I am sure Martin is right about the every known Koel-host in the Canberra area
has been Red Wattlebird. The Koel has only been breeding in Canberra since about 2009. This
appears to have increased fairly steadily since then. This is about 10 years
after they started coming here in regularly increasing summer numbers. So
presumably it is a new problem for the local Red Wattlebirds. About a
question whether they parasitise Magpies. Apart from lack of evidence
of this, I doubt it. To go into the general: cuckoos parasitise species smaller
than them. Are there exceptions to that generalisation?
Philip
The Red Wattlebird is their main host in the Blue Mountains
(NSW) too. It’s also by far the most common of their potential hosts in the
area.
Carol
From: Birding-Aus
[ On Behalf Of Martin
Butterfield Sent: Tuesday, 20 November, 2018 1:11 PM To:
SeanDooley Cc: birding-aus NEW
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Koels and Magpies
I think I am
correct in saying that every known Koel-host in the Canberra area has been Red
Wattlebird - although one observer is keeping an eye on a Koel that he in turn
been keeping an eye on some Magpie Larks. That being said where I live, a
few kms out of Canberra and about 200m higher, a female Koel arrived in the
area a couple of weeks ago and we have a Noisy Friarbird building a nest at
present.
On Tue, 20 Nov 2018 at 11:38, <> wrote:
Hi Bill,
HANZAB doesn't list Australian Magpie as a host. The three most recorded
parasitized birds were friarbirds, figbirds and magpie-larks. Red Wattlebird
was listed too. This was published in 1999, so before the big wave of range
expansion into Victoria we have seen in the past decade, so perhaps wattlebirds
are parasitized more often in Victoria?
Sean
-----Original Message-----From: Birding-Aus <>
On Behalf Of Bill Stent Sent:
Tuesday, 20 November 2018 7:08 AM
To: Subject: [Birding-Aus] Koels and Magpies
Hi all, Bill here
Following my post about Koels, I’ve had a question about whether they
parasitise Magpies. I thought they concentrated on larger honeyeaters.
Does anyone know? I don’t have HANZAB to hand, unfortunately.
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