Pecking order

["Philip Veerman" <>]

I wouldn't know an answer either way to your question (although your suggestion seems quite reasonable) but it may be something else. A change may (perhaps equally) be that the Crested Pigeons' behaviour changes at this time and they become less bold and are easier to scare away. Both outcomes could look the same to us........ Monitoring this for a few years would provide something of an answer that could go in CBN and then in the next edition of HANZAB.

 

p.s. Surely they are King-Parrots (or King Parrots) and not King-parrots, as they are real parrots (so needs an capital P). Although I am haunted by Geoffrey Dabb's convincing elucidation that the name should really be King's Parrot (named after Governor King) and thus sadly all the books have got it wrong. 

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----
From: martin butterfield [
Sent: Tuesday, 9 August 2011 9:23 AM
To: COG List
Subject: [canberrabirds] Pecking order

Some friends put out bird feed, primarily to attract
parrots.  They have found that the number of Crested Pigeons also attracted
has risen from a handful to a resident flock of 15 - 20.  

During
Winter the pigeons would drive away any King-parrots which turned up, whilst
being driven off themselves by Sulphur-crested Cockatoos.  In the last
couple of weeks the behaviour of the King-parrots has changed and they now also
drive off the pigeons, even when outnumbered.

Is the change in behaviour
of the King-parrots due to them getting ready to defend a nest site? 
HANZAB offers no information on agonistic
behaviour.

Marin