Yes I think it more correct to note that ALL the
books on Canberra’s birds record no breeding activity of Koels.
Birds in the Australian High Country describes the breeding in general terms but makes no mention of any breeding in the region. The GBS Report (released 2002, 2003 & 2006) at least addressed the issue with “no breeding recorded - yet”, indicating that,
even early, I had an expectation it would happen soon. This is the only species with that text. The recent COG ABR appear to publish the history of Koel breeding records. Just as the overall abundance of the species has increased, it is reasonably predictable
that the timing as in number of weeks or length of time that the species occurs here, is also likely to increase over time. Simply a statistical consequence. Thus “I would have thought that is rather late”
observations have occurred over the years and may continue to occur, until it reaches their limit, which we don’t know yet. The GBS Report notes last recorded in February (which technically by the GBS calendar is potentially until 4 March). But yes still having
them on 6 March is certainly historically late and worth noting as part of the trend.
The intellectual input into
Birds of Canberra Gardens volume 2 (2009) covering 27 years, by which time the Koel had clearly set on the trend of being a regular, was so deficient that they did not even bother to give the Koel its own separate species text, just 3 sentences. The
table on 106 & 107 does not include it, so the first breeding would have occurred after then. As I have written many times The GBS Report seriously needs an update.
Birds of Canberra Gardens is passable PR and has lots of nice photos but it is no substitute for a compiled analysis, nor even close.
For what it is worth, the last week has also had several 2 Noisy Friarbirds and one Grey Butcherbird
at my GBS after the former have unusually been absent most of the summer.
Philip
The various books on Canberra’s birds are old enough that some record no breeding activity of Koels. The numbers and breeding activity of Koels in Canberra has clearly been increasing rapidly over the past decade or so.
Can someone point me to the most recent data that indicate the likely end-of-season timing? I still have Koels in my street in Deakin as of today (6 March). I would have thought that is rather late.
Other unusual observations for my GBS this week: 2 Noisy Friarbirds and one Grey Butcherbird. Yesterday (5 March) was a bit of an early Autumn bonanza with 16 species and something approaching 100 birds in a 20 minute peruse of the street
at about 8am – a good start to the post-leap day GBS record.
David Rosalky
