I've had a scout around our neighbourhood recently and found 3-4 seperate
parties of Superbs, with no sign of breeding plumage. Most parties are in
the order of 8-12 birds. graham will probably correct me now though...
That's at Lapstone in the Lower Blue Mountains, where it's VERY dry, and not
too cold yet, I don't think we've even had a hint of frost. I guess there
needs to be some humidity for a frost.
Evan
On 5/22/06, Chris Sanderson <> wrote:
Hi Bruce,
I don't think it's just a cold-climate thing - in Broome there were no
breeding-plumaged fairy-wrens all through the dry season.
Regards,
Chris
On 5/22/06, Bruce Cox <> wrote:
>
>
> From: "Andrew Taylor" <>
> To: "Chris Sanderson" <>
> Cc: "Birding-aus" <>
> Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 9:50 PM
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] New birds in Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane
>
> Hello Birding-aussers,
>
> I was interested in Andrew's comment about studies at the Canberra
Botanic
> Gardens indicating all male Superb Fairy-wrens going into eclipse
plumage
> during winter.
>
> My experience is that in the Sydney region, and particulary Sydney's
> Northern Beaches where I live, is that one male in each group remains in
> breeding plumage throught the year, I assumed this was the dominant
male.
> I
> have certainly seen males in breeding plumage in all months.
>
> I think the same applies with Variagated Fairy-wrens in Sydney although
I
> have less evidence here. Certainly I have seen (and commented on to
> others)
> male Variagated Wrens seen in June/July in breeding plumage. On the
other
> hand I have never seen male Splendid Wrens in breeding plumage on winter
> visits to the mallee.
>
> Could this be a temperature thing, males going into eclipse plumage in
> colder climes or where the winters are longer? I can't think of a good
> reason why but there must be some explanation.
>
> Bruce Cox.
>
> > On Sun, May 21, 2006 at 01:03:11PM +1000, Chris Sanderson wrote:
> > > Speaking of fairy-wrens in breeding plumage, does anyone else have
> > > fairy-wrens that don't lose their breeding plumage over winter?
> >
> > You might be looking at birds that are already in breding plumage.
> > I believe, the long-running studies of the Superb Fairy Wrens at the
> > Canberra Botanic Gardens found all?/almost-all? males (there) go into
> > eclipse plumage late summer but when they moult into breeding plumage
> > ranges from March to November - generally old males moult earlier.
> > I think they found females use early-moult as indication of male
> quality.
> >
> > Andrew
>
>
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Evan Beaver
Lapstone, Blue Mountains, NSW
lat=-33.77, lon=150.64
==============================www.birding-aus.org
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