Judith's observation is interesting, but I doubt the unfortunate prey
was a Little Bronze-Cuckoo, as these are not found anywhere near the
Blue Mountains. We do have Shining Bronze-Cuckoos - some of which
overwinter - and less often the Horsfield's. However, because of the
red eye-ring, I wonder if it could have been a White-naped
Honeyeater, which are around in great numbers right now. Is it
possible the striped effect was due to dishevelled feathers?
Earlier this year I saw a Pied Currawong in my garden carrying a
freshly dead Eastern Spinebill, so I do suspect they can kill birds
around that size occasionally.
It snowed lightly in Katoomba as well on Thursday evening. Despite
the cold, we do have plenty of birds in winter, especially when the
banksias are flowering well. Perhaps surprisingly, in over 20 years
living here, I've yet to see a bird actually frozen to death. The
winter overnight minimum temperatures here actually tend to be less
extreme than in places like the Capertee Valley and further inland
(though the maximum temps are usually lower in Katoomba).
Hope this helps.
cheers
Carol
Carol Probets
Katoomba
Blue Mountains, NSW
At 2:34 PM +1000 4/6/06, wrote:
On Thursday 1 June 2006, in near-freezing weather, as I was walking
along a street in the town of Katoomba (NSW) , I observed the
following:
A Pied Currawong entered a shrub, and emerged shortly / as I
approached, carrying something striped and birdlike in its bill. It
flew across the (v.narrow) street, and landed on the bank there. It
began pecking at the object. Although this was occurring close to
me, I raised my binoculars to see what it was eating. At lowest
magnification, the food appeared to be a small Bronze-Cuckoo.
The Currawong flopped the dead bird this way and that as it
pecked and pulled at it. But the body kept falling away; then the
Currawong jumped up onto a low/fallen branch, and repeatedly snagged
the dead bird in a fork, but it would shortly fall again, as the
Currawong pulled at it.
Because of all this movement, the dead bird was difficult to
see clearly in more than repeated glimpses from different aspects.
However, one STRIKING feature was evident: the dead bird had red
eye-rings.
I looked for this over and over, as the Currawong flopped the
bird around, thinking perhaps this was blood from the eyes. The
Currawong, though, was showing no interest in the eyes, working
instead at the neck-breast-belly area of the body. And when at last
I tried to get closer, the Currawong flew, carrying the body, into a
tree-fern, which proved both safe from me and, apparently, a good
place to cradle the food while pecking at it.
During most of last week, the weather in Katoomba was very
cold, and at night was perhaps below zero. That day it had snowed
heavily in Blackheath, further up the line. As I didn't see what had
killed the bird, I thought it could have frozen to death overnight,
and been found in the shrub by the Currawong, just as I was coming
down the street...
Returning home here to SEQ, though, I find that the only
red-eye-ringed Bronze Cuckoo that ranges through NSW is the Little
Bronze-Cuckoo, and that my maps do not show this bird as far south
as Sydney. Also, what would such a creature be doing in early winter
at such an inhospitable altitude...? I am unfamiliar with Blue
Mountains birds' habits.
Cheers,
Judith
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