From my understanding, Magpie Larks congregate and expend enormous amounts of energy chasing each other just before dusk as a prelude to flying off to roosting trees.
They are probably non-breeding birds. There is some description of this behaviour on the page previous to your reference, p142 of vol7 in HANZAB vol 7. I observed and reported on the behaviour of birds around old Parliament House, when I was doing an ornithology
course yonks ago.
David Rosalky
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of John Layton
Sent: Tuesday, 16 March 2021 11:12 AM
To: Canberra birds <>
Subject: [Canberrabirds] Peewee rock opera at Holt shops
At 6:45P.M. yesterday I was standing on my front porch when I heard and noticed frenetic activity around a large Brittle Gum some 200 metres away at the Holt shops. About
20 Magpie-larks were speeding around the tree and calling loudly. At first I thought they might have been mobbing a raptor so I got in the car and hurried over for a closer look.
Feverish activity still prevailed as I arrived; birds flying around the tree landed on the outer canopy before moving inside or left the tree in small groups as still more
groups arrived. Forty or more Magpie-larks moved about inside the canopy calling and giving what I took to be shrug and wing-flash displays as described in HANZAB Vol 7 p.143, but I saw nothing that I would term as agonistic behaviour and activity was markedly
subdued compared to the raucous barnstorming taking place outside the tree.
I left to go home to dinner just as dusk was setting in with the peewee party still in full swing. I returned shortly after dark and shone my torch into the tree but it
appeared deserted.
John Layton
Holt.
