Has anyone else
observed any similar behaviour of a riflebird actively foraging out in
the open, close to the ground and away from any cover (or anything
other than high up in tall trees). I am aware that at O'Reillys at
Lamington NP birds sometimes come down to feeding trays but I am more
interested in natural foraging behaviour. Any comments are most
welcome.
Hi Dean
I don't have a great deal of experience with riflebirds - being only an
infrequent visitor to those bits of Australia where they occur. I have
two anecdotes which relate vaguely to your enquiry.
Some time in the late 1980s I was visiting Dorrigo NP in NE NSW, and
walking along one of the tracks leading out from the main picnic area.
I had walked through rainforest for a while, and reached some more open
vegetation which included casuarinas. Paradise Riflebird was one of
the new birds I was looking for - so I was rather pleased and surprised
when a male landed on a circa 1.5m high stump about 5m away in
a large clearing, and proceeded to display - at me! I got the full
treatment with the wing shuffling display, and stood spellbound for a
few minutes watching.
During the mid 1990s I was participating in a study of Mahogany Gliders
(possums) near Cardwell in North Qld. The site was open eucalypt
woodland with gallery forest on the creeks, bordering rainforest on the
hill next door, and pine plantations to the south. On several
occasions I found Victoria's Riflebirds ripping into dead and decaying
trees on the edge of the rainforest and gallery forest - exposed to the
open woodland and pines on one side. Most were 5-10m above ground at
most, as the tree canopy was relatively low there.
Cheers, Lawrie
--
=================================
Lawrie Conole
Senior Ecologist
Ornithology & Terrestrial Ecology
Ecology Australia Pty. Ltd.
Flora and Fauna Consultants
88B Station Street
FAIRFIELD VIC 3078 Australia
E-mail: m("ecologyaustralia.com.au","lconole");">
Internet: http://www.ecologyaustralia.com.au/
Ph: (03) 9489 4191; Mob: (0419) 588 993
Fax: (03) 9481 7679
ABN 83 006 757 142
NOTE: This message may contain privileged and/or confidential information intended for addressees only. Please do not copy or forward without permission.
|
|
