Many thanks John and David, I agree that the behaviour very likely was a prelude to roosting, as I have observed similar behaviour many times with up to 60 birds in 2015 and 2016 as written up for
CBN [44, 221 (2019) and references therein]. John, one reason you were not able to find them in the tree after may be that in my experience they do not roost together, and the main reason why I have always tried to count roosting birds (eg Red-rumpeds
Parrots, Common Mynas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos) as they are moving into the roost, even the last-named species can be very difficult to find in trees once it gets dark. Another possibility is that they actually roosted in another tree nearby, which I
have observed as well.
I have mentioned on this chat line that I have had higher numbers and more visible Magpie-larks in my GBS site since around July last year, but as included in my March Gang-gang column I only saw
them going to roost on 22 February. While the higher numbers have continued this remains the only roosting observation, meanwhile the Common Myna roosting numbers have grown to over 50.
Jack Holland
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of Dr David Rosalky
Sent: Tuesday, 16 March 2021 11:46 AM
To: 'John Layton' <>; 'Canberra birds' <>
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Peewee rock opera at Holt shops
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.
