Hi – I’m a Sydney based writer and have a question relating to a project I’m currently researching.
Are there any wild Australian birds that use ‘tools’ – such as stones or shells to hunt or dig?
The context is – a character in a story I’m writing observes a bird using a sharp shell or rock as a ‘tool’ or ‘weapon’.
Hope someone out there might be able to offer some suggestions?
Many thanks
John
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Take your word for it that Djigirridjdjigirridj is onomatopoeic, Denise. Haven’t tried to pronounce it. But without doing so, without attributing sounds to letters, the printed word somehow ‘looks’ like a W W’s call. Beaut!
Syd
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Kunwinjku people of western Arnhem Land have many onomatopoeic bird names, for example Djigirridjdjigirridj, for Willie Wagtail. Other names relate to colour, eg Dalgerowgen, for Crimson Finch. However, my relatives do not appear to have such wonderfully descriptive names for birds of prey as the Western Desert peoples. Denise L Goodfellow
on 30/8/10 9:30 PM, Christopher Watson at roadkill.chronicles@gmail.com wrote:
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Hi Mike and Roger,
I’ve seen a Black-breasted Buzzard demonstration at both Alice Springs Desert Park and Darwin Wildlife Park that involved egg-breaking a few years back. At the time one of the handlers (I think at the Darwin show) mentioned to me that the behaviour had only recently been observed in the wild for the first time. I’m sorry I didn’t take any notes so I can’t remember any more details than that.
Regards, Chris
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I saw the same thing in the raptor display at the Alice Springs Desert Park in 2007. I also was as impressed as Mike and mentioned it to several people since then. It is also featured at Taronga Zoo according to the B-A archives. I have a vague recollection that some-one said it was a “circus trick” or similar, and not natural behaviour. I am now wondering if this was untrue given that the same behaviour is demonstrated at three widely separated institutions.
Roger Giller.
I saw the same thing in the raptor display at the Alice Springs Desert Park in 2007. I also was as impressed as Mike and mentioned it to several people since then. It is also featured at Taronga Zoo according to the B-A archives. I have a vague recollection that some-one said it was a “circus trick” or similar, and not natural behaviour. I am now wondering if this was untrue given that the same behaviour is demonstrated at three widely separated institutions.
Roger Giller.
Part of the Healesville Sanctuary (in Victoria) raptor flight display which I saw in April 2009 included a demonstration of a Black-breasted Buzzard breaking eggs with stones. We were assured that this was a natural habit of the species, not something taught whilst in captivity. I was so gob-smacked that though that was only 16 months ago I can’t quite remember precisely how it was done! IF I recall correctly, the bird held a large stone/small rock in its bill which it then hurled at the egg from a standing or jumping position. If it missed or the egg was only cracked, not broken, it collected the rock and had a second or third attempt!
Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136
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Further to that, I have observed Noisy Pittas smashing the shells on rocks etc in places like Yarraman SF.
Also, while at Gawa on Elcho Island (offshore island in Torres Strait) in 2004, I observed a Beach Stone Curlew bashing shells against a partially submerged, rusty tin. No doubt that it was trying to break the shell open. I have photos (slides) of the bird in action, from memory.
Yours in all things “green”
Regards
John Harris Manager, Environment and Sustainability Donvale Christian College 155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111 03 9844 2471 Ext 217 0409 090 955 john.harris@donvale.vic.edu.au
President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) Past President, Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE)
Chris, what about the Noisy Pitta using a stone or rock as an anvil to extract snails from the shells? Or have I misunderstood something? I recall seeing a beer stubby used by a Noisy Pitta as a tool where no rocks were to be found in the coastal lowlands behind Fraser Island. The stubby was surrounded by snail shells.
Cheers,
Jill Jill Dening Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
26° 51′ 41″S 152° 56′ 00″E
Chris Sanderson wrote:
Hi John,
We don’t have birds that are as advanced at using tools as, say, New Caledonian Crows, but I believe that Black-breasted Buzzards have been observed using stones to break into Emu eggs?
Regards, Chris
On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 2:00 PM, John Garvin ( mailto:john@gwptv.com ) wrote:
Hi – I’m a Sydney based writer and have a question relating to a project I’m currently researching.
Are there any wild Australian birds that use ‘tools’ – such as stones or shells to hunt or dig?
The context is – a character in a story I’m writing observes a bird using a sharp shell or rock as a ‘tool’ or ‘weapon’.
Hope someone out there might be able to offer some suggestions?
Many thanks
John
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Hi Jill,
Another good suggestion! Didn’t immediately occur to me but yes that would also be tool use. New Cal Crows actually make their tools though, and adjust their design to fit the job they want it for, so they are a fair bit more advanced than picking up a stone to bash an egg or snail shell in.
Here’s an example from a lab studying their behaviour:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtmLVP0HvDg&feature=relatedThe crow is given a tool (piece of wire) not up to the job and quickly figures out how to make the right tool to solve the problem! The same behaviour is possible to see in the wild though, as seen in David Attenborough’s Life of Birds:
Regards, Chris
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Hi John,
We don’t have birds that are as advanced at using tools as, say, New Caledonian Crows, but I believe that Black-breasted Buzzards have been observed using stones to break into Emu eggs?
Regards, Chris
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