Mistletoebird 356 Sunbird 356 Swallows and Martins 358 Thrushes 360 Estrildid Finches 362 Old World Sparrows 370 Finches 370 Starlings 372 Bulbul 372 ABBREVIATIONS 374 GLOSSARY 375 PHOTO CREDITS 380 INDEX OF SPECIES 381