birds' response to raptors

[(John Leonard)]

The birds we have around our way which regularly give alarm calls are Red
Wattlebirds, Indian Mynahs, Noisy Miners and Galahs.

I believe that I can tell, from which birds are calling and with what
urgency, which raptor is around. For example the birds give alarms calls for
Kestrels and Hobbies, but not very urgent ones. For Goshawks and
Sparrowhawks the passerines give very urgent calls, but the Galahs don't
seem very worried.

On Saturday there was huge hullabaloo from the Galahs, but not much noise
from the passerines. I ran out into the yard and saw a flock of Galahs
desperately trying to gain height, a second or so later a Peregrine flew over.




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John Leonard (Dr),
PO Box 243,
Woden, ACT 2606

'OCEAN, n. A body of water occupying about two-thirds
of a world made for man?who has no gills.'
                                               Ambrose Bierce


http://www.spirit.net.au/~jleonard
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