Mistletoebird - migrant vs overwintering

["Philip Veerman" <>]

On that aspect. I have observed them in bush sites in winter too. Assuming mine is the Kambah GBS site that Martin mentions. I would say I think I have had at least one (usually several) Mistletoebird observation(s) probably each year, mostly in summer. Hardly a surprise then to have at least one in winter. As for habitat, I would also comment that of these many GBS observations, I think I've probably only once or twice seen a Mistletoebird perched in the GBS area. So my site is hardly good habitat. The great majority of records are of the birds flying over, and many of these are heard only observations. The call is so distinctive and as I noted in the book: "This is the only local tiny arboreal bird that characteristically flies very high when moving over. Fortunately it has a very distinctive though short high-pitched call that it emits at those times. So it can be detected when flying over, often too high to be seen. It is a summer migrant and in most years there are none observed in winter. Numbers increase rapidly from September and October to a November peak.  ......."

 

Philip