Re:Red Wattlebird snatching St Pardalote?

[martin butterfield <>]

Peter 

Checking HANZAB shows that there is one publication (Brown and Brown,
1986 Australian Birdwatcher v1 p218 - 223) of the Red Wattlebird eating
eggs and chicks of other birds.  In that case it was Yellow-rumped
Thornbill.

Martin

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 9:30 PM, Peter Ormay <> wrote:

This morning about 10am my attention was drawn to excessive squabbling noise coming from one of my Striated Pardalote nest boxes. One pardalote was on the outside looking in.

 

After a while it left but the noise kept coming from the nest box and another one appeared at the entrance struggling trying to get out. I thought it was being held by another one on the inside but after a while It managed to get out but was suspended by the legs with what appeared to be string. While it was struggling and squawking a Red Wattlebird swooped down and hovered in front of it.

 

Fearing that the RW may hurt the pardalote I went to shoo it away but while I was getting out from behind the table I took my eye off them for a couple of seconds and when I looked back the RW and pardalote were gone and all was quiet except for a Pied Currawong that called once in the front yard.  When I got to the front yard all was quiet there too.

 

Has anyone heard or read of a Red Wattlebird predating on small birds?

 

Peter Ormay

Aranda