Oh, I see Rod’s message (with my comments) also went to
birding-aus. So now I need to send my message to B-A also. I wanted the conversation
private, until my initial thoughts could be properly developed. I wish people
would ask about forwarding private messages publicly, before doing so. Even so,
for now I think my comments are reasonable. About the Channel-billed Cuckoo chicks.
My comment was not about that species (yes I used the word “cuckoo” so I have
been caught out for being too inclusive). HANZAB reveals that Channel-billed Cuckoo
chicks don’t usually eject host chicks (but out compete them) also that they
may have multiple cuckoo eggs in the one nest. So yes, not all cuckoos are the
same in their parasitism behaviour.
I have deleted some repetition in forwarding this message.
Philip
Hi Philip,
We had a nest near my house last year with two Channel-billed
chicks in it. Both were fed by a pair of Pied Currawongs and both fledged.
Perhaps cuckoos recognise other cuckoo eggs somehow & don’t heave them out
of the nest?
From Jenny Stiles
From: Philip Veerman
[ Sent: Monday, 11 November, 2019 5:21 PM To:
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus]
Melbourne Koel
Hi Rod,
It could be right with “In the third pic there
is one (juvenile Koel) at the top and one at the bottom.” Although the picture is nowhere near good enough to rule out
that one of the two is an adult female Koel (for example its mother). That is
probably more likely than another young Koel. But you may have watched them
enough to be sure and if they were both being fed by the RW……Of course I was
not there to see it. Where you write: “first
one it looks like one is preening the other one.” Where
is “the other one”? There is no body, head or tail. It looks fuzzy but what I
see when I enlarge it a bit, is that it has its left wing open and it is
preening the underside of the open wing.
Philip
From:
[ Sent: Monday, 11 November, 2019
2:53 PM To: 'Philip
Veerman'
Cc: Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Melbourne Koel
Philip,
Dug through my pics and found some of the juvenile Koels.
In the third pic there is one at the top and one at the
bottom, and in the first one it looks like one is preening the other one.
Only one Red wattle Bird in the second however…..
From: Philip
Veerman <> Sent: Sunday, 10 November 2019
11:35 PM To:
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Melbourne Koel
OK. I would need to think about that. Seems very strange, as
cuckoos will only have one chick per nest. Because cuckoo chicks will kill any
other chick in the nest. How would two juvenile Koels get together? It must
mean two separate nests were nearby that strangely the chicks have perched together.
So by rights there should have been four wattlebirds attending them.
Philip
There were probably two, but I only saw the one red
wattlebird at the time.
The juvenile Koels were already out of the nest and perched
together on a tree branch when the wattle bird flew in with some food for them.
From: Philip
Veerman <> Sent:
Monday, 28 October 2019 10:56 PM To:
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus]
Melbourne Koel
Are you telling us that ONE red wattlebird was feeding two
juvenile Koels? Or could this be two red wattlebirds.
In Canberra where Koels have only occurred in the last 20 years,
they are now a common breeder and only use red wattlebirds.
Philip
From: Birding-Aus
On Behalf Of Sent:
Monday, 28 October, 2019 6:40 PMTo: 'Martin Butterfield'; 'Bill Stent'
Cc: 'birding-aus NEW Subject:
Re: [Birding-Aus] Melbourne Koel
Hi all,
I saw a red wattlebird feeding two juvenile Koels in Port
Stephens last year, I believe in December.
Quite fascinating as the wattle bird was feeding them bugs
Kind Regards,
Rod Mackay
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