Update- 28 June 2016.
This morning this Gang-gang family of three returned again to our garden – and the adult male again fed the young male.
For the first time that we have seen, the young male also made a few tentative attempts to feed itself.
Martin Butterfield’s comment a month ago in late May that “
Perhaps the adult needs counselling about encouraging undesirable dependency.”
now seems very clearly to the point!
Robin Hide
Sent: Saturday,
21 May 2016 10:12 AM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: Gang-gang adult male feeding dependent young
Update- this young male GG is still apparently DY (after 5 weeks- assuming that it’s the same family).
About once a week they turn up at our garden (Ainslie), and repeat this feeding process.
Only the adult male feeds the young one.
Is this an unusually long period of dependency? and is it usual for only one parent to feed the young?
Sent: Saturday,
16 April 2016 1:50 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: Gang-gang adult male feeding dependent young
This morning an adult pair of Gang-gangs appeared in our garden (Ainslie) with an immature male (apparently full size) in tow. The adults fed at a feeder, while the immature remained on an overhead powerline, occasionally calling. The female flew off, the
male flew up to the line and repeatedly fed the young one. The adult male then flew back to the feeder, ate some more (while the young one flew off), and then flew off itself.
We’ve never seen adult Gang-gangs feeding an immature bird here before.
Robin Hide
