Roosting aggregation of Satin Bowerbirds

[Jack & Andrea Holland <>]

John, quite likely, and worth following up, it certainly is a place to find SBBs, with the Yarralumla nursery being the place from where the first Canberra records came – see Holland and Veerman CBN 25(2) 59-71 (2000).

 

It’s also very much a winter phenomenon.

 

Jack Holland

 

From:

Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2015 10:18 AM

To:

Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Roosting aggregation of Satin Bowerbirds

 

I have been in the English Garden nr Yaralumla Nursery towards sunset in winter and have observed up to 30 SBBs (all females and immature males). I wonder if there is a roosting site nr there.

John Leonard

 

On 7 June 2015 at 09:07, Jack & Andrea Holland <> wrote:

Philip, a very interesting observation.  Pre-fires I used to have a roost site about 150 m from my place, and I regularly used to see up to 80 birds moving through my GBS site, but in all the time I watched them, I never saw an evening roost flight despite careful observation, in fact I had to ask around the neighbours to find out where they actually did roost - see CBN, 25(3), 98-112, (2000).

 

After this publication I became aware of a possible roost site in Kambah not far from where you live (CBN 28(3) 87-95, 2003), but again in the suburbs.  After the January 2003 fires the roost did not reform, but I have from time to time wondered about a possible roost site on Cooleman Ridge in the tree plantings about 150 m off Freebody Place, but it’s a matter of getting there in time (at or before sunrise) to confirm it.  Interestingly around 7 am yesterday I had at least 8 SBB in my GBS and couldn’t help wondering whether they had roosted nearby.

 

These are all urban/peri-urban sites and much closer to houses than your observation - birds seemed to disperse into the suburbs, though since 2003 I’ve also seen a number of times 8-12 birds moving SW towards the Murrumbidgee.

 

I’ve just checked HANZAB re SBB roosting and amazingly the only reference seems to be to my 2000 paper above, so well worth investigating further.

 

Jack Holland   

 

From:

Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2015 5:58 PM

To:

Subject: [canberrabirds] Roosting aggregation of Satin Bowerbirds

 

I just did the Kambah Pool / Bullen range track again. Like 2 times in last 2 weeks there were hardly any birds. Just as the sun was setting, many Pied Currawongs were flying over the river (from the direction of Kambah) to perch in the Bullen range. That happens almost each time I am there. Very easy to see, as they fly high. This time I happened to look down at one point (just on the opposite side of the river just before the dip in the track after the big power line). In about 2 minutes I would have seen 50 + Satin Bowerbirds flying the same route as the Currawongs, except all low within the canopy. It is odd that I have never noticed that before. I don’t know how long that flight would continue or whether I just encountered one flock. Maybe it is a daily event but in all the times I have been there I have rarely seen Satin Bowerbirds there. They would have been about 300 to 400 metres from me.

 

Philip

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John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net

I want to be with the 9,999 other things.