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To: |
Ross Macfarlane <> |
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Subject: |
Re: Cicadas and Satin Bowerbirds |
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From: |
brian fleming <> |
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Date: |
Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:32:03 +1100 |
The common Greengrocer Cicada has been quite numerous by current
standards around the Yarra in Melbourne this summer. It has been
described as the world's loudest insect, but the massed screech on hot
evenings is nothing to the dense blanket of sound I remember in the
1950s. As kids we were out hunting them, up and down every climbable
tree, or trying to knock them down with hoses.
At some stage I read or was told that Satin Bowerbirds tend to have much
more successful breeding in years when cicadas are really numerous, and
that when Cicadas become numerous in one district, that nomad,
non-resident SBBs move in and become much more conspicuous while
feeding on the cicadas. How I wish I could remember what the source was.
Anthea Fleming
Ross Macfarlane wrote:
Greetings all,
As has been widely discussed here, there have been a lot of irruptions of
different bird species in the southeast this past spring - rufous songlarks,
white-winged trillers, black tailed native hens, scarlet and black honeyeaters
come to mind. A couple of days ago my Dad mentioned something he'd seen and I
wondered if this was a widespread phenomenon, and if there was a link. That is
that he saw large numbers of woodswallows during the spring - white-browed and
masked - feeding on emergent cicadas in the Nyah Forest, along the Murray River
north of Swan Hill. Apparently even feeding on the ground, which is unusual for
them. Other birds taking advantage too, such as straw-necked ibis.
Cicadas are known for having long, prime-number based life cycles (13 or 17
years; see http://kottke.org/09/08/cicadas-mating for example). I don't know
anything about the ecology of Australian ones, but could this past year have
been a cicada season, and could that have contributed (along with the spring
rains) to the bird irruptions? Interested to hear thoughts from anyone who
knows more about such things...
Cheers,
Ross Macfarlane
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