Raven takes Galah (& WT Eagle steals)

[Dr Richard Nowotny <>]

Martin.   I was recently in Perth and visited an old stamping
ground, Perry Lakes in Floreat Park.  There I saw two Australian
Ravens drag a dead Grey Teal to a lakeside log and proceed to pluck and
then eat part of it.  Whether they killed the duck themselves or
simply scavenged an already dead bird I could not tell.  
Regards.    Richard


At 09:28 06/11/2003 +1100, you wrote:

> I have a fascinating observation
> that I'm keen to hear whether anyone else
> has also recorded.
>
> Whilst in Wyperfeld National Park (north west Victoria) last week 
> we
> observed the usual flocks of Galahs wheeling around between the Red Gums
> at
> the Wonga Camp Ground.  During the middle of the day one time, we
> became
> aware that the local pair of Australian Ravens (which had two
> fledged
> begging young) have commenced a concerted and co-ordinated attack on
> one
> Galah within the flock.
>
> The ravens had picked out a specific individual and harried/harassed
> it
> into and out of trees to the point that it was eventually forced to
> the
> ground about 100m away.  The ravens then proceded to visciously peck
> the
> Galah in the head and quickly killed it.  This had barely finshed
> when a
> Wedge-tailed Eagle, which had been sitting hidden in adjacent 
> trees,
> suddenly took the opportunity to fly out and grab the dead galah off
> the
> ground in front of the rather 'angry' ravens.  All that remained
> were the
> squawking Galahs and ravens chasing the eagle into the trees.  The
> next
> day, as if to confirm this wasn't an isolated incident, we the
> observed
> another two attempts where the same pair of ravens chased a juvenile
> Magpie
> and then later, another Galah.  This time they were not successful,
> with
> both the young Magpie and Galah managing to find a suitably dense tree
> to
> find refuge in.
>
> Has anyone else observed this predatory behaviour by ravens before? 
> It is
> certainly the first time I had observed it.
>
> Martin O'Brien
> Melbourne

                
RICHARD NOWOTNY
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