CRIMSON FINCH AT MACKENZIE RIVERCENTRAL QUEENSLAND

摘要

A flock of Crimson Finches, Neochmia phaeton phaeton, observed near the Mackenzie River (23°3'30"S, 149°2'40"E) in central Queensland is reported. This is the first sighting of the species in the area since 1845 (Storr 1984). Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton occurs in northern tropical Australia, southern Papua New Guinea and Fredrik Hendrik Island (Clement et. al. 1993). It has not been observed in central Queensland during recent atlases (Blakers et. al. 1984, Barrett et. al. 2003). Several previous records of the species south of 19° S are from the upper Connors River-Lotus Creek area (22° S, 149° E) northwest of Marlborough (Wilson 1988, 1990; Todd 2002) but Birds Queensland members have reported no further sightings.