Mudlarks building nest of mud

A few weeks ago, I watched a pair of Mudlarks building their nest. Mudlarks get their name from their construction of nests made of mud and reeds. Despite their name, Mudlarks are not larks. Another name for them is Magpie-larks — but they’re not Magpies either! Yet another name for them is Peewees, which is an imitation of the noise they make: pee-wee, pee-wee.

Building a good nest takes a lot of patience and skill. The birds use their beaks to pile globules of mud on top of each other to form a bowl, increasing the circumference of the bowl with each layer. Every now and then, the birds sit in the growing nest and wiggle their bodies around to smooth out the inside and make sure the nest is the right size and shape. Watch this video to see the nest-building:

https://youtu.be/xixmDTYbEcc

The birds collect mud and reeds from a nearby river or lake. Here’s a pair of them (male and female) collecting reeds at Manly Dam in NSW, Australia:

https://youtu.be/nroz2UlD6oc

Here’s the female sitting in the nest, making sure it’s the right size and shape:

Here’s a still shot of the male gathering mud and reeds:

Common name: Magpie-lark, also called a Peewee or a Mudlark
Scientific name: Grallina cyanoleuca
Approximate length: 30 cm
Date spotted: 18 September 2025 (spring)
Location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia

#australia #birds #birdwatching #MagpieLark #mudlark #nests #peewee #SydneyBirds

On my walk this morning I heard quite a few birds, but saw few. However, while in the park down the road, I a tiny Peaceful Dove stopped by, and a pair of Magpie-Larks (aka Peewees).

Also, daytime moon.

#AustralianWildlife #WildOz #Bird #PeacefulDove #MagpieLark #Peewee

A few birds from my walk around the lake this arvo (returning from the other side of campus from a job)

We have a Hardhead (and its reflection); a Dusky Moorhen chick; an Australian White Ibis (aka Bin Chicken), washing itself; a Magpie Lark (aka Peewee)

#AustralianWildlife #WildOz #UQ #bird #Hardhead #DuskyMoorhen #AustralianWhiteIbis #binchicken #MagpieLark #peewee

I don’t photograph these very often because they are quite common. A bit of a terrible habit really. So anyway, here are a couple of Magpie-Larks (colloq. Peewee).

#bird #AustralianWildlife #wildOz #MagpieLark