birding-aus

Willy wagtails

To: Peter Pfeiffer <>
Subject: Willy wagtails
From: Merrilyn Serong <>
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002 15:14:46 +1000
Hi Peter and others
It must be wonderful to be able to watch the Willy Wagtails from the window at 
work,
but I think it is very important not to try to artificially supplement the diet 
of
wild native birds (for the various reasons that have been aired before on 
B-aus).
The best we can do for them is to conserve or improve their environment in the 
most
naturalistic way possible.  Presumably if the birds are there, the environment 
is
likely to be reasonably suitable already.  It would be good to make sure that 
the
areas and any vegetation that they use are not interfered with by people.
Birds use song to show other birds of the same species where their own territory
is.  The bird that is singing at its reflection might be telling its image not 
to
try to move in as the territory is already taken.
Cheers,
Merrilyn

Peter Pfeiffer wrote:

> Hi birding-ausers,
>
>         I have had a request about Willy Wagtails and wondered whether the 
> group
> had any thoughts on this :
>
> What do willy wagtails eat. we have one who serenades us most of the day
> here at work because he likes to preen himself and sing to himself in the
> reflective windows. he's in full view of me & helen and we love it and want
> to entice him to come back every day.
> He also likes the car windows and looks at himself while sitting on the
> side mirrors.
>
>         I know they are insectivorous but I have not heard of any one trying 
> to
> attract them by supplementing their diet.  I thought Murray magpies were
> the most common bird attracted to side mirrors of vehicles.
>
> Cheers,
> Peter.
>
> Peter Pfeiffer
> Technical Officer
> School of Chemistry, Physics and Earth Sciences
> Flinders University of South Australia
> GPO Box 2100
> Adelaide  SA  5001
>
> ph:  61-8-8201 2095
> fax: 61-8-8201 2905
>
> Birding-Aus is on the Web at
> www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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