Del Richards has asked me to post the following note on Birding-aus -
" Black Butcherbird takes Eclectus Parrot chick -
In late November, Jack Leighton of Tinaroo Waters, N. Qld and myself
spent five days around Iron Range NP on Cape York Peninsula. Being my
first visit for 31 years there were to be many highlights during our
time there.
At 0800 hours on 22 November we were birding along Gordon Creek which
has a large emergent rainforest tree adjacent the road which is used as
a nesting site by Eclectus Parrots.
Although out of view there was a commotion with very loud calling both
by Eclectus Parrots and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. The noise abated for
a few minutes then started again.
Jack (who was filming) called to say a Manucode had flown into a nearby
tree. Upon further investigation it was a Black Butcherbird.
It was carrying a female nestling Eclectus Parrot! The nestling was well
feathered and probably already dead even though the Butcherbird shook it
for a time before laying it across a vertical fork. The captor stayed at
the fork for 8-10 minutes, probably to rest before departing.
For us, it added a new dimension to the hunting capability of the Black
Butcherbird. It would have had to overpower this sizeable chick (160 cm
+) within a nest hollow, haul it vertically to the entrance and
fly/glide about 120 metres with prey which may have been 30-40% of its
body weight.
Later that day we related the scenario to Sarah Legge who in her
research has 30+ Eclectus Parrot nests under observation. The closest to
predation was a record of a Butcherbird investigating a Palm Cockatoo
nest (probably for eggs).
Later the same morning I noted a Black Butcherbird carrying a large
yabby about 100 cm long which means they will take advantage of drying
rainforest pools. Pair density here appears greater than in the Wet Tropics.
Two days later we travelled to Portland Roads. In melaleuca country we
witnessed a small smoke-grey raptor fly across the road, diagonally
ahead of our vehicle. We alighted and Jack saw the bird briefly again
twice as it moved from tree to tree.
In flight, it was the size of a male Spoarrowhawk and upon elimination
of other species we feel that it was a New Guinea Grey-headed Goshawk.
In the five days spent in the area, we observed 103 species of birds.
Del Richards,
Fine Feather Tours,
Mossman, N. Qld "
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