Editor's note:  Due to the time elapsed since publication, and the likelihood of change, the address of the author  has been omitted from these abstracts.
 

Larkins, D.  1984.  Little Tern breeding colony on artificial site at Port Botany, New South Wales.  Corella 8: 1-10.

In 1979 became aware of a colony of Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding on the partly developed artificial site at Port Botany. New South Wales.  The colony was studied in 1980-81, 1981-82 and 1982-83 to determine breeding success, to collect data relating to the artificial site, and to identify factors that threatened the colony.  Runners were banded to determine breeding success, and to identify Little Terns originating from the colony which may be retrapped or collected in the future at any location.

Marchant, S.  1984.  Notes on the breeding of Varied Sitellas Daphoenositta chrysoptera.  Corella 8: 11-15.

Two nests of Varied Sittellas Daphoenositta chrysoptera were watched near Moruya, New South Wales, for about 125 hours in 1982, one from laying of eggs to fledging of young and the other from the middle of incubation to fledging.  Both incubation and nestling periods were 20 days.  Though individual birds were not identifiable, probably the primary female alone incubated and brooded and the primary male brought most food to his sitting mate and to the young, as found by Noske (1980).  Up to at least five other birds attended the nests. being most active in early morning and evening at one nest.  None of these attendants was likely to have been the product of a previous brood in the 1982 season.

Joseph, L.  1984.  Some notes on the plumage phases of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo. Corella 8: 16-18.

Specimens of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami were examined to elucidate sex and age plumage phases.  Under field conditions, adult females are the most readily recognizable form.  An unbarred red subterminal tail band indicates that a bird is male and probably adult or nearly so, and some such individuals may have a few yellow head feathers.  Adult females of this species and of some populations of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo C. magnificus can be distinguished by the pattern of tail colouration.  Immature plumages in C. lathami are characterized by brown heads and barred subterminal tail bands.  Further material is required to elucidate any relationship in immature plumages between age, sex and markings such as spotting and barring.

Debus, S.J.S.  1984.  A re-appraisal of the dimensions of male Forest Ravens.  Corella 8: 19-20.

Boles, W.E. & N.W. Longmore.  1984.  Age changes in the spines of the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Corella 8: 21-23.

Boles, W.E. & N.W. Longmore.  1984.  Bird in the Hand: Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Acanthagenys rufogularis.  Corella 8: 24

Long, J.L...  1984.: Weights and measurements - Western Rosella Platycercus icterotis, In Data Exchange, Corella 8: 28.

Shields, J.M. & H.F. Recher.  1984.  Breeding bird censuses: an evaluation of four methods for use in sclerophyll forest.  Corella 8: 29-41

Four methods were used to census birds in forest and woodland near Bombala on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales.  None was completely satisfactory, but a modified strip transect procedure provided repeatable estimates of the relative abundance of most species.  The most accurate estimates of the abundance of individual species were obtained by combining territory mapping with colour banding of individuals and intensive searches for nests.  Mist netting was necessary to colour band birds. but by itself was not particularly useful as a census procedure.  Mist netting was also the most time consuming method used and required the greatest number of people.  Mapping and nest searches were also time consuming. but could be done by one person.  Transect counts took the least effort and can be regarded as the most efficient use of resources where an estimate of relative abundances is all that is required.

Liddy, J.  1984.  Ageing and moult variations in Mistletoebirds. Corella 8: 42-45.

Three age classes of Mistletoebirds Dicaeum hirundinaceum are defined and data are presented which allow most Mistletoebirds to be separated by plumage characteristics into one of these age classes. Most (30 of 44 = 68%) male Mistletoebirds shed the tertial flight feathers and the greater, median and lesser coverts of the wing during post-juvenile moult.  The remaining birds showed a variety of moult patterns.

Lashmar, A.F.C.  1984.  Albatross studies - Kangaroo Island, South Australia.  Summary of progress 1971-1983.  Corella 8: 46-48.

Results from banding and retrap data for three species of albatrosses and two species of giant Petrels off Kangaroo Island, South Australia are presented.  Methods of capture and marking are discussed.

Debus, S.J.S.  1984.: Weights and measurements - Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides, In Data Exchange, Corella 8: 51-52.

Bell, G.D.  1984.  What are your preferred numbers? Corella 8: 52.

Menkhorst, P.W., T.W. Pescott & G.F. Gaynor.  1984.  Results of banding White-faced Storm-Petrels, Pelagodroma marina at Mud Islands, Victoria.  Corella 8: 53-60.

White-faced Storm-Petrels Pelagodroma marina were banded almost annually at Mud Islands between 1955 and 1980.  Bands were applied to fledglings removed from burrows and to free-flying birds captured in mist nets.  Two percent of the 12 652 banded birds have been recovered, mostly at Mud Islands during subsequent breeding seasons.  Recoveries were heavily biased by the type of bands used; aluminium bands lasted only 3 or 4 years.  Half the known-age birds recovered have been found dead or dying around Port Phillip Bay within 4 weeks of their presumed fledging dates.  The oldest known-age bird was 16 years when last recaptured.  Almost all recoveries of birds banded when free-flying were from Mud Islands in subsequent breeding seasons.  The few long-distance recoveries are considered in relation to the supposed migratory routes and low probability of recovering banded storm-petrels.  Pre-breeding birds probably first return to their natal colony at 3 years old and probably return annually thereafter, although some birds have been recovered from the nearby South Channel Island colony.

Baker-Gabb, D.J.  1984.  Morphometric data and dimorphism indices of some Australian Raptors.  Corella 8: 61-63.

Measurements of wing length, exposed culmen length and weight are given for 20 of Australia's 24 diurnal raptors.  The degrees of sexual dimorphism exhibited by the raptor species are calculated and discussed.

Lane, S.G.  1984.  Further notes on visits to islands off the south coast of Western Australia.  Corella 8: 64-66.

In 1981 and 1982 I made 33 visits to 23 islands off the south coast of Western Australia to obtain details of breeding seabirds.  Appendix I lists the islands visited and the dates of each visit.  Much of the information obtained during the 1981 visits has been published in various papers.  A list (Appendix II) sets out the details of these, and also subsequent papers covering some of the 1982 visits.

Baker-Gabb, D.J.  1984.  The evolution of tree-nesting and the origin of the Spotted Harrier.  Corella 8: 67-69.

It is suggested that the origin of harriers Circus spp. was in the southern hemisphere and not in the north as has been previously proposed.  Data are presented to show that Spotted Harriers Circus assimilis were probably once ground-nesters like other harriers and that they have subsequently become more arboreal.

Lane, S.G.  1984.  A report on visits to Stanley Island and Flat Island, Western Australia.  Corella 8: 69-70.

Smith, P.  1984.  Prey items of the Sooty Owl and the Barn Owl at Bega, New South Wales.  Corella 8: 71-72.

McFarland, D.C.  1984.  The breeding biology of the Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys in a suburban woodlot.  Corella 8: 77-82.

Over a two-year period Willie Wagtails were studied in a suburban woodlot in Beverly Hills, Sydney.  Observations revealed that territories were held year round with intra- and interspecific aggression greatest when breeding, that there was a possible courtship display and that a distraction display was used against potential predators.  Overall 51.6% of all eggs laid survived to an independent juvenile stage, with success being greater when the breeding timetable was uninterrupted.  While an interrupted breeding schedule resulted in an increase in the period of parental care, there was no increase in reproductive success.

Prendergast, H.D.V.  1984.  Feeding times of Honeyeaters on Banksia ericifolia inflorescences.  Corella 8: 83-88.

Feeding times of honeyeaters on Banksia ericifolia inflorescences were studied.  Territorial Red Wattlebirds Anthochaera carunculata had a significantly longer mean feeding time/inflorescence than non-territorial (opportunistic) individuals, and there were large differences between those of opportunistically foraging Eastern Spinebills Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, New Holland Honeyeaters Phylidonyris novaehollandiae and Crescent Honeyeaters P. pyrrhoptera.  Reasons for these differences are discussed as are the distribution ranges and standard deviations of the visiting times of each species.

Crouther, M.M. & M.J. Crouther.  1984.  Observations on the breeding of Figbirds and Common Koels.  Corella 8: 89-92.

Observations on Figbirds Sphecotheres viridis breeding in one locality during 1980-81, 1981-82 and 1982-831 are presented.  Observations include methods of nest building, incubation and rearing of young.  Dates of laying, hatching and fledging were also noted.  Parasitism by Common Koels Eudynamys scolopacea occurred in each year and was included in the study.  Breeding success appears to have been affected by the unusually dry conditions of the last two summers.

Kent, D.S. & W.E. Boles.  1984.  Observations on the diet of the Christmas Island Owl.  Corella 8: 93-94.
 

Wood, G.A.  1984.  Tool use by the Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus during display.  Corella 8: 94-95.

O‚Neill, M.G. & R.J. Taylor.  1984.  Co-operative hunting by Pied Currawongs Strepera graculina.  Corella 8: 96.

Liddy, J.  1984.  Predation of the estuarine gastropod Littorina scabra by Lewin‚s Honeyeaters Meliphaga lewinii.  Corella 8: 97.
 

Lane, S.G. & H. Battam.  1984  Seabird Islands No. 138: Mudjimba Island, Queensland.  Corella 8: 101-102.
 

Towney, G. & I.J. Skira.  1984  Seabird Islands No. 139: Babel Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania.  Corella 8: 103-104.
 

Brothers, N.P.  1984  Seabird Islands No. 140: East Pyramids, Tasmania.  Corella 8: 105-106.
 

Brothers, N.P.  1984  Seabird Islands No. 141: Big Caroline Rock, Tasmania.  Corella 8: 107-108.

Brothers, N.P.  1984  Seabird Islands No. 142: West Pyramid, Tasmania.  Corella 8: 109-110.

Towney, G. & I.J. Skira. 1984  Seabird Islands No. 143: Trefoil Island, Tasmania.  Corella 8: 111-112.

Lane, S.G. 1984  Seabird Islands No. 144: Blyth Island, Sir Joseph Banks Group, South Australia.  Corella 8: 113-114.

Gill, C.L..  1984  Seabird Islands No. 145: Rabbit Island, Port Douglas, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.  Corella 8: 115-116.

Gill, C.L.  1984  Seabird Islands No. 146: The Brothers Islands, Port Douglas, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.  Corella 8: 117-118.

Lane, S.G. & A.K. Daw. 1984  Seabird Islands No. 147: Charley Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia.  Corella 8: 119-120.

Lane, S.G.  1984  Seabird Islands No. 148: Stanley Island, Western Australia.  Corella 8: 121-122.

Lane, S.G. 1984  Seabird Islands No. 149: Flat Island, Western Australia.  Corella 8: 123-124.