At Copley Retention Dam in the northern Flinders Ranges, the indigenous Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) can be observed in its natural habitat. Males are larger than females and feature a distinctive fleshy lobe beneath their bill. Known for a unique musk scent emitted from a gland near their rump, these ducks are powerful divers that forage for aquatic animals beneath the water’s surface.
The diverse Emu diet includes the seeds of a wide range of plants in the Flinders Ranges including Sandalwood, Quandong, Nitrebush, Eremophilas, Myoporum and Ruby Saltbush. Emus carry seeds in their gut from 3 hours to 10 months (depending on the type of seed) and can walk 13.5 km daily, making them significant agents of seed dispersal.
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) is a migratory shorebird that breeds in the Siberian tundra and spends the non-breeding season across Australia, inhabiting both freshwater and saline inland wetlands as well as coastal tidal flats. This couple were seen at Copley Retention Dam in October.
This Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius) seen in the Flinders Ranges is a hybrid of the Port Lincoln Parrot and Mallee Ringneck. It has the yellow belly and dark head feathers of the Port Lincoln Parrot, and the rich blue-turquoise back and broad red frontal band of the Mallee Ringneck.
Rainbow Bee-eater at Retention Dam, Copley in the Flinders Ranges.
