canberrabirds

FW: [canberrabirds] Hobby vs Noisy Friarbird

To: "" <>
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Hobby vs Noisy Friarbird
From: Geoffrey Dabb <>
Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2019 22:02:26 +0000

Probably not in this case.  I am reluctant to get involved in this anecdotal conversation,  but I think we are at risk of textual confusion.  What is ‘large’?   I cannot find Steve’s reference but in my copy of BPA 2nd ed Debus says ‘most prey weighs less than 100g, rarely more than 200g’.  Crested pigeons are 145-260g (ABG).  Crested Pigeons are within range, and from my observations are frequent raptor (esp hawks) prey around Canberra suburbs as they are prolific year-round breeders.  Young inept birds are easy prey.

 

HANZAB gives a long list of hobby prey items including Crested Pigeon, although the reference to ‘ducks’ is accompanied by ‘though see Czechura & Debus 1986’.  That reference (Aust Bird Watcher 11: 185-207) is apparently a detailed discussion of this subject as it is frequently cited in the food section.  No doubt it includes reference to duck-chasing hobbies.

 

From: shorty <>
Sent: Sunday, 3 March 2019 7:49 PM
To: Steve Read <>
Cc: calyptorhynchus <>; Canberra Birds <>
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Hobby vs Noisy Friarbird

 

Interesting, Even Steve Debus can get it wrong.

 

Shorty

 

On Sun, Mar 3, 2019 at 7:23 PM Steve Read <> wrote:

Thanks John. In regards to the Australian Hobby, Debus, Birds of Prey of Australia says “often harasses large birds but is incapable of killing them”.

 

But my son Lach reminded me that we once saw a hobby with a freshly killed Crested Pigeon at the National Arboretum, which I reckon would be about twice the weight of a Noisy Friarbird.

 

Steve

 

From: calyptorhynchus <>
Sent: Sunday, 3 March 2019 6:43 PM
To: Canberra Birds <>
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Hobby vs Noisy Friarbird

 

I get the impression that sometimes Falcons chase birds that are too big for prey just as exercise. In the UK I saw a male Merlin (very small) chase a Blackbird all over a reedbed. The Blackbird thought it was for real and was alarm calling away, but the Merlin didn't persist and gave up after a while.

 

John Leonard

 

On Sun, 3 Mar 2019 at 18:15, Steve Read <> wrote:

David Dedenczuk and I walked out to Yankee Hat this morning from the end of Old Boboyan Road (bird list at https://ebird.org/australia/view/checklist/S53311021). We didn’t see any Hobby (but we had seen a pair earlier on Nass Road). We did see four Kestrel flying as a group, a Brown Goshawk, a Brown Falcon (a very dark bird), two Wedge-tailed Eagle and two Swamp Harrier. The adult harrier was hassling one of the eagles, then one of the Kestrel joined in.

 

Shorty – seems as though you got the impression that the Hobby was treating the Noisy Friarbird as prey, and the picture certainly shows an attack. But I would have thought that a friarbird was rather large prey for a Hobby – I’m more used to them catching grasshoppers and dragonflies…?

 

Regards

 

Steve

 

From: shorty <>
Sent: Sunday, 3 March 2019 6:02 PM
To: COG Chat <>
Subject: [canberrabirds] Hobby vs Noisy Friarbird

 

After a visit to Mount Clear ( 6 Needletails seen ) I pulled into Old Boboyan Road for a quick look. 

 

After going across the low level crossings i noticed a Hobby so pulled up and got out of the car to get some pics. It turned out there were 2 Hobbys and i watched them flying around catching Grasshoppers often eating them on the fly. A Noisy Friarbird was calling from a perch in a nearby tree and soon took flight. A Hobby took off chasing the Friarbird and made contact but except for quite a few feathers lost the Hobby did not get his prey. The Friarbird continued with the Hobby chasing it but the Friarbird made it to a tree just in time.

 

During this time i also saw 3 Wedge-tailed Eagle, 2 Brown Goshawk (chasing Starlings) and a Nankeen Kestrel swooping the now perched Brown Goshawk.

 

A quick stop at the Yankee Hat carpark there were Dusky and White-browed Woodswallow with young.

 

Due to distance not a good pic but include the point of impact shot.

 

Shorty

 

Image removed by sender.

Virus-free. www.avg.com

 


 

--

John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net

‘There is kinship between people and all animals. Such is the Law.’ Kimberley lawmen (from Yorro Yorro)

 

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the Canberra Ornithologists Group mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the list contact David McDonald, list manager, phone (02) 6231 8904 or email . If you can not contact David McDonald e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU