As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday, 28 October 2015

Little yellow bird sets twitcher hearts aflutter in Kakadu National Park

The sighting of a rare, little yellow bird has excited bird watchers and rangers in Kakadu National Park.

Yelllow Chat (Epthianura crocea).jpgThe numbers of yellow chat, once common on many Top End flood plains, have dwindled because of a loss of habitat resulting from the introduction of exotic plant species, grazing by cattle and buffalo, and degradation by feral pigs.

Assisting park rangers in the search for the bird was ornithologist Chris Sanderson who said the endangered yellow chat was in "serious trouble".

"They're a subspecies that's only found in the Northern Territory so they're a fairly iconic bird in the Kakadu area and for the people of the Northern Territory," he said.

The search for the illusive yellow chat centred around finding a shrub which proved to be almost as elusive as the bird itself.

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