100+ Birds of the Capertee Valley Australia - Includes stunning scenery and many bird behaviours
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- This comprehensive collection of beautiful birds was gleaned from many visits to the magnificent Capertee Valley (NSW) 2018 - 2023. The Capertee Valley (CV) is often described as the widest enclosed canyon/valley in the world, the second largest overall or Australia’s version of the Grand Canyon. This remarkable place is Wiradjuri Country. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We are grateful for the vital contribution of First Nations People to the knowledge and conservation of Australia’s birds.
The CV is not only a geological wonder, but also a biodiversity hotspot. It is recognised internationally as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). Over 240 bird species have been recorded, including common or uncommon residents, migratory and nomadic birds and very occasional visitors. This video shares two rare sightings - i.e. Diamond Dove and White-cheeked Honeyeater - neither of which are rare in their typical habitats. The DD is associated with the dry inland, while the WCH is mostly a bird of coastal lowlands. Indeed, these two species nicely illustrate why the CV is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Although much of CV falls into the Sydney Basin Bioregion, the north-west side is part of NSW South Western Slopes and the Capertee township entry to CV is in South Eastern Highlands.
The filming site was a private property called “Binalong”. Its bird diversity is high due to a combination of natural open forest and critically endangered Box Gum Woodland, re-vegetated areas (plantings 1995-2013) and grassland. Water is always available at a central dam and often elsewhere (three waterholes, an ephemeral creek and bird baths). Nesting/roosting hollows abound due to old live trees, dead standing/ground timber and nest boxes. Overall, the 140 acre covenanted property provides habitat for several declining, threatened or endangered woodland birds. Looking at “Binalong” now, it’s hard to believe that only 30 years ago it was largely an empty paddock. If not for the passion and dedication of past owner/custodian (1994 - 2018) April Mills, the Regent Honeyeater Recovery Project (RHRP) and many volunteers, this video would have been much shorter! Note too that some scenes include farms on the boundaries of “Binalong”. Remnant vegetation, paddock trees and native grasses on these properties also contribute to biodiversity.
Although habitat restoration was driven by the plight of the critically endangered RH, this video shows how the results are used by many birds. We haven't yet filmed a RH at "Binalong" or elsewhere in CV, but recorded one singing (can be heard 0.21 - 0.37 mark). Moreover, other people have seen the occasional RH, or pair or small group at "Binalong" over the last 20 years or so.
The 102 birds in this video are listed in order of appearance: Gang-gang Cockatoo, Turquoise Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot, Little Lorikeet, Musk Lorikeet, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, Australian King Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Little Corella, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Scarlet Robin, Hooded Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Red-capped Robin, Jacky Winter, Eastern Shrike-tit, Rufous Whistler, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Mistletoebird, Silvereye, Rufous Songlark, Australian Pipit, Diamond Firetail, Zebra Finch, Double-barred Finch, Red-browed Finch, Plum-headed Finch, White-plumed Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Spinebill, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, White-cheeked Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Rockwarbler, Speckled Warbler, Southern Whiteface, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Spotted Pardalote, Superb Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, Peaceful Dove, Common Bronzewing, Brush Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Diamond Dove, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, White-browed Babbler, Varied Sittella, Brown Treecreeper, White-winged Triller, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, White-winged Chough, Dusky Woodswallow, White-browed Woodswallow, Masked Woodswallow, Pied Currawong, Pied Butcherbird, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Australian Raven, Little Raven, Olive-backed Oriole, Magpie-lark, Restless Flycatcher, Leaden Flycatcher, Sacred Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Brown Quail, Painted Button-quail, Australian Owlet-nightjar, Southern Boobook, Barking Owl, Eastern Barn Owl, Brown Falcon, Australian Hobby, Spotted Harrier, Australasian Grebe, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Fairy Martin, Tree Martin and Welcome Swallow.
For information on these birds go to www.birdsinbac... Credits: Filmed, edited and produced by Darren Broughton and Thalia Broughton
Love this.
Fabulous collection, thank you 😊
Fantastic. Instantly calming.
Glad you enjoyed it
Truely captivating, congratulations on this beautiful piece of work
Thank you very much!
Great Video I am a Bird watcher too
Beautiful video
Outstanding video, beautiful birds, very educational.
Thanks so much for sharing all this wonderful footage.
Thank you very much for the feedback!
Stunning Photography
What a gorgeous, peaceful film; it must take ages to capture it all! Thank you so much for sharing this with us 😊
This is just absolutely phenomenal work!!!! ♥️🌿 What a beautiful video of such a gorgeous area
Thank you for your very kind words!
Great footage. Absolutely wonderful.
Fantastic photography and work. Thank you for sharing this wonderful film.👩🌾❤️👏
Amazing~💞
Thank you for sharing this video~🤗
Thank you for sharing your beautiful work.
Thank you for your kind words.
Cool! Thank you for the upload!
Thank you for filming our wonderful birds , it’s such a pleasure to watch. ❤
So nice of you
Evening plans sorted!
When my young niece was first taken to the Capertee Valley, she looked up at the escarpment and said, 'There might be eagles'. My brother had the name of his new property there and then. Thanks for the film.
This is my dream video. Thanks so much for filming all these glorious birds. We've visited this area to bird & hope to return in a few months. As we head overseas tonight for a short holiday I'll be watching this daily to remind me how lucky we are to have our gorgeous birdlife, stunning scenery & so many Aussies who appreciate it. Cheers.
Thank you so much for the beautiful video and we really do have some beautiful birds!
❤Truely heart warming and educational too, so well made, filmed and edited, thanks so much.
What a truly wonderful production! Well done to you both for publishing this labour of love for all to see (and hear!). That's one thing that stands out for me in this film - seeing birds calling. I've never actually seen a Hooded Robin call, and though I've seen many thousands of White-browed Woodswallows I don't think I've ever seen one perched and calling (and not to mention the little bit of mimicry as well!). The behaviours captured in some of these birds is really special - the Leaden Flycatchers "nest-building" was my favourite. Quite amazing too how you were able to capture birds that are very rare in the valley, like Diamond Dove, White-cheeked Honeyeater and Brush Bronzewing - yet common birds like Pied Currawongs seem wiley and elusive!
On the subject of nesting, it was interesting to see the flexibility of Dusky Woodswallows - using fork in tree, gap in Yellow Box bark and an old Magpie-lark nest! So funny too re argy bargy and courtship. When one sees a range of behaviours across different species, all with their own quirks and calls (and variations within a species) you can understand why some of us are bird crazy! And don’t get me started on choughs....
I agree with Mick, it's wonderful to see footage of birds calling. My fave in this respect was the buzzy call of Turquoise Parrots, and the woof-woof of Barking Owl, I've never seen either of these call. It's a fabulous movie, I've now watched it twice.
Wow this is just such a beautiful gem of a video. Stunning captures.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you
De los países que me gustaría visitar sería Australia ❤
Wonderful video. Thanks so much for sharing it. I love the Capertee Valley and have photographed birds there three times. I have mixed success. Last time I saw very few along the official bird sites. Can you share other places where you’ve seen a range of birds? For example, is that dam in your video in a spot accessible to the public? Any help would be much appreciated. Joe
Extraordinary…thankyou so much for this video….Im assuming it was a mission of yours…
I’m not a twitcher in the true sense…I’m proud to say I’m an aviculturist & these insights are so important, as we try to replicate them in a domestic aviary situation…
Bravo…bravo…
Regards,
Christopher…(I’d love to catch up on day)….
Wonderful footage! Where about in Capertee do you go to film this?
I find that majority of the land is private property and I cannot find many good locations to see the birds
There is a bird trail that takes you to various locations on the roadside, you can see many birds this way. It’s also possible to access some private property with permission. I went recently and the locals were lovely, the valley itself is very quiet.
Suburbia in Queensland daily chainsaws and woodchipping machine noise, it never stops. I loathe living in suburbia. This is so beautiful and peaceful, your video, thanks.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
Is there anywhere else in the world with as many animals as in Australia?
I just Googled "what country has the most animals?" and it came back Brazil. Let's hope for all animals everywhere. Thank you for visiting.
Please leave the name of the bird there as long as the species is on camera,. Even putting male, female and juvenile would be of added benefit. Otherwise a very good presentation. Thanks heaps.
I understand your wish Bruce and I would probably agree if a live TV program. But because it’s a video that can be easily paused, I prefer the low key identification. Less distracting from gorgeous birds and scenery. Moreover, can be tricky to label some species as definitely male/female and whether they fall into juvenile or immature. In the case of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes, difference can also be light, dark or intermediate morphs! I think the overall purpose is to show thriving birdlife in Capertee Valley and in particular on regenerated land. So easy to google the name and find out all those species details. A site called ebird is very useful as you can see photos people have taken or calls recorded in a particular area. That has helped me when unsure of an ID.
i will watch this movie with my wife over tea
Looks stunning on a Smart TV using TH-cam app. Just make sure to pick highest resolution for tv or another device as it really makes a difference. Unless, of course, you are using a device with more limited data plan.