Knocklofty Reserve - Fauna

A range of fauna have been identified, ranging through birds, frogs, reptiles, and marsupials. Over the past twenty-eight years, the presence of these fauna have been detected by:

  • bird watching and listening with experts from Birds of Australia;

  • scats, foot prints, diggings and trapping of marsupials with a wild life vet

  • listening to frog calls, catching tadpoles and frogs

  • looking for and identifying reptiles

Actions such as plantings, pond restorations, and weed removal have helped to improve the habitat of these fauna and encourage numbers and varieties to prosper on the reserve .

Superb fairy wren, image by Walter Coppola

 
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    1. Brown Quail
      Found in areas of thick grass

    2. Australian Wood Duck
      "Grazes near water, often perches in trees"

    3. Pacific Black Duck
      Very common and abundant

    4. White Bellied Sea Eagle
      Occasionally seen overflying Knocklofty

    5. Brown Goshawk
      Secretive but widespread and common

    6. Grey (White) Goshawk
      Regularly seen Knocklofty and W.Hobart

    7. Collared sparrowhawk
      Looks similar to Brown Goshawk but smaller

    8. Wedge-tailed Eagle
      Sometimes seen near Mt. Wellington

    9. Brown Falcon
      Common. Brown tear stripe is diagnostic

    10. Australian Hobby
      A rare visitor; very rapid in flight

    11. Peregrine Falcon
      A powerful flyer

    12. 12. Tasmanian Native Hen
      Tasmanian endemic

    13. Masked Lapwing
      Commonly called Spurwing Plover

    14. Pacific Gull
      Associated with McRobies Gully Tip

    15. Kelp Gull
      Associated with McRobies Gully Tip

    16. Silver Gull
      Associated with McRobies Gully Tip

    17. Spotted Turtle Dove
      Call a mellowcoo or coocoo

    18. CommonBronzewing
      Call a very monotonous oom-oom

    19. Brush Bronzewing
      Brown stripe through eye is diagnostic

    20. Yellow tailed Black Cockatoo
      Regularly seen in banksias near reservoir

    21. Sulphur crested Cockatoo
      Regularly seen on Knocklofty and in West Hobart

    22. Musk Lorikeet
      Noisy flocks frequently seen feeding on blossom

    23. Green Rosella
      Tasmanian endemic

    24. Eastern Rosella
      Red head and chest

    25. Swift Parrot
      Migratory. Numbers declining (endangered) but regularly seen on Knocklofty in spring/summer

    26. Pallid Cuckoo
      Migratory - largest of Tasmania's cuckoos

    27. Fan-tailed Cuckoo
      Like all our cuckoos unable to make nest

    28. Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo
      Uncommon migrant

    29. Shining Bronze Cuckoo
      Metallic green bronze colouring

    30. Southern Boobook
      Often hear calling boo-bookor mo-poke

    31. Masked Owl
      Rarely seen feeding near street lights

    32. Tawny Frogmouth
      Regularly seen feeding near street lights

    33. White throated Needletail
      Often seen in large flocks in late summer/early autumn

    34. Laughing Kookaburra
      Introduced into Tasmania

    35. Superb Fairy Wren
      Common on Knocklofty

    36. Spotted Pardalote
      Monotonous high pitched sleep baby call

    37. Striated Pardalote
      Repetitive pick-id-up call

    38. Brown Thornbill
      Very busy. Often seen in the canopy

    39. Tasmanian Thornbill
      More common in wetter sites

    40. Yellow-rumped Thornbill
      Largest thornbill. Regularly seen in groups feeding on the ground

    41. Yellow Wattlebird
      Largest honeyeater. Endemic

    42. Little Wattlebird
      Heavily white streaked plumage

    43. Noisy Minor
      "Often in noisy, aggressive flocks"

    44. Yellow-throated Honeyeater
      Very common endemic

    45. Strong-billed Honeyeater
      White eye stripe flocks. Endemic

    46. Black headed Honeyeater
      Often in noisy flocks. Endemic

    47. Crescent Honeyeater
      Egypt call

    48. New Holland Honeyeater
      Streaked black & white plumage with yellow wing patch

    49. Eastern Spinebill
      Rufous colouring

    50. Scarlet Robin
      Most common robin on Knocklofty

    51. Flame Robin
      Partly migratory

    52. Pink Robin
      Prefers wet forest

    53. Dusky Robin
      Larger & more robust appearance compared to other robins

    54. Olive Whistler
      Low sweet whistle often with whip crack at the end

    55. Golden Whistler
      Males have beautiful yellow plumage

    56. Grey Shrike Thrush
      Beautiful joe whitty call

    57. Satin flycatcher
      Common summer migrant

    58. Grey fantail
      Sometimes known as Cranky Fan

    59. Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
      Common summer migrant. Shuffles wings on alighting

    60. Dusky Woodswallow
      Common summer migrant.

    61. Grey Butcherbird
      Common resident

    62. Australian Magpie

    63. Black Currawond
      Common endemic

    64. Grey Currawong
      Common nomadic. Clinking call

    65. Forest Raven

    66. House Sparrow
      Introduced in 19th Century

    67. Beautiful Firetail
      Red rump is diagnostic

    68. Greenfinch
      Looks like a canary. Introduced

    69. Goldfinch
      "Introduced in 1880's. Red, black, yellow and white markings"

    70. Welcome Swallow
      Common summer migrant. Forked tail

    71. Tree Martin
      Common summer migrant. Square tail

    72. Silver Eye
      White eye ring

    73. Ground Thrush
      Common resident. Prefers wet forest

    74. Blackbird
      Introduced to Tasmania in 1930's

    75. Starling
      Introduced to Tasmania in 1860

  • Tasmanian mammals

    Echidna
    Eastern quoll
    Eastern barred bandicoot
    Southern brown bandicoot
    Tasmanian pademelon
    Bennett's wallaby
    Bettong
    Tasmanian bettong
    Long-nosed potoroo
    Common brush-tail possum
    Ring-tail possum
    Brushtail possum
    Eastern pygmy possum (probable)
    Swamp rat

    Feral (introduced) mammals

    House mouse
    Black rat
    Rabbit
    Hare

  • Brown tree frog (common)

    Tasmanian froglet possibly (2020) no longer present due to chytrid fungus

    Eastern banjo frog (2016) no longer present due to chytrid fungus

    Spotted marsh frog (common)
    Southern toadlet (2016) no longer present due to chytrid fungus

    Common froglet (common

  • Blue-tongue lizard
    Copperhead
    Tiger snake
    White-lipped or whip snake (probable)
    Mountain dragon
    Numerous skink species not keyed out as yet in various habitats grasslands, dry woodland and rocky dolerite areas.