birding-aus Aggression in Noisy Friarbirds

["sonnenburg" <>]

Greetings all
A few years ago we had a heavily flowering Calistemon viminalis in our front
yard in suburban Brisbane and it had many lorikeets feeding in it as well as
some Noisy Miners.  A couple of Noisy Friarbirds were harassing individual
Rainbow Lorikeets and when the R. Lorikeet flew, it would be pursued by a N.
Friarbird.  The Noisy Friarbird would actually grab the R. Lorikeet by the
tail with its bill and stop flying momentarily.  After a R.Lorikeet had been
seen off from the tree, the Noisy Friarbird would return and start on
another.  There would have been at least 30 Rainbow and Scaly-breasted
Lorikeets in the tree at the time.  To me it looked for all the world like
the Noisy Friarbirds were merely having a bit of fun at the expense of the
Rainbow Lorikeets.

Cheers
Roy Sonnenburg
Birding Services Brisbane

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