Tag Archives: Purple-crowned-Fairy-wren

Birding Victoria River Crossing – Bridge Area

Posted on by
Reply

The bridge area I am referring to is the old bridge on the Katherine side of the Victoria River Roadhouse.  It’s the dirt road that is blocked on the end and you can see the new bridge above.  You cross this new bridge when driving from Katherine to Victoria River.

You have an excellent vantage point from here well above any crocodile infested area so just keep scanning the banks of the river and the bushes for birds.

White-faced Heron

This was the best I could do for the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren.  There was a male and  some females I could see with binoculars but they were too far and too small to get the focus on them.

We also walked around the back of the campground but couldn’t find any more Fairy-wrens, I was hoping for a closer view.

Birding Victoria River Crossing – River Area

Posted on by
Reply

There are several places to look for the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren and other birds.  Excellent maps are provided in Mike Reed’s “Top End Birdwatching” book (which unfortunately I hadn’t bought yet).  One is the boat ramp/river area below the escarpment.  It’s just a few kms beyond the Victoria River Roadhouse, turn left and keep going until you see the car park.

***DO NOT GO TOO CLOSE TO THE RIVER AS CROCODILES ARE PRESENT***

There were a couple Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens hopping around across the river but I couldn’t zoom in on them.  They are tiny and fast!  Binoculars work better for this bird.

Corellas stood out much better.

The scenery is gorgeous!  A few fishing boats passed while we were there.

Wallabies are everywhere!

Amazing scenery!

Rainbow Bee-eaters posing nicely!

Lodge Review: Victoria River Roadhouse, Northern Territory

Posted on by
Reply

About 200 kms west of Katherine on National Highway 1, the Victoria River Roadhouse is a welcome sight after almost 3 hours driving in the heat of the day.  This was the first place we really felt the Territory’s Outback experience.

The main building houses the reception, petrol pumps, restaurant, bar and shop and the campground surrounds the main building.

The cabins are off to the left surrounded by trees which attract Corellas, Cockatoos and Red-collared Lorikeets.

The rooms are fairly typical of an outback roadhouse – simple decor but functional.  The tv only has 1 channel which is controlled by reception and shows the same in all cabins.  No wifi.

The restaurant is HUGE considering the location, maybe they get busloads of tourists at times.  We had hamburgers for lunch as the restaurant closes at 7pm and I wasn’t sure we would be back from birding by then.  We had sandwiches and noodle cups to eat for dinner.

They have some interesting souvenirs for sale and some camping supplies.

I was soooo tempted but the budget didn’t allow.

Plenty of space for caravans and tents.

The truth is they pretty much have a captive audience as there is nothing else for at least 50 kms but it’s a decent place and there are some nice birds to watch around the grounds, even out the window of the restaurant!  The top bird here is the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren as we will see in another post.

They don’t have online booking or even a dedicated website so you’ll have to call.  Trip Advisor has some reviews.

Victoria River Roadhouse Hotel/Motel
Victoria Hwy, Victoria River NT 0852
Telephone: (08) 8975 0744
Facsimile: (08) 8975 0819

Purple-Crowned Fairy-Wren (Malurus Coronatus)

Posted on by
2

You may see the lovely little Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (Malurus coronatus) if you are birding in the Northern Territory.

Purple-crowned Fairy Wren

 

Purple-crowned Fairy Wren Habitat

 

Although they are very pretty little birds when viewed from the side, they become really spectacular when viewed from above in pairs.  Predators will think the eyes belong to some large creature instead of a fragile little bird that might otherwise make a tasty snack.

Purple-crowned Fairy Wren

 

Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens are divided into two races: – an eastern race (M. c. macgillivaryi) that occurs in the sub-coastal region from the Roper River in the Northern Territory to the Flinders River in Queensland; and – a western race (M. c. coronatus) that occurs throughout the Kimberley region of Western Autralia and the Northern Territory. The two races of Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens never mix and more than 400 km separates them geographically. Sadly, Purple-crowned Fairy-wren populations are disappearing. It is estimated that only about 12,000 breeding birds remain of the western race in the Kimberley.

For more information about this bird, please visit this website.