As a birding-aus subscriber I read the posting by Marnix (copy below) and
was immediately intrigued by the use of the name "Devil-bird".
In particular, I wonder whether any reader has precise knowledge as to the
origin of this name for the Yellow-throated Scrub-wren. This is of peculiar
personal interest to me.
My mother's family moved to Tamborine Mountain (in from the Gold Coast, Qld)
in 1898 when she was an 8-yr old child. The Mountain (then largely
untouched) was her playground. She had an intense interest in all aspects
of nature but especially the birds, and went on to become recognised not
only in Australia but overseas, as an authority on the natural history of
the mountain. For example, Professor Chamberlain of the University of
Chicago was so impressed by her work that he sent her a Leitz microscope and
all ancillary equipment and chemicals, for a study of the cycad Macrozamia
denisoni (now Lepidozamia peroffskyana). Under he maiden name, Hilda
Geissmann, she is one of those described in the 1997 Qld Museum book, "their
Brilliant Careers.
At least on Tamborine Mountain, the nests of these scrub-wrens are quite
conspicuous, being constructed on the extreme ends of thin pendulous
branchlets, or vine tendrils. As a child, I knew them well, but did not
know the birds themselves. My mother had grown up without having any
reference books, and initially no knowledgeable person to guide her.
Of necessity, she had to devise her own names for the local plants and
animals. For example, Logrunners were, for her, 'Scrub-hens" because they
scratched in the leaf-litter for food as did the domestic hens.
So I grew up knowing the Y-T Scrubwren nests as being the nests of
"Black-nest Birds" or "Devil-birds". I know that "Black-nest Bird" was of
her devising, but only after she died did I wonder whether she also coined
the name "Devil-bird".
There was certainly an explanation for it if she did. Whenever she found a
bird nest she was always curious to know whether it was currently in use.
She could not see into a hooded nest with side-entrance, so if within reach
she would ever so gently insert one finger to feel for eggs or chicks.
In 99% of cases, that was fine. But old Y-T Scrub-wren nests are sometimes
used as a roost by tiny bats, and it gave her a very nasty shock indeed to
have a bat suddenly fly out straight at her face! (Like a "bat out of
hell!"?) So in recent years I've wondered - did she in fact give them the
name "Devil-bird"?
But I suspect not: Alec Chisholm was a very close friend of my mother's and
early on learnt a lot of natural history from her. Much later ((1950s) he
was Editor-in-Chief for the Angus & Robertson Australian Encyclopedia, which
has this entry (V.3, p.242):
"DEVIL-BIRD, a name sometimes used in eastern Australia for the small
yellow-throated scrub-wren, a sprightly and vocally accomplished bird which
builds a dark-coloured nest and has a habit of darting out of gloomy spots
in rainforests."
Just maybe however, he had never experienced a bat exiting such a nest, and
therefore decided against mentioning this. I wonder!
(For the record, bats that roost in these nests include Chalinolobus moorei
and species of Eptesicus. Old Y-T Scrub-wren nests are also sometimes
re-used by Large-billed Scrub-wrens)
"Black-nest Birds" was an obvious name because (at least on Tamborine
Mountain) the nests are indeed black and conspicuous.
And incidentally, Chisholm made a rare (and admittedly very minor) error in
his (1948) book "Bird Wonders of Australia" where (p, 228) he refers to the
"Black-net Bird" building a pendant nest "of black rootlets". They are not
rootlets, but the hyphae of the Horse-hair Fungus, Marasmius equicrinus.
These "horse-hair" hyphae are common in Tamborine Mountain rainforests, but
you've got to be lucky to spot a fruiting body: the tiniest gilled
"mushroom" you can imagine. 3 mm across, maybe?
Cheers
Syd
(H.S. Curtis, Hawthorne, (Brisbane) Q. 4171.)
> From: Marnix Zwankhuizen <>
> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2011 09:05:11 +1100
> To: Cog Chatline <>
> Cc:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] 'Devilbird' nr Narooma (NSW)
>
> While holidaying on the NSW south coast this week I visited a favourite spot
> in Bodalla state forest near Narooma. A fire trail runs along a dry creekbed
> in beautiful rainforest. Some of the tree ferns are over two storeys high.
>
> As in a previous visit in January 2009 I again encountered a single
> Yellow-throated Scrubwren. This time I got extensive views of the male in the
> open. In 2009 it stayed true to it's name and skulked in the dark understorey.
>
> Since this species is regarded as sedentary it's likely there is a small
> population in Bodalla SF. There is plenty of suitable habitat. I welcome
> others thoughts.
>
> Other birdlife included Brush Cuckoo, Large-billed Scrubwren (also seen at
> Flying Fox Bay on the Ringlands Rainforest Walk) and Variegated Fairy-wren.
>
> Cheers
> Marnix==============================
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