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Hi Bill,
Whilst I haven't observed more than one
cuckoo in any nest, in 2004 at Broome Bird Observatory we had a pair (one male,
one female) of Variegated Fairy Wrens diligently feeding two juv Horsefields
Bronze Cuckoos for 11 days. The birds had already fledged by the time they were
observed so we can only speculate as to what may have happened in the nest.
Nevertheless, the behaviour with the fledglings was fascinating.
There appeared to be a separation in responsibility between the
male and female wrens with each taking sole responsibility for feeding one
cuckoo. However, the male appeared to have responsibility for security, leading
both cuckoos to safety if we ventured too close. Interestingly, one cuckoo
(fed by the female) preferred to be in dense habitat close to the ground whereas
the other cuckoo preferred to be higher in the pindan canopy.
Cheers
Joy Tansey
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