Red Wattle Bird bathing in a wet bush

The Red Wattle Bird is one of our permanent residents. On any particular day its whereabouts will depend on which red flowering eucalyptus is in season. As it moves about the tree it has a very slinky streamlined motion which camouflages it against the branches. As it flies it holds the feathers of its tail tightly together until just before it alights when it spreads them into a diamond form.

It has a very raucous voice and I consider it the donkey of the bird world. The sound is instantly recognisable. One of the commonest calls sounds rather like Cllrrk chuck chuck, chuck chuck chuck. It loves to bathe in the top of the bush outside our living room whenever that is wet from rain or dew.