birding-aus

birding-aus Aggression between honeyeaters

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Subject: birding-aus Aggression between honeyeaters
From: "Bill Jolly" <>
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 13:45:52 +1000
Re Roy Sonnenburg and Jill Dening's postings about aggressive Noisy
Honeyeaters.

We have been invaded by a single Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater.  A beautiful and
well-coloured bird, now in his fifth day with us, 'tocking' all the time,
and occasionally breaking into an amazing song - a cross between Nosiy
Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater and even quite a bit of Restless Flycatcher.

Great fun for the first few days.

However, like Jill's Noisy Friarbird, the Spiny-cheeked has set up a
territory within which it will brook no other honeyeaters, resorting to
full-on body contact where necessary to preserve an exclusive feeding patch
20 to 30 metres in length, spending his time mostly in grevilleas, while
Brown and White-throated Honeyeaters sneak into the eremophilas and other
lower species.

It does however, feed on the ground along the driveway alongside a Willie
Wagtail, which it tolerates. If anything we are more surprised that the
Willie tolerates the Spiny-cheeked.

What we are waiting for now is the arrival of a contending Noisy Friarbird
to determine the WBA title! I'll report back if and when it happens.



Bill Jolly
"Abberton", Helidon, Qld
ph  07 46976111
fax 07 46976056
email: 
Visit our website at: www.abberton.org








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