White-throated Nightjars at Pierces Creek/Cotter area .....

[calyptorhynchus via Canberrabirds <>]

Could it be that over south-eastern Australia generally the breeding season now ending was optimal because of the length of time since the 2019-20 Bushfires; that the third season after fires has provided vegetation of just the right density over a huge area?

John Leonard

On Tue, 27 Feb 2024 at 21:08, Martin Butterfield via Canberrabirds <> wrote:

I will comment from the Mallacoota area.  In the past there have been few sightings of White-throated Nightjar in the area as I define it.  This year it appears to me they have been seen in larger numbers, and inmany more areas than in the past.  I'll try to remember to analyse this more carefully when the full breeding-year is available from eBird, but pro-tem suggest there may have been something resembling an irruption of the species.

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

https://mallacootaweatherwildlife.blogspot.com/

On Tue, 27 Feb 2024 at 19:22, Kim Farley via Canberrabirds <> wrote:

On 22 Feb Zeb Muller and Luke Downey reported White-throated Nightjar at several locations in the Pierces Creek/Cotter area. Their reports were made to eBird and include a Checklist with a video of one bird in flight and an audio file of another bird calling the species' distinctive bubbling ascending call. Over subsequent nights other birders have been successful in hearing and seeing these lovely birds.

The best time to see and hear them is not long after dusk, though calls have been reported up to midnight (after which it was perhaps the birders who called it a night rather than the birds themselves).

There has been some discussion among observers as to why multiple birds have been found to be present right now. But as the species is migratory in the southern parts of its range, perhaps birds are moving though our district and may not not be around for very long. Others may like to comment on this point. 

Actual locations they have been reported are shown on eBird (use Explore/Species Maps)

Kim 

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John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net

Make nature great again.

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