What’s the most CBCs you could expect to see in a flock? Do any other cuckoo species fly in flocks like that?
Peter Shute
> —–Original Message—– > From: birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au > [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of > Greg & Val Clancy > Sent: Tuesday, 6 December 2011 7:41 AM > To: Laurie Knight; Birding Aus > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] What is the function of > Channel-billed Cuckoo callingflights? > > As they call at all times of the breeding cycle I would think > that the > suggestion that it is to ‘pick up’ immature birds would not > fully explain > why they call in flight. > > Regards > > Greg > Dr Greg. P. Clancy > Ecologist and Wildlife Guide > Coutts Crossing > NSW > > > —– Original Message —– > From: “Laurie Knight” > To: “Birding Aus” > Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 7:09 AM > Subject: [Birding-Aus] What is the function of Channel-billed Cuckoo > callingflights? > > > > Channel-bills are (apparently) a bit different from other > cuckoos in the > > sense that they are most likely to be observed calling > while in flight. > > In the last couple of weeks I have noticed groups of CBCs > raising a > > racket. This morning I saw a group of five flying and > calling together. > > I originally thought the calling flights might be territorial or > > associated with nest raiding, but I am now wondering if > the calling > > flights play a role in “picking up” immature birds from > their hosts and > > inducting them in CBC “culture”. > > > > Has anyone studied this aspect of CBC behaviour? > > > > Regards, Laurie. > > =============================== > > > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > > send the message: > > unsubscribe > > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > > to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au > > > > http://birding-aus.org > > =============================== > > > > =============================== > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au > > http://birding-aus.org > =============================== > ===============================
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I saw and heard a (very) noisy group of 10 CBCs in vegetation along Tarban Creek (Riverglade Reserve), Hunters Hill (in Sydney) last Saturday. This is the largest CBC group I’ve seen in this locality in the 8 years of regularly visiting the reserve. However, in consulting HANZAB, foraging/roosting groups of 30-60 individuals have been recorded elsewhere in the species’ range, and there is one record of >60 migrating birds.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde, NSW