Brolgas a bird lovers delight, what a day!

Hi there,

you are quite possibly expecting to see a lovely photo here, however I can't show a great shot because the birds were really too far away and needed a 400mm-600mm prime.

For the Australian's and any interested bird lovers.

Here is a list of rare birds we saw 20min from home, I say rare because in all my travels and bird watching around Ballarat I have never seen these birds at least not as pairs

A mated pair of Brolgas (Australias only crane) very rare
A mated pair of Wedge Tailed Eagles (Australias Largest Eagle) never seen a pair in the wild (scrapping with a magpie)
Double barred finch

What a day it was, anyway here is a shot of the Brolga's please don't judge this shot from a photographic aspect, I am posting it because they are a rare find

This is a 100% crop they were so far away

Regards Darren

Very interesting bird the Brolgas, an Australian Crane. This bird looks like it has a red scarf around it's head.
Thanks for sharing this shot Darren of this rare bird and a very first view for me, well done.

Thanks Anthony, they do have a red scarf and their courtship display the "dance of the brolgas" has been copyied by the aborigines for 1000's of years.

Regards Darren

wow these birds are massive!

Very nice find for you, Brolga's are in quite good numbers still and can be found easily. But not where you are lol, they are more common in the northern parts of Australia. Normally found in groups and even in the 100's, they are infact one of the largest cranes in the world. Their numbers are much lower in central NSW and Victoria because of habbitat destruction/loss. It is thought that they mate for life and another thing thats different to the normal is that the males are the larger/taller of the sexes where-as with birds it's the other way around mostly lol.

They are not Australia's "only" crane as there is the Sarus crane Grus antigone which is the same size and also easily confused as a Brolga, Grus rubicunda

Wow..what impressive looking birds! They remind me of the Whooping Crane, and endangered US native. Thanks for all the information too. I hope someday to get to Australia.

Hi all,

thanks for looking, it is believed the saras and the brolga are the same species but different sub species the brolga being the nominate. I was so excited to see them, they do mate for life and can live for 60 years. There is one other birds I long to see in the wild and that is the

wedgetailed eagle on a fencepost
glossy back cocky
cape barren geese
red tailed black cocky
orange bellied parrot
scarlet chested parrot
bourkes parrot

I have a book when i see the bird i highlight it. Ngannet most people love Australia we are very very lucky.

Regards Darren

P.S. Justin the brolga is massive standing at 1.5m (5ft) and have a wingspan of 2m a little over 6ft