| Hi Anthony,
Yesterday, while surveying for Superb Parrots near Mulligans Flat, Con Boekel and I noticed a young Eastern Rosella with a similar problem; Con likened it to a "flying quail". Later on, I spotted a young magpie with missing tail feathers, not long after Con had observed a pale-morph Brown Falcon in the vicinity.
We wondered if the missing tail feathers were the result of a failed/aborted raptor attack, and Brown Falcons are known to take large and small birds as prey (see McDonald et al (2003), "Territory fidelity, reproductive success and prey choice in the brown falcon, Falco berigora: a flexible bet-hedger?" Aust J Zool 51(4), pp. 399-414).
Cheers, Beth
Beth Mantle
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E:
On Oct 18, 2009, at 3:48 PM, Anthony Doyle wrote: I have twice today observed a Red Wattlebird that seems to be missing the back half of it's body. I have clearly observed the bird to confirm its identity. It apparently flies without difficulty but seems to lack anything after its wings and legs. The bird occupies a tree that has had a resident wattlebird for at least two years. Is it possible that a normal wattlebird narrowly escaped a predator leaving part of itself behind? Bemused. Anthony Doyle
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