Solomons boobook Solomons boobook The Solomons boobook ("Ninox jacquinoti"), also known as the Solomons hawk-owl, is a small to medium-sized hawk owl, measuring in length. Its upperparts are rusty brown, sometimes spotted or barred with white, its chest is buffy white, sometimes spotted or barred with brown, and its creamy belly is unmarked. It has a grayish-brown facial disc, edged by narrow white eyebrows and a band of white across the throat. When he first described the species in 1850, Charles Lucien Bonaparte assigned it to the genus "Athene". The specific epithet honors Charles Hector Jacquinot, a French explorer who spent considerable
Australasian grebe are about three-quarters grown. Initially the young will ride on the parents back, hidden between their slightly raised wings. When the chicks begin to dive and feed themselves (at about 10 weeks) the mother may leave too, although mothers have been known to return soon after, apparently to check on the chicks. The parents are very protective and will try to drive away other water birds (ducks, herons) by confronting them and flapping their wings wildly or using their wings to splash water at the intruders. Australasian grebe The Australasian grebe ("Tachybaptus novaehollandiae") is a small waterbird common on fresh