Townsville SOE - State of the Environment Report

The freshie should not be confused with its more aggressive and dangerous relative the estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), which has a much broader snout.

Freshies are not aggressive at all, nor considered dangerous if left alone.

The female freshie lays about 20 eggs at the end of the dry season. The young are briefly guarded by their mother, before being left to fend for themselves.

Both species of crocodile play a vital role in the health of our fresh and saltwater ecosystems.

This adorable duck can be found mostly at the Ross Dam, but sightings have been made along various parts of the Ross River and wetlands at Fairfield Waters.

Their ideal habitat is deep lagoons with water-lilies and other floating water plants.

Cotton Pygmy-Goose
Nettapus coromandelianus

Grest Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo

The great cormorant is Australia's largest and most widely distributed cormorant.

They dive for fish, using their large webbed feet to propel them through the water.

Cormorants are similar to darters, but have a curved beak and slightly stouter appearance. It is common for great cormorants and ibis to nest in colonies together in trees along the riverbank.

Known as the snake-bird because of its long snake-like neck; the only part visible when swimming while hunting for fish.

Darters resemble cormorants, but are larger, have pale feet and a spear-like bill.

Like cormorants, they have to "hang their wings out to dry" after diving for fish and can often be seen on branches, logs or weirs.

Darter
Anhinga melanogaster

Magpie Geese
Anseranas semipalmata

Once widely distributed throughout eastern and northern Australia, populations are now mainly limited to the coastal plains of northern Australia.

They can be found in large flocks on the fringes of the Ross Dam, Town Common, Cromarty, Serpentine Lagoon and other local wetlands.

Parental care is shared between males and females. Sometimes two females take turns to look after one nest.

One of the most commonly seen birds on the waters of Ross River.

These ducks lay up to 10 eggs in a softly feathered, bowl-like nest built among grass at the edge of water.

Worms and invertebrates make up most of their diet and flocks can frequently be heard calling to each other on the river.

Pacific Black Duck
Anas superciliosa

White-faced Heron
Egrettta (Ardea) novaehollandiae

Closely related to egrets and bitterns, these wading birds prey on insects, crustaceans, frogs and fish.

Also known as the blue crane, these solitary birds are often seen wading along riverbanks searching for food.

They use four methods to capture prey: stand and wait, slowly stalk, actively persue or hover and plunge.

Also known as the lotus bird, this small aquatic bird is often found walking over lily pads and other floating vegetation.

The jacana is easily identified by the bright red comb on top of its head and its extremely long toes.

Chicks follow adults around soon after they hatch, but if threatened, adults will carry young under their wings with the chicks' toes trailing behind.

Comb Crested Jacana
Irediparra gallinacea

Dusky Moorhen
Gallinula tenebrosa

These birds can usually be found wading among reeds and rushes along the riverbank, feeding on aquatic vegetation.

The dusky moorhen is related to the purple swamp hen and eurasian coot but can be distinguished by its bright orange bill and forehead.

The female lays between five and 18 eggs, which she defends aggressively.

The chicks can swim immediately after hatching.

Rainbow Bee-eater

**(Merops ornatus)**

These small pretty birds nest in holes in the ground and lay up to five eggs, which both parents help to look after.

Each year the Bee-eaters return to the site at Marabou Park and use the same nesting holes from season to season.

Several hundred individuals can be found nesting and roosting here.

The trees in the park provide perches by day for spying their prey or having a rest between meals and shelter for roosting at night.

Their calls (a happy triling 'prrrpt prrrpt') can be heard in almost any suburban or bushland habitat in the region.

Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus

Rainbow Bee-eater

**(Merops ornatus)**

Insects are attracted to the nectar-laden flowers of the weeping paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendra) found along the Ross River. Bee-eaters take this opportunity to prey upon them.

These paperbarks are a very important part of the Townsville Ross River landscape and provide food, shelter and nesting hollows for birds and mamals and stabilise the banks of the river.

Bee-eaters are most active at dawn and dusk and can be seen careening through the air feeding upon winged insects such as bees, dragonflies and beetles.

Flocks can have from tens to thousands of individuals!

	This is one of only a few sites in Townsville where you can view these striking trees. The Townsville Siris is an exclusively tropical species, found in open Eucalypt woodlands across parts of northern Australia, but in spite of its large distribution it is not widely abundant. These trees provide excellent shade from the harsh tropical sun as well as valuable roosting and nesting sites for many of Townsville's bird species.	Townsville Siris Albizia canescens
		Townsville Siris Albizia canescens

Townsville Siris
Albizia canescens

While common in the Townsville area at the time of settlement, the Townsville Siris is now extremely rare, possibly due to harvesting for its excellent quality timber and as quality, drought cattle fodder.

Due to these characteristics it has been proposed as a high value species in future agro-forestry and sustainable pasture industries.

Cotton Pygmy-Goose

**(Nettapus coromandelianus)**

Great Cormorant

**(Phalacrocorax carbo)**

Darter

**(Anhinga melanogaster)**

Magpie Geese

**(Anseranas semipalmata)**

Pacific Black Duck

**(Anas superciliosa)**

White-faced Heron

**(Egrettta (Ardea) novaehollandiae)**

Comb Crested Jacana

**(Irediparra gallinacea)**

Dusky Moorhen

**(Gallinula tenebrosa)**

Rainbow Bee-eater

**(Merops ornatus)**

Rainbow Bee-eater

**(Merops ornatus)**