Pallid Cuckoo feeding Pallid Cuckoo - female or young bird?

["steve.read123--- via Canberrabirds " <>]

Hi all

 

I have read with interest the recent reports of five Painted Honeyeaters on Mount Ainslie, but have not ventured out to see them – partly to minimise any disturbance but I did also watch this species in the same tree a few years ago.

 

Equally interesting however has been reading about the Pallid Cuckoo individuals at the same site, in particular the interaction between these cuckoos. This has been well described and often photographed, as follows:

• male bird feeding female bird, photographs: https://ebird.org/checklist/S399311075
• one cuckoo feeding grubs to the other cuckoo, more photographs: https://ebird.org/checklist/S399309369
• one adult cuckoo feeding another, two excellent photographs: https://ebird.org/checklist/S399918130
• adult feeding young bird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S400430800.

 

In most cases the recipient bird remained in a tree while the donor bird repeatedly flew off, collected then returned with grubs or caterpillars, and fed the begging recipient. Sometimes the donor bird was also calling repeatedly.

 

The plumage of the two individuals differed (best seen in the images at https://ebird.org/checklist/S399918130) but someone more experienced will need to explain whether the bird being fed is a female or a young bird. Any takers?

 

Hanzab (https://hanzab.birdlife.org.au/species/pallid-cuckoo/) notes

“Young often reported to be fed, mostly caterpillars, by adult Pallid Cuckoos (Greenwood 1910; Hanscombe 1915; Learmonth 1949; Lamm & White 1950; Cooper 1958; Harrison 1995; Campbell; North); such behaviour described as either deliberative, where adult Cuckoo feeds young or juvenile exclusively, or adventitious, when adult Cuckoo assists host-parents in feeding young (Nichols 1998).”

and

“many reports of supposed fledgeling Cuckoos being fed by adult Cuckoos (Brown 1936; Le Souëf 1943; Jackson 1949; Learmonth 1949; Kikkawa & Dwyer 1962; Watts 1993; Campbell; North), in some cases assisting host-parents or other birds that are feeding young Cuckoos (Hanscombe 1915; Cooper 1958). Many reports probably instances of courtship feeding by adults that have been misinterpreted as a result of incorrect ageing of birds observed (see Plumages, Sexing). Cases where young Cuckoos being fed by adult Cuckoos and supposed host-parents (or other birds) at same time more difficult to dismiss as incorrect ageing and misidentification of courtship feeding and are probably genuine cases of adults feeding young, though not necessarily their own.”

So either option is a possibility.

 

Regards to all

Steve

 

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