birding-aus

Cooperative feeding between a Little-black Cormorant and Platypus?

To: Birding-aus <>
Subject: Cooperative feeding between a Little-black Cormorant and Platypus?
From: John Leonard <>
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:48:01 +1000
In Britain I saw a dabbling duck following a diving duck (from memory
it was Common Teal following Tufted Duck) feeding on invertebrates and
plant material brought to the surface by the diving ducks activities
on the bottom of the pond. My interpretation was this was
opportunistic on the part of the dabbling ducks and the diving ducks
seemed annoyed by the others following them.

John Leonard

On 27 April 2011 19:23, David James <> wrote:
> Barry,
> Burnett (1996: Sunbird 26(3) 76-8) reported on a feeding association between 
> an Azure Kingfisher and a Platypus. He made a very brief and incomplete 
> review of  feeding associations of birds (raptors) with mammals and 
> machines in Aus.  This did not include any 'encouragement behaviour'. It 
> would take quite a bit of work to review, but the 'encouragement behaviour' 
> of the junior partner in a feeding association is likely to be extremely rare 
> and possibly unique.
>
>
> From: Barry Davies <>
> To: 
> Sent: Wednesday, 27 April 2011 11:15 AM
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Cooperative feeding between a Little-black Cormorant 
> and Platypus?
>
> Recently, at Sharp Park near Canungra in SEQ, Perth birder Mark Newman I saw 
> a Platypus and a Little-black Cormorant feeding together in what appeared to 
> be a cooperative manner. Whilst on the surface they were side by side with 
> their bodies touching. The Cormorant gently pecked the Platypus on the tail 
> and repeatedly ducked its head under the water next to the Platypus's head as 
> if encouraging the Platypus to dive. When they dived they did so in unison. 
> The Cormorant surfaced on average twice to the Platypus one but as soon as 
> they were both on the surface the Cormorant immediately swam to the Platypus, 
> never the other way around. Both animals were feeding successfully as they 
> always had food in their mouths when they surfaced. I assume the Cormorant 
> was feeding on creatures disturbed by the Platypus but I'm sure it wasn't 
> just taking advantage of the Platypus being there, it was actively 
> encouraging the Platypus to dive. The Platypus showed no signs of
>  being disturbed by the Cormorant. Whether or not it dived as a response to 
> the Cormorants 'encouragement' is impossible to say. We watched this 
> behaviour for about 10-15 minutes. Has anyone else even seen similar 
> behaviour?
> Regards,
> Barry Davies,
> Beechmont SEQ
>
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-- 
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net

I want to be with the 99,999 other things.
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