Orange Chat
Epthianura aurifrons
Birdsville Inside Track, NE SA IMG_5492 20200917 - adult male breeding. CLICK for another pic.
Notes: Small, plump, red iris. Male breeding plumage: mostly
bright golden yellow, tinged orange
on crown, forehead, breast; black mask
& bib; non-breeding: duller colours. Female: paler yellow;
no black;
pale yellow eyebrow, whitish throat, brown streaking on breast. Juvenile: warm
brown
upperparts, dark iris, pink gape. In arid, semi-arid saltbush plains;
coastal saltmarsh.
Range from Morcombe©
Coongie Lake, N SA IMG_9760 20170601 - adult female: yellow face, red iris.
Inner Birdsville Track, NE SA IMG_0074 20170603 - adult male in post-breeding moult.
Haligans Bay Track, N SA IMG_7415 20160603 - foreground: male, female; background: juveniles. CLICK for pic of the adult male.
Birdsville Inside Track, NE SA IMG_5519+5537 20200917 - both adult male (left) and adult female (right) pretending to beinjured — a decoy tactic to protect a nearby nest.
Inner Birdsville Track, NE SA IMG_0097 20170603 - juvenile: warm brown upperparts, dark eye, pink gape.
Coongie Lake, N SA IMG_9662 20170601 - juvenile: warm brown upperparts, dark eye, pink gape.
Birdsville Inside Track, NE SA IMG_5468 20200917 - adult male on lookout.
Birdsville Inside Track, NE SA IMG_5524+5532 20200917 - first male, then female making a distraction behaviour: a nest nearby?
Coongie Lake, N SA MVI_9608+9636 20170531 - juveniles foraging.