Many thanks Kim, for these interesting Koel observations.
Yes, I did pick up the copulation record from the Jerra Wetlands on 15/12. RWBs are known to have up to 4 broods per season, as demonstrated in particular during the bumper 2020-2021 season. Mid
December is towards the end of the 2nd brood egg laying time, responsible for fledglings up to the end of January, given the known maximum time from egg laying to fledgling of 37 days. I would expect copulation to be needed each time, so it’s not
really that late, with the 4th brood in 2020-2021 having been fertilised in late February/early March for the late March/first half of April fledglings found then.
Are you please able to give the approximate address for the Mawson fledging as I do have a very recent one from that suburb? While I possibly already have your West Belconnen Pond one (one reported
on one of the islands on 8/1), finding one so close to the nest on 3/1 is quite rare. In my many Koel fledgling observations I’ve only found that twice, to my surprise the loudly begging one in the nest I found in Chapman early in December took 6 days to
properly fledge (and also only begged intermittently compared with when I first found it).
With all the practice I’ve had I can usually tell a RWB fledgling from a Koel one as they are usually softer and higher pitched. However, older RWB fledglings can be quite loud, as is one of the
two currently in my garden. Your one near the nest may have been quite soft due to its age as they usually are (I find they do get louder and more insistent over time, contrast my Chapman one above). It is one reason, it at all possible I always like to
get a sighting of the fledgling to confirm the species.
Regards
Jack Holland
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of Kim Farley via Canberrabirds
Sent: Friday, 10 January 2025 9:30 AM
To: Canberra birds <>
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Koel young
Hi Jack
You will pick up the following three records in eBird, but for the interest of others too, Julie Hotchin and I reported Koel copulation in mid December at Jerra Wetlands. Is this quite late in the season and/or do they do repeat breeding?
On 2 Jan Sue Beatty and I found a young Koel being fed by a Wattlebird at Mawson (haha, we were unsuccessfully looking for the Blue-faced Honeyeater family being seen there at the time). The next day at West Belconnen Pond I found a very
young looking Koel, sitting right by a nest. It was being fed every two minutes or so by its tireless Wattlebird parent. The parent was gleaning food in the same tree for the whole 15 minutes I watched them both.
I was interested too that the begging calls of these young Koels were virtually indistinguishable from the begging calls of young Red Wattlebirds. Some may say that all young birds sound the same, but that is not really the case, to my
ear.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: shorty via Canberrabirds <>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2025, 5:38 am
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Koel
To: Canberra birds <>
I took a video of the young Koel helping itself to the Watermelon for anyone interested.
On Thu, Jan 9, 2025 at 2:16 PM jandaholland--- via Canberrabirds <>
wrote:
Thanks David, that’s No 29 for this season of which I’m aware, quite a few more than I expected at the end of November. However, I’ve been away, and nearly all have been of direct
directly reported to me, and I have yet to check eBird etc since Christmas Eve. Interestingly none so far locally in Chapman/Rivett on my return, the 2 very early ones I had seem to have moved on. Regards Jack Holland
Lagging the field a little, I can finally report a dy Koel in Yarralumla. I heard and then saw it at 11:45 at the intersection
of Newdegate St and McCartney Cres.
In my own GBS precinct in Deakin, I have heard something like a begging Koel on two occasions, but no definite ID.
David Rosalky
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