birding-aus

Re: Lorikeets and Cockatoos in Casuarina

To: "Greg Clancy" <>, "Birding-aus" <>
Subject: Re: Lorikeets and Cockatoos in Casuarina
From: "Gosper Carl" <>
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 13:18:40 +1000
Hi all,

As Greg and others have said, Rainbow Lorikeets often feed on the seeds of 
Casuarinas and Allocasuarinas. The species that I have usually seen them 
feeding on is Casuarina equisetifolia subsp. incana (Coastal She-Oak), which 
grows in coastal eastern Australia north from northern NSW (the casuarinas by 
the Byron Bay SLSC referred to by Syd) . Scaly-breasted Lorikeets also often 
eat Coastal She-Oak seeds. Recently, at Mon Repos near Bundaberg (SE Qld), both 
these lorikeets and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos were feeding on Coastal She-Oak 
seeds. As Greg mentioned, the lorikeets would pick the seeds from the opening 
capsules, while the cockatoos crushed up the 'cones' for the seeds.

Re Greg's comments on Glossy Black-Cockatoos and Casuarina vs. Allocasuarina, 
on the western slopes of NSW seeds of Casuarina cristata (Belah) are one of 
their main food sources.

Cheers
Carl Gosper
Brisbane

-----Original Message-----
From:  
 Behalf Of Greg Clancy
Sent: Friday, 11 February 2005 5:35 PM
To: Birding-aus
Cc: Alan Morris
Subject: Re: Rainbow Lorikeets in Casuarina


Re. Brian's, Syd's and Anthea's comments re. Rainbow Lorikeets in Casuarinas I 
have a number of records of Rainbow Lorikeets feeding on the seeds of the Black 
She-oak Allocasuarina littoralis at Coutts Crossing, North Coast New South 
Wales.  Unlike the local Glossy Black-Cockatoos that crush the 'cones' (which 
are not really cones!) the Rainbows delicately remove the winged seeds one by 
one from the dry capsules.  It is interesting that only the Casuarinas that 
were renamed Allocasuarina are the species used by Glossy Black-Cockatoos as a 
food source.  The ones that retained the Casuarina generic name, such as River 
Oak and Swamp Oak are not used by Glossies, although there is a recent report 
of Glossies eating River Oak.  Alan Morris may be able to confirm this record.


Regards

Greg


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