Bronzewing

I always thought that bronzewings were so named for their iridescent colouring on the wings. It is only when you see them flying that you notice that the underside of the wing is a deep brown shade. A real light bulb moment. In general, these birds are shy even though they are relatively large in size.

Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)

The Common Bronzewing is exactly that - the most common species of bronzewing. It is widespread across Australia from tropical coasts, humid rainforests, open pasture and more arid areas.  It has shiny patches of colour on the wing and a distinct brown and cream head, marked with a bold white stripes. 

Brush Bronzewing (Phaps elegans)

The Brush Bronzewing is much less common, only found across southern coastal areas. It is duller than the Common Bronzewing with less sparkles and bright head colouring. While both species are shy, the Brush is even harder to find as it skulks around low in shrubs and bushes. 

Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica)

The uncommon Flock Bronzewing is a large desert dwelling bird, usually seen in loose flocks coming to water sources in the early morning or late afternoon in arid and semi-arid inland Northern Australia. They appear to be fairly plain when seen in the air but looking closer gives up interestin grey patterns underneath. The male has very striking black and white patterns on the face while the female and juveniles are a more muted brown and white.