Dear Terry,
I have seen Rainbow Lorikeets aimlessly fighting among themselves, biting
and scratching mostly. Never though on the ground, or any wrestle
anywhere. I think a photgraph of such behaviour would be wonderful.
Kiran
On Tue, 13 Nov 2001, Terry Pacey wrote:
> I think I have mentioned before the paucity of species in my immediate area
> (30 species, only, in seven months). The main species are probably the
> Rainbow Lorikeets.
>
> This morning, I witnessed some bizarre behaviour even for Rainbows. A VERY
> noisy confrontation had me scurrying out the front to find what they were
> attacking. It was simply themselves. A group of up to ten Rainbow
> Lorikeets were fighting with each other, biting and scratching and flying at
> each other at full speed. This continued in a number of Callistemons on
> both sides of the street. I paid particular attention and it was not one or
> two birds being attacked by the others, rather it was a street (pun
> intended) brawl with all involved. At one stage they were chasing each
> other around the trunk of one tree like a noisy group of treecreepers. At
> this stage a Noisy Miner just had to join in. It was too rough even for it
> and it soon departed to reflect.
>
> On four occasions the fight ended up on the ground, twice on the grassed
> footpath and twice onto the bitumen roadway. At these times, the birds
> ended rolling on the ground in twos and threes locked together in what
> looked like mortal combat. This would continue for about 20 seconds until
> one or more birds succeeded in unlocking themselves from the others and took
> off to the tress again. This was the signal for all to cease their
> wrestling and take off. After about 8 minutes, all hostilities ceased and
> they flew off together.
>
> If I didn't know better (?), I would say they were having a game (although
> rough) similar to a group of children. Judie Peet is certainly correct when
> she signs her e-mails "The only thing certain in birdwatching is that
> nothing's certain.".
>
> Terry Pacey
> 27°57'02"S 153°24'12"E
> Gold Coast
> SE Qld
>
>
>
> Birding-Aus is on the Web at
> www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
> "unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
> to
>
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kiran Krishna
3rd yr physics
(Falkiner High Energy Physics)
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
--------------------------------------------
Property was not made by government, but government by and for it. The one
is primary and self-existent; the other is secondary and derivative.
All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue,
and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter. ... Man acts
from motives relative to his interests; and not on metaphysical
speculations.
- Edmund Burke
http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/hienergy
http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~kiran
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
