Bird Watch: Look out for the Green catbird

Words and photos: Ewan Auld

July’s bird of the month is the Green catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris), a species commonly found in rainforests from south-east Queensland to south-east New South Wales, including the rainforest areas around the Illawarra escarpment.

The Green Catbird is often identified by its wailing, cat-like call, which sounds surprisingly similar to a crying baby and echoes through the forest. These birds primarily feed on fruits and other plant material, and they can regularly be seen foraging in suburban backyards with fruiting trees, where they are sometimes mistaken for female Satin Bowerbirds.

I managed to capture a fleeting photo of this individual foraging high in the canopy along the Phillips Street fire trail in Thirroul before it was hastily chased off by a nearby Pied Currawong. This particular fire trail is a great spot for observing several of our rainforest bird species.