Very Interesting Shorty, based on some similar observations I once had a theory that adult Koels hung around fledglings to escort them N for the winter,
but it hasn’t found favour compared with, for example, they do it to imprint the call.
My observations do support that adults and fledglings often leave at much the same time, though this year I still have adults calling despite my last confirmed fledgling sighting being a fortnight ago.
Re the possibility of trying to lead it away so it can lay another egg, HANZAB says eggs are laid from October to February, rarely March. Interestingly it notes that a single host-pair may raise up to 3 Koels in a season.
Not likely in Canberra, but possibly in Port Macquarie. It does seem rather close to the fledging of the current one, at least in Canberra it can be over 3 weeks before they are weaned. I have seen them still being fed only a few days before they move
away.
Regards
Jack Holland
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 10:38 AM
Subject: [canberrabirds] Out of area Koel
Hi all,
I am currently at my Dads at Port Maquarie. On arrival last Friday i was alerted by a begging Koel, my Dad informed me that it had fledged the day before. This has given me a great opportunity to observe them.
The hosts are Little Wattlebirds and they have raised a single Koel every year for the past 15 years here.
During the week a pair of adult Koels have been in the area but yesterday the female came into the backyard but the Wattlebirds chased it away but only to the next yard. The female stayed for over an hour seeming to keep an eye out on the young one.
This morning the female came again but this time it led the young one slowly away. It kept going from bush to bush until i lost sight of them.
Now an hour later the young one is still not back but the female has returned and spent a couple of minutes in the nest tree. It is now on a palm tree nearby just sitting there, maybe it has laid another egg in the nest?
Shorty
A couple of pics on FlickR for anyone interested.
