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Although birds are usually quite easy to see, often they are more difficult to identify. You may have had the briefest glimpse or heard a snatch of its song, or perhaps it was a bird you have never seen before. The best place to look for it is here.

You will discover the remarkable variety of birds that occur across Australia. With stunning images of featured species and some recordings of their songs and calls, you are sure to find that mystery bird, or learn more about species you already know.

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Atlas & Birdata

The Atlas is one of BirdLife Australia's greatest resources, allowing us to track changes in birds across the country. Since 1998 a dedicated band of... More >

Beach-nesting Birds

BirdLife Australia’s Beach-nesting Birds project works with community volunteers across Australia to help raise awareness among beach users about... More >

Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo Recovery

BirdLife Australia has been running the Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery project since 2001. We work with various land managers, government and... More >

Shorebirds 2020

The Shorebirds 2020 program aims to reinvigorate and coordinate national shorebird population monitoring in Australia. To report on the population... More >

Woodland Birds for Biodiversity

Since European settlement one-third of Australia’s woodlands and 80% of temperate woodlands have been cleared. The Woodland Birds for Biodiversity... More >

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Jacky Winter

Microeca fascinans
Petroicidae

‘Stumpbird’, ‘Post Sitter’ and ‘Postboy’ are three alternative names for the Jacky Winter, due to its habit of perching on bare stumps or fence-posts, where it may remain for some time, gently wagging its tail from side to side in a shallow figure-of-eight. They are also sometimes colloquially known as ‘Peter Peter’, which is a crude rendition of their song, uttered incessantly during the breeding season. As to the origin of their recommended English name, Jacky Winter, there are few clues, and the origin is open to speculation.

Identification

Description

The Jacky Winter is a small grey-brown flycatcher with a faint pale eye-line and white underbody. The dark tail has prominent white outer feathers which are obvious when it lands, wagging his tail from side to side. The Jacky Winter typically sits upright on a bare branch or perch, wagging its tail and uttering its 'peter-peter' call. There are three sub-species, with slight geographical variation, darker in the south and paler in the far north and inland. This species is also known as the Brown Flycatcher, Postboy, White-tail or Peter-Peter.

Similar Species

The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Microeca flavigaster, is slightly smaller, with a longer tail, lacking the white edge. Female and immaturePetroica robins are similar, but have a distinctive light bar in the wing.

Location

Distribution

The Jacky Winter is widely distributed in mainland Australia and in south east New Guinea.

Habitat

Jacky Winters prefer open woodland with an open shrub layer and a lot of bare ground. They are often seen in farmland and parks.

Behaviour

Feeding

Jacky Winters dart out from a perch to snatch at flying insects, returning to the same perch again. They dive and twist in the air, hovering and grabbing at insects.

Breeding

During breeding, the Jacky Winter sings constantly and has high, slow song-flights. The cup-shaped nest is very small and made from grass and strips of bark, bound with spiders web on the fork of a dead branch. The female incubates the eggs and probably broods the young, fed by the male. They may raise several broods in a season. Their nest is always in an exposed position, clear of leaves.

Conservation Status

Federal

Secure

NSW

Secure

NT

Secure

QLD

Secure

SA

Secure

TAS

Not present

VIC

Secure

WA

Secure