Steve
Sounds like you've witnessed the classic 'rodent-run' predator distraction
display. This is well documented in many books. It is performed by most if not
all members of the family group.
I was extracting a young Variegated Fairywren from a mist net and watched with
amazement as four other wrens ran mouse-like around me as I knelt on the ground.
Cheers
Anthony
-----Original Message-----
From: Vicki Parslow Stafford [SMTP:
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 1998 11:06 AM
To: ;
Subject: Re: Unusual display by Fairy-wren
----------
> From:
> I recently watched a male Superb Fairy-wren performing a display of some
> sort. The bird was in the southern Grampians N.P. in south west
Victoria.
>
> The bird was creeping along the ground, mouselike, weaving its way around
> small shrubs, bits of wood etc. Its tail and head were lowered giving it
> a humpbacked appearance. My impression was that the blue patches on the
> head and upper body were raised or fluffed up somehow as they certainly
> seemd prominent.
I've seen a "rodent run" display by a female Superb Fairy-wren. This
seemed to be a defensive tactic, as it occurred when other birds alighted
close to her nest full of newly hatched babies. As you say, the posture is
very mouse- or rat-like, with head and tail lowered and back feathers
erect.
Jim Davis described this behaviour in a recent issue of Interpretive
Birding Bulletin. Jim may know whether this behaviour occurs in males as
well.
Vicki PS
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