It is a bit odd that I didn't think your observation was so unusual.
Certainly Black Kites are far more likely to be seen in very large
congregations but in northern Australia, I have also seen Whistling Kites in
congregations, often these are in mixed flocks. Sorry this doesn't
constitute details but impressions. I would not have thought more than ten
or so WK together was a regular occurrence. I'd suggest your observation is
of the more than usual type, rather than without precedent.
For a bit of borderline relevant trivia, I did once see a "flock" of 23
Wedge-tailed Eagles perched and flying within about 300 metres of each other
near the Bulloo Downs beside the road between Thargomindah and Tibooburra in
I think September 1983. There were a lot of rabbits there too.
-----Original Message-----
From:
<>
To: <>
Date: Monday, 11 January 1999 13:17
Subject: Whistling Kites at Rubbish Tips
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>I was at the rubbish tip at the Argyle Diamond Mine in the east Kimberley
>WA late yesterday afternoon. There were at least 20 maybe 30 Whistling
>Kites over the dump and in nearby trees. Previously there have been
>numbers (up to 50) of Black Kites at the tip (and up to 200 during the dry
>season on occasions), but they have been absent for several months. There
>are very few raptors at Argyle in the wet season.
>
>This is first time that I have seen this many Whistling Kites so close
>together. A few were immatures, but there were no nests that I could see
>in the near vicinity. Does anyone else have details of congregations of
>Whistling Kites?
>
>There were also 20 to 30 Rainbow Bee-eaters on the fence line, including
>several juveniles that had clearly fledged recently. They were near mounds
>of earth that had been dozed up, and so I am sure that they were breeding
>(or had bred) there. I didn't check for nest holes as I didn't want to
>disturb them.
>
>Nearby I saw a Black-tailed Treecreeper enter and then leave a nest hollow
>about 3.5 metres above ground in the fork of a eucalypt tree. This was my
>first breeding record for this species at Argyle (59 species breeding out
>of 203 species found).
>
>Other birds that I saw on the survey included :
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>Jacky Winter (only my 2nd sighting at Argyle)
>Northern Rosella (my favourite parrot)
>Silver-crowned Friarbird (very uncommon at Argyle - about my 6th sighting)
>Rufous Songlark (calling everywhere as is usual at this time of year)
>Varied Lorikeets (a wet season migrant to Argyle - don't know why they are
>rare in the dry season)
>Spinifex Pigeon
>
>Good birding
>Frank
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