domesticated wattlebird?

[David McDonald <>]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edn, 1989), one of the definitions of 'domesticate' is 'to tame or bring under control', so it could definitely be a domesticated wattlebird - David

Philip Veerman wrote:

Certainly not a domesticated wattlebird. As domestication is a long process over many generations. However it is not common and is a first I have heard of. However some options:

 

1    It is likely to be a tame bird that has been hand raised.

2    White-eared Honeyeaters (and maybe other Honeyeaters) are known to alight on heads / backs etc of horses, koalas, possums, people and try and pull tufts of hair out, when building their nest. It could just maybe an example of this.

3    I have certainly known wild Noisy Miners to perch on people (yapping) where the noise is quite annoying. This happened to me and Robert Drummond at Hattah Lakes NP in 1974.

 

Philip

----- Original Message -----

From: m("aph.gov.au","Anthony.Overs.Reps");">Overs, Anthony (REPS)

To: m("webone.com.au","sedgar");">Suzanne Edgar ; m("internode.on.net","wrightg");">Graham Wright ; m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">

Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 12:13 PM

Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] domesticated wattlebird?

Except maybe at the café at the ANBG! It's not unusual to have a wattlebird sit on your chair or even land on your plate! They do prefer to swoop in after customers have left though. Never actually seen a wattlebird land on a shoulder...

Anthony


-----Original Message-----
From: Suzanne Edgar [m("webone.com.au","sedgar");">]
Sent: Wednesday, 26 November 2008 12:03 PM
To: Graham Wright; m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: domesticated wattlebird?

seems mighty uncommon to me