The hide is a complimentary experience and an ideal place for a spot of morning or afternoon tea as you listen to sounds of the Australian bush.
The last few months have delivered a hive of exciting activity including 36 different bird species, Western Grey Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos, Common Wallaroos, an Echidna, Sand Goannas, Bearded Dragons, Shingleback Skinks and the Tawny Dragon endemic to Australia.
Galahs are one of the most prominent and easily identifiable bird species in all of Australia. With their beautiful rose-colored bodies and noisy chattering, they are an unmistakable Australian icon. Once mating season is officially underway, Galahs can be found throughout Arkaba’s 60,000 acres nesting in tree hollows lined with their plucked down feathers. Though nationally Galahs have a high chick mortality rate (averaging 50% mortality per nest), we have seen an inspiring increase in chick survival at Arkaba as a direct benefit of feral cat management and conservation.
Arkaba is uniquely positioned on the cusp of the territory ranges of three species variations of Australian Ringneck Parrots. All three variations mate without discrimination and hybridize seamlessly, making for unique and exciting spottings for sharp-eyed bird watchers who can discern subtle plumage variations. Ringnecks are opportunists and will feed on whatever is available – fruits, seeds and even insects. Luckily unlike Galahs, Ringnecks have impressive fledgling survival rate at around 75% per nest, and have also benefited from the feral cat management at Arkaba over the last ten years.
This Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) might have been hunting rabbits, reptiles or even birds when field guide Charlie managed to snap this picture as it came down to land on an old fence post. This beautiful eagle, along with the larger and more commonly known Wedge-tailed eagle make up the only two “booted” eagles in Australia, their feathered legs being one of the features that set them apart from other Australian Raptors.
New evidence suggests that Little Eagles migrate from South to North during the winter months, explaining why we tend to see them more frequently in the summer. One individual was recorded to have travelled as far as 3,000km in a season!
Nesting pairs of this very attractive eagle have been recorded across Arkaba’s private wildlife conservancy in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges over the past couple of years, with birds preferring to nest in dense, tree lined watercourses with large living trees. Arkaba will continue to be an attractive breeding ground for the Little Eagle, as current and future conservation projects continually improve the health of river red gum communities across the conservancy.
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