Water-rat aka Rakali

[Philip Veerman <>]

Not sure if this is worth repeating as I have written this story here before of years ago walking at night at Commonwealth Park and hearing some strange sounds and going to investigate. There was enough light to be able to see what it was. The sounds was about 3 Rakali chomping on a dead Black Duck. The noises appeared to be mainly the cracking of bones.  I don’t know if it was predation or the duck was dead from some other reason.  

 

Philip

 

From: Maurits Zwankhuizen [
Sent: Saturday, 16 July, 2016 6:11 PM
To: Philip Veerman; 'canberrabirds chatline'
Subject: [canberrabirds] Water-rat aka Rakali

 

My wife and I were just walking our dog by the lake when we saw a Rakali (the preferred and more respectable name for the Water-rat ). It was trying to get at the contents of a tied-up plastic bag but gave up and vanished into the water. It was too dark to see what was in the bag and I wasn't going to pick it up!

 

Maurits Zwankhuizen

 

---

From: Philip Veerman <>
Sent: Friday, 15 July 2016 5:55 PM
To: 'canberrabirds chatline'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Crace Pond Swamp Rat

 

I would think fairly obviously, yes. Though I’d give Con the benefit of the thinking it is a wrong word rather than a wrong identification.

 

From: Robin Hide [ Sent: Friday, 15 July, 2016 4:38 PM      To: Con Boekel; canberrabirds chatline
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Crace Pond Swamp Rat

 

Con,

isn’t that a Water Rat - (Hydromys chrysogaster)?

 

Robin

 

 

-----Original Message-----From: Con Boekel [ Sent: Friday, 15 July 2016 4:16 PM        To: canberrabirds chatline
Subject: [canberrabirds] Crace Pond Swamp Rat

 

A Swamp Rat can now be seen from time to time swimming around Crace Pond.

 

When the Coot see it on the surface, they follow it from a distance.

 

Also present this morning: Coot, Dusky Moorhen, Wood Duck (copulating yesterday), Non-Pacific Black Duck (quite a ferocious fight between two of them this morning), Purple Swamphen.

 

regards

 

Con