Regent Honeyeater

[Michael Lenz <>]

There was a 2nd case of a Regent Honeyeater nest parasitized by Pallid Cuckoo. The nest, which I had located, was at the Campbell end of the Mt Ainslie reserve, near the start of the Mt Ainslie Drive. Can't recall the year (it is somewhere in one of my notebooks).

Michael Lenz

On Tue, 14 Jan 2020 at 21:34, Philip Veerman <> wrote:

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

 

From: m("grapevine.com.au","sbeatty");" target="_blank"> <>
Sent: Tuesday, 14 January 2020 5:51 PM
To: 'Lindsay & Diana'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Regent Honeyeater

 

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