Did you know that there are black kookaburras?
I have seen a few articles about albino wildlife but a black kookaburra? What the?!! There have been a few sightings and this story is from the Daily Telegraph. Even the currawongs and cockatoos were confused when the strange dark birds started appearing in Deborah Winfield’s suburban Sydney backyard.
“They sort of did a double take, staring at them, agitated, as if they were thinking, ‘What are they, what’s going on here?’ and I was thinking the same thing,” Ms Winfield said yesterday. “They looked like kookaburras but were covered in beautiful glossy black feathers so I got on the net and it turns out they are kookaburras.” Australian Museum naturalist Martyn Robinson said: “It’s the result of a genetic mutation called hyper-melanism – an excess production of dark pigmentation and a similar, but opposite, mutation to albinism”.
Continue Reading

This group of faeries have set up home in my garden among the gold fish pond and waterlilies. They love being near water and thrive in rainy conditions. Check out those pesky leaf and raindrop goblins!
SALE! Enter Coupon Code MAYMADNESS in the Shopping Cart to receive 10% off all products in the Oz Wildlife Studio Shop!
I have just finished this watercolour of a pair of fantasy rainbow bee-eaters which is the 7th in the series of 12. All are available as matted prints in the shop. This is the only one left as an original though.




Read my Garden Guests Diary and meet the gorgeous birds, possums and insects with whom we share our garden.
Begin shopping for nature inspired fine art, photographic prints and products, hand-made with love and 100% Australian.
The latest press, artwork and products I have been busy making in the studio. 
Thank you for sharing this very interesting article. It definitely is food for thought!
Hello Patrick, you are kidding aren’t you? I never know with you as you have a sharp sense of humour. Simply download the correct size for your monitor. Thanks so much for your order of “Moonlight Rendezvous”. I will be mailing it to you tomorrow (Tuesday) and thank you for supporting my work. When do you retire?
Great image. O.k. what is wall paper ? I remember wall papering our bedrooms as kids and the nightmare for dad when my sister wanted her ceiling wall-papered but what is this computer wall paper stuff and how do you get the blank side adhesive???
Hi Patrick, retirement sounds good and on a boat – how exciting. Thanks for your interest in this painting. I’m not so sure about a tea towel though but it’s an interesting thought. Hope you and your swans are doing ok.
I shall put some money in my card tomorrow and buy a print of this. I’m retiring to live on a boat soon so I don’t have room for art and it suddenly occurred to me to ask you if you could reproduce it on a tea towel ??? could be another outlet!
Pat A