Hi All
I've never seen this hawking by Starlings anywhere
else but in Canberra
I'm curious to know if this
'hawking" started on a local basis and then began spreading
?. I personally first seen this happening app 6 yrs ago on Canberra
Ave in the Kingston area. I know here in my area of tassie the starlings
are almost as adept at gathering nectar from blooms as the
Honeyeaters.
As for the Magpie behavior, I
once witnessed an attack on a starling by a Magpie, where the maggie had stooped
on the terrified starling. I say terrified because it was its screaming that
made me look up. It struck the starling , which plummeted into the long grass
beside me, where it lay hidden until the Magpie had flown away. .It
then emerged and flew away
itself,apparetly unharmed.
This was in a large open paddock , I don't know if this
happened in such close proximity to me by accident or design by the starling
trying to gain some protection from me. Which would be even more strange as I
didn't even know the bird!
Cheers
Bob Rusk
To:
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 8:46
AM
Subject: [canberrabirds] Starlings
imitating Woodswallows
Yes John,
I have noticed this over at least several years.
Not sure starting from when. It is curious. They are a similar shape,
especially in the wings.
Philip
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