Red wattlebird Migration

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Hi Benj,

 

They clearly are present in Canberra all year. Indeed the GBS Report shows hardly any difference in their abundance through the year, with slightly raised numbers in April and May as some birds form (migrating?) flocks and become easier to count in higher numbers. The COG Atlas shows that their reporting rate (percentage of cells) shows a strong decline from May to August but absence only from the high country. Note though that this includes a strong geographical (as in altitudinal) component. It would appear that some migrate to somewhere as they certainly engage in behaviour suggesting migration (I wonder if banding results show much). However I see nothing in available data that would suggest that most of them, indeed any amount greater than a small proportion of them, usually migrate to the coast.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: boy nature [ Sent: Wednesday, 9 May 2012 12:42 AM
To:       Subject: [canberrabirds] Red wattlebird Migration

I guess I dont want
to bore anyone on the COG line.
But, Im sure most Red
wattlebirds usually migrated to the coast before now. There seems to be
many still in Canberra. In West Hawker there were at least 12 within view. At
the Ovals there were quite a few.
When are they going to
move.
Benj