John, certainly an interesting observation indeed.
I’m not aware of any (potential) interaction of Koel fledglings with Noisy Miner, indeed there has been a suggestion that they, or more likely their host Red Wattlebirds, tend to avoid Noisy Miner territories due to the potential for aggression.
For the first time this year one of my fledglings was on the edge of the local Noisy Miner territory, but I didn’t witness any interaction or miners nearby while I was observing it.
What others and I have observed more than a few times is a Red Wattlebird ignoring a begging Koel fledgling in the same tree, with then another Red Wattlebird flying in from further away to feed it.
Jack Holland
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2019 11:31 AM
Subject: [canberrabirds] Interesting Koel observation
I was just watching a juvenile Koel in our backyard in Hughes working its hosts (Red Wattlebirds) hard. A pair of RW were hunting furiously for things to feed their oversized baby and it was egging them on with urgent begging calls that sound
to my ears (and presumably the 'parents') exactly like RW chick begging calls.
However what was really interesting was that at one point a Noisy Miner showed up. Normally if they found a RW in the backyard they would be aggressive and try to drive it away, however, on this occasion the NM looked concerned, remained silent, and hopping
around seemingly looking for food. My interpretation was that the Koel begging calls were also sufficiently like NM begging calls that the NM was fooled, didn't try to drive away the RW hosts, and may even have thought about feeding the Koel itself. But it
didn't, and after a few minutes flew off.
--
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net
‘There is kinship between people and all animals. Such is the Law.’ Kimberley lawmen (from Yorro Yorro)
