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g'day all,
The recent discussion re Michael Morcombe's new Field Guide
has prompted me to post the following observation of a pair of nesting Cloncurry
Parrots that we saw together.
Michael rang me about a fortnight ago when he and his wife
arrived in the Isa and with some other questions asked "..did I know where
there were any of Cloncurry Parrots that he could photograph ? ..." Yes was
the answer as I noticed one going into a knot hole just a few days earlier.
(When showing some Atlassers Painted, Zebra, Double-bar and Long-tail
Finches with Pictorella Mannikins drinking at the one spot just
nearby.)
We noted that both birds would leave the hole
for up to 2 hours and on return the female (presumably) would enter the
hole and reappear after about 10 mins. She would then be fed by her mate who
would regurgitate up his food and feed her after each of about 8
regurgitations. She would then re-enter the hole. 10 mins later she would
reappear and both would flyaway together.
He (presumably) would bring up his food by raising his
head, stretch his neck, and then drop his head onto its chest...and repeating it
until he had enough food to pass over to his mate.
My home reference library has not helped me locate any info
whether this practice has been observed before. Presumably aviary bird's would
not have to do this ?
I would appreciate any feedback of similiar feeding
observations or advice of references/papers that cover this
subject.
Regards, Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW Qld.
ps
[Michael and his wife stayed a week in the area (including 2
at the nearby West Leichhardt Cattle Station) rather than their planned 2
days. The WLCS was perhaps noteworthy for the number of Little and
Silver-crowned Friarbirds, Spotted and Great Bowerbirds all drinking and feeding
together ( with Painted and other Finches) at the one windmill trough
area.]
pps
[Michael advised me that the filtered sun on the nest hole
would prevent him using any of the photo's but were OK for him to use as a guide
for his illustrations...I returned to the site with John O'Malley who recorded
this regurgitating procedure with his video camera]
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