Hard to know for sure. Many years ago, when I lived in Melbourne where the Grey Butcherbird was (is?) common and I kept many finches, the butcherbirds were
a frequent visitor to the aviary (as was the occasional Brown Goshawk) and they certainly caused panic among the finches. Although that was when it would run along on the roof in pursuit. I don’t know if they recognise a perched butcherbird as a threat.
Philip
From: Canberrabirds [
On Behalf Of Steve Read via Canberrabirds
Sent: Monday, 18 July, 2022 9:34 AM
To: 'COG bird list'
Subject: [Canberrabirds] One less finch
Morning all
During a quiet walk yesterday around the ANBG, I was standing alongside the eastern boundary fence watching a couple of Red-browed Finch foraging at the edge of the grass along with a group of fairywren, and listening to the ‘seep’ winter
call of a Golden Whistler in the tree above, when an immature Grey Butcherbird flew in and landed on the fence, no more than a couple of metres from me, and in full view. A minute or so later, the butcherbird flew down, picked up one of the finches by the
neck, and flew into the nearest shrub. The other small birds scattered. Draped across a branch, held in the butcherbird’s claws, the finch immediately appeared lifeless. After another minute or so looking around, the butcherbird flew away with its prey, and
the wrens re-emerged.
Just another moment of life and death, as happen whether we are there as witness or not. But my question is – why were the small birds not noticeably alarmed when the butcherbird first appeared? It was very visible. If it had been a sparrowhawk,
it would likely have caused panic, with birds scattering immediately it appeared, and would possibly also have been mobbed by larger birds. Are butcherbirds not recognised as threats? The same question could apply to currawongs, magpies and kookaburras, all
of which I have seen kill and eat small birds but which appear to be tolerated more generally than sparrowhawks or goshawks.
Regards
Steve
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Steve Read
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