‘Mabi’ means ‘tree kangaroo’ in the language of the local Ngadjonji and Dulguburra Yidinji peoples, and Mabi Forest once covered much of the area north and west of Malanda, extending to Atherton, Kairi and Yungaburra. Of the estimated original 19,000 hectares only about 1,000 hectares remains in small isolated fragments.
Mabi Forest is identified as Regional Ecosystem 7.8.3 and is classified ‘Complex Notophyll Vine Forest 5b’.
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It occurs only on fertile basalt (red) soils in areas where the rainfall is between 1300 and 1600 mm. It was originally classified in the 1960s by ecologists Len Webb and Geoff Tracey, based on its physical (structural) characteristics and species composition, using the Tolga Scrub as the basis for this description.
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Because basalt soils are very free draining, and September to November can be dry, these forests can be drought stressed. Mabi forest characteristically has deciduous and semi-evergreen species that drop their leaves during dry times. (Examples are Brachychiton acerifolius and Melia azedarach.) This lets light through the canopy, allowing a shrub layer to thrive. The canopy of the forest is uneven, with plank buttressed canopy trees such as Argyrodendron perulatum reaching up to 45 m. This structural complexity supports a great diversity of mammals and birds.
Mabi Forest is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act (1999). Various local groups such as TREAT are actively involved with rehabilitating and restoring Mabi forest.
If you live next to or near Mabi forest, including Peterson Creek you can help by:
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Removing weedy species, not dumping garden waste
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Protecting remnants from stock
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Extending through restoration planting
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Limiting tracks through the forest.
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Other Mabi forest remnants that you can visit on the Tablelands include:
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Curtain Fig
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Wongabel
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Halloran’s Hill
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Tolga Scrub
MABI PLANT SPECIES
Scientific name
Acmenosperma claviflorum
Anthocarapa nitidula
Brachychiton acerifolius
Celtis paniculata
Cryptocarya hypospodi
Diploglottis diphyllostegia
Dysoxylum parasiticum
Elaeocarpus coorangooloo
Endiandra cowleyana
Euroschinus falcatus
Ficus fraseri
Flindersia brayleyana
Litsea leefeana
Melia azedarach
Terminalia sericocarpa
Aleurites rockinghamensis
Alloxylon flammeum
Alstonia scholaris
Argyrodendron peralatum
Argyrodendron sp. (Boonjie B.P.Hyland RFK2139)
Castanospermum australe
Elaeocarpus grandis
Ficus henneana
Ficus obliqua
Flindersia schottiana
Toona ciliata
Vitex queenslandica
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Asplenium australasicum
Drynaria rigidula
Platycerium bifurcatum
Platycerium superbum
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Adiantum hispidulum
Pellaea falcata var. nana
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Dienia montana
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Alocasia brisbanensis
Alpinia caerulea
Alpinia modesta
Cyperus mirus
Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum
Dendrocnide cordifolia
Dendrocnide moroides
Oplismenus burmanni
Oplismenus hirtellus
Pollia crispata
Pollia macrophylla
Pseuderanthemum variabile
Urtica incisa
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Austrosteenisia blackii
Cayratia saponaria
Cissus antarctica
Elaeagnus triflora
Maclura cochinchinensis
Melodinus australis
Piper hederaceum
Tylophora benthami
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Acmena smithii
Agathis robusta
Ficus congesta
Melaleuca viminalis
Mischocarpus lachnocarpus
Syzygium australe
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Breynia macrantha
Calamus caryotoides
Codiaeum variegatum var. moluccanum
Dichapetalum papuanum
Eumachia frutescens
Mackinlaya macrosciadea
Phaleria octandra
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Acronychia acidula
Aglaia sapindina
Aphananthe philippinensis
Castanospora alphandii
Cryptocarya mackinnoniana
Cryptocarya murrayi
Endiandra insignis
Mallotus mollissimus
Mallotus philippensis
Myristica insipida
Neolitsea brassii
Neolitsea dealbata
Syzygium cormiflorum
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Aglaia ferruginea
Breynia stipitata
Ficus septica
Fontainea picrosperma
Gossia hillii
Gossia myrsinocarpa
Neisosperma poweri
Phaleria clerodendron
Rhodamnia sessiliflora
Rhodomyrtus macrocarpa
Ternstroemia cherryi
Wikstroemia indica
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Neoalsomitra clavigera
Phyllanthera grayi
Smilax calophylla
Trophis scandens
Common name
Trumpet satinash
Incensewood
Flame kurrajong
Silky celtis
Northern laurel
Northern tamarind
Yellow mahogany
Coorangooloo quandong
Northern rose walnut
Pink poplar
Fraser's fig
Queensland maple
Brown bollywood
White cedar
Damson
Candlenut
Flame silky oak
Milky pine
Red tulip oak
Boonjie tulip oak
Black bean
Silver quandong
Superb fig
Small leaf fig
Floppy-leaf ash
Red cedar
Queensland vitex
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Keeled bird's nest fern
Basket fern
Elkhorn fern
Staghorn fern
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Rough maidenhair fern
Dwarf sickle fern
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Broadleaf ground orchid
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Cunjevoi
Blue ginger
Modest ginger
Mirus sedge
Pointed leaf rainforest grass
Cordate stinging bush
Gympie stinging bush
Burman's rainforest grass
Hairy leaf rainforest grass
Crispate pollia
Large leaf pollia
Floor flower
Tropical stinging nettle
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Black's bloodvine
Silver hair cayratia
Native grape
Millaa Millaa vine
Cockspur vine
Brown sugar vine
New holland pepper
Bentham's tylophora
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Smith's lillipilli
Smooth bark kauri pine
Red leaf fig
Weeping bottlebrush
Woolly-fruited mischocarp
Creek satinash
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Atherton sauropus
Fish tail lawyer vine
Moluccan cordiaeum
Papuan dichapetalum
Atherton turkey bush
Green mackinlaya
Dwarf phaleria
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Lemon aspen
Bujarra
Grey handlewood
Brown tamarind
Mackinnon's laurel
Murray's laurel
Hairy walnut
Woolly kamala
Red kamala
Australian nutmeg
Brass's bollywood
Velvet leaf bollywood
Bumpy satinash
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Rusty bujarra
Glossy leaf breynia
Septic fig
Bitter seed fontainea
Hill's lignum
Atherton lignum
Red boat tree
Scented phaleria
Iron malletwood
Finger cherry
Cherry beech
Tye bush
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New mitre vine
Gray's cryptolepis
Shiny barwire vine
Burney vine
Place in forest
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
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Epiphyte
​Epiphyte
​Epiphyte
​Epiphyte
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Ground fern
Ground fern
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Ground orchid
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Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
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Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
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Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
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Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
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Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy
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Understorey
Understorey*
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey*
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Vine
Vine
Vine
Vine
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* pioneer species
MABI BIRD LIST
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1 Wet Tropics endemic species
2 Now extinct from Mabi Forest
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Southern Cassowary 2
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Australian Brush-turkey
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Orange-footed Scrubfowl
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Pacific Baza
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Square-tailed Kite
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Black Kite
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Whistling Kite
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Brown Goshawk
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Grey Goshawk
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Collared Sparrowhawk
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Wedge-tailed Eagle
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Australian Hobby
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Peregrine Falcon
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Nankeen Kestrel
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Red-necked Crake
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Bush-hen
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White-headed Pigeon
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Brown Cuckoo-Dove
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Emerald Dove
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Wompoo Fruit-Dove
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Superb Fruit-Dove
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Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
Topknot Pigeon
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Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
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Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
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Rainbow Lorikeet
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Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
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Double-eyed Fig-Parrot
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Australian King-Parrot
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Crimson Rosella
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Oriental Cuckoo
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Brush Cuckoo
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Fan-tailed Cuckoo
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Noisy Friarbird
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Blue-faced Honeyeater
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Macleay's Honeyeater 1
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Lewin's Honeyeater
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Bridled Honeyeater 1
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Brown Honeyeater
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White-cheeked Honeyeater
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Eastern Spinebill
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Dusky Honeyeater
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Scarlet Honeyeater
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Pale-yellow Robin
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Grey-headed Robin 1
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Chowchilla 1
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Eastern Whipbird
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Golden Whistler
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Rufous Whistler
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Little Shrike-thrush
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Bower's Shrike-thrush 1
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Yellow-breasted Boatbill
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Black-faced Monarch
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Spectacled Monarch
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White-eared Monarch
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Pied Monarch 1
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Leaden Flycatcher
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Satin Flycatcher
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Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
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Little Bronze-Cuckoo
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Common Koel
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Channel-billed Cuckoo
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Rufous Owl
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Barking Owl
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Southern Boobook
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Lesser Sooty Owl 1
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Masked Owl
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Barn Owl
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Tawny Frog mouth
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Papuan Frogmouth
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Large-tailed Nightjar
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Australian Owlet-nightjar
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White-rumped Swiftlet
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White-throated Needletail
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Fork-tailed Swift
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Azure Kingfisher
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Little Kingfisher
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Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher
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Laughing Kookaburra
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Rainbow Bee-eater
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Dollarbird
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White-throated Treecreeper
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Spotted Pardalote
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Yellow-throated Scrubwren
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White-browed Scrubwren
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Atherton Scrubwren 1
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Large-billed Scrubwren
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Brown Gerygone
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Fairy Gerygone
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Mountain Thornbill 1
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Helmeted Friarbird
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Rufous Fantail
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Grey Fantail
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Spangled Drongo
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Barred Cuckoo-shrike
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Cicadabird
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Varied Triller
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Olive-backed Oriole
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Figbird
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Black Butcherbird
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Pied Butcherbird
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Pied Currawong
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Victoria's Riflebird 1
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Torresian Crow
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Spotted Catbird
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Tooth-billed Bowerbird 1
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Golden Bowerbird 1
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Satin Bowerbird
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Red-browed Finch
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Yellow-bellied Sunbird
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Mistletoebird
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Welcome Swallow
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Tree Martin
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Fairy Martin
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Silvereye
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Metallic Starling