Lewin's Birds of New South Wales

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:00:00 +1000

John William Lewin (1770 - 1819) lends his name to two birds. I hear one, the Lewin’s honeyeater, almost daily from the bushland at the bottom of the yard.

Simpson & Day describe the voice as “distinctive, 1-note, long vibrating ‘brrrrrrrrrrp’”. I have seen it described elsewhere, more accurately in my opinion, as a machine gun-like rattle.

Lewin’s other bird, the Lewin’s rail, doesn’t really live around these parts. “Secretive” says Simpson & Day. The basic facts of John William Lewin’s life can be found in a rather sparse Wikipedia entry and it’s here that I learned about his book, Birds of New Holland with their Natural History.

Lewin on Secondary Succession

Lewin's Birds of New South Wales