The definitions of these two categories in the eBird metadata are: FL Confirmed‐Recently Fledged young-Recently fledged or downy young observed while still dependent upon adults. FY Confirmed-Feeding Young - Adult feeding young that have left the nest, but are not yet flying and independent (should not be used with raptors, terns, and other species that may move many miles from the nest site). As with any categorisation, it is important to have a definition (and guidance to the application) behind each category label but, like most definitions, those above raise as many questions as the application of COG DY category and do not seem to necessarily ‘fix’ the situation. (If there are definitions and guidance for application of the COG breeding categories I have not seen them but would be happy to if anyone has them. The glossary in Birds of the ACT, An Atlas contains some partial definitions which are not adequate for the breeding categories used in the COG database but may be the source of the meaning of ‘dependent’ as being fed by parents). Steve From: Martin Butterfield [
Sent: Tuesday, 27 January 2015 6:22 PM
To: Con Boekel
Cc: cog list
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] 'Dy or not dy?' that is the question. eBird uses two categories FL = "Recently Fledged Young" and FY ="Feeding Young". I'd say all of your records would fit FL, but none fit FY, which is what I would map to the COG DY code. Of course it would be drawing a very long bow in many cases to say the FL records gave any assurance to the birds having nested in the site of observation (or anywhere close thereto). However a careful analyst may be able to use the FL data to show the sites which provide post-fledging shelter to the noisy little blighters.
On 27 January 2015 at 16:48, Con Boekel <m("boekel.com.au","con");" target="_blank">> wrote: Going for a constitutional this afternoon in BMNR, I noticed that there was a young Noisy Friarbird begging noisily. The parent bird was busy feeding itself and on four or five occasions found some prey and ingested it. Each time the begging youngster approached the adult bird too closely and increased its begging investment (more and louder calls) the adult bird would engage in some sort of behaviour which clearly contained the message: 'Rack off'. So, not dy.
There was a similar scenario with two adult and one young Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo at JWNR two days ago. Again the adult bird, with a tasty morsel - freshly hewn from its former home inside an acacia branch - lunged at the young bird as if to say, 'Rack off!'. Not dy.
Then again, this afternoon, two Sacred Kingfisher youngsters in BMNR sat around begging, apparently waiting to be fed. The parent was about, did not catch anything with which to feed them and did not feed them. Not dy.
A group of three young Noisy Friarbirds along Upper David Street, the cultural boundary between Turner and O'Connor, were all begging lustily. But they were all also actively feeding on whatever is infesting the street eucs, said infestation having attracted significant numbers of the usuals. Not dy.
Also attracted to said infestation were two Red Wattlebirds. One of which was feeding and the other of which was begging. No transfer of food occurred. Not dy.
In a garden nearby, a young Magpie-lark was begging in the harsh and strangled tones with which young Magpie-larks may signal that their voices are breaking. Its companion was actively feeding itself but not the young bird. Not dy.
Four gardens along, a young Pied Currawong was begging (disconsolately, if one wanted to be anthropomorphic about it) and not being fed. Not dy.
If COG had a breeding category 'IPDY' (Immediate Post Dependent Young) or possibly even 'IWDY' (I Want to be a Dependent Young) I would have had many a record to add to the COG database, including a rare breeding record for the YTBC.
But alas, I came up with many an NDY instead.
*******************************************************************************************************
This is the email announcement and discussion list of the Canberra Ornithologists Group.
Emails posted to the list that exceed 200 kB in size, including attachments, will be rejected.
When subscribing or unsubscribing, please insert the word 'Subscribe' or 'Unsubscribe', as applicable, in the email's subject line.
List-Post: <mailto:m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");" target="_blank">>
List-Help: <mailto:m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds-help");" target="_blank">>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds-unsubscribe");" target="_blank">>
List-Subscribe: <mailto:m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds-subscribe");" target="_blank">>
List archive: <http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/canberrabirds>
List manager: David McDonald, email <mailto:m("canberrabirds.org.au","coglists-owner");" target="_blank">> |
|
