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Hi Birders,
Recently Chris Chafer queried how
many Channel-billed Cuckoos have been seen together, quoting 12 flying/feeding
together recently in the Illawarra Region and 20 feeding together in a fig tree
at Milton.
In the records of the Birding NSW
(previously the NSWFOC) Annual Reports, published since 1970, the highest
aggregation that I have been able to find was 23 roosting together on Susan
Island, a rainforest reserve in the Clarence River, on 28 October 1998. The
observation was made made by Greg Clancy and it would appear that this Island is
a regular roost site. However I have recently received a report of 50+ flying
together over Wallis Lake, near Coomba Park on 14 September 1999 heading south,
seen by Maret Vesk who lives there. On 21 October 2001 a much smaller flock of
20 was seen, also flying south.
HANZAB discusses this issue and mentions that
larger flocks of up to 50 Birds have been recorded either feeding together or on
migration (North 1901); McCulloch (1980) who lived at Reserve Creek,
Murwillumbah NSW reported up to 20 feeding together; Bardnard (1926) in
Queensland reported up to 60 in evening, flying from feeding sites; while Coates
(1985) in Papua New Guinea, reported on 60 birds in Nov, suggested to have been
a pre-migratory gathering (bit late for that I would have
thought!).
So the recored at least for NSW is
50+.
Alan Morris
Birding NSW Records
Officer
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