About the
nestling that turned out to be a Pallid Cuckoo, I recall that too. In the years since then I have discussed that event with various people in the Regent Honeyeater recovery
program, whether parasitism by the Pallid (or other) Cuckoos was considered as a problem for the Regent Honeyeater. (I thought it would be.) I have been advised that it isn’t and that that one Canberra incident of parasitism that Mark describes was the only
case known, (or very close to the only case known – no one could come up with another), of this having happened. This is based on multiple memories and it may not be absolutely true but it suggests that the RH might have pretty good resistance against cuckoos.
Just a context comment……
I would be interested in any vocalizations of this bird, although the RH mimicry (as far as I know) does not happen during summer time.
Philip
From: Mark Clayton [
Sent: Tuesday, 14 January, 2020 6:08 PM
To:
Subject: Re: FW: [canberrabirds] Regent Honeyeater
If my geography is correct that is quite close to where 4 pairs bred in (from memory) 1997. I managed to colour band 7 of the 8 birds - we couldn't catch the last bird as it was "devoted" to a nestling that turned out to be a Pallid Cuckoo!! One of the colour
banded birds was subsequently seen in the Capertee Valley and later in Mulligans Flat NR several years after banding. Unfortunately it had lost a colour band so we couldn't identify exactly which bird it was but we did know it was one of two. This was the
first time that we showed that the birds can return to the same general area.
Mark
On 14/01/2020 5:52 pm, wrote:
Apologies if you’re sick of hearing about Regent Honeyeaters, but I thought the reply to this question was worth copying to the list. I know a lot of people were hoping to see this bird.
Cheers,
Sue
Hi Lindsay,
When I saw it yesterday it was in flowering eucs very close to the (dry) dam to the NE of the park just off Aspinall St. Maybe it remembered those flowering trees wherever it went for a day? Yesterday arvo on ebird someone reported seeing
it flying high and fast to the west. Evidently it came back this arvo. I’m sure all those good observers this morning didn’t just miss it.
Good luck and Cheers,
Sue
From: Lindsay & Diana <>
Sent: Tuesday, 14 January 2020 5:38 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Regent Honeyeater
Hi Sue
the Park is very large and I spent quite a long while early this morning wandering from flowering tree to the next without success. Is there a usual spot that it frequents?
Lindsay Nothrop
On 14-Jan-20 5:09 PM, wrote:
Hi All,
If you thought you had missed it, it is back! Has been seen again this afternoon at Justice Hope Park.
Cheers,
Sue
