Interesting. I don’t doubt you but wonder if the corellas were reacting to the possible disturbance of the PO attacking one of the corellas, and it or its partner raising the alarm. It seems curious that they would react to a PO only by its call. Do they know the sound? But that is just my ideas.
Philip
Yes Phil
The thought has occurred to me many times. How do other birds know that the call of a PO is something they should be frightened of? Nevertheless I’ve heard short alarm calls many times in response to PO calls during nocturnal surveys for forest owls. Miners and other honeyeaters are prone to this behaviour and on the night the PO visited the corella roost they began a very nervous murmuring amongst each other. They didn’t continue to use the roost after that night and found another site elsewhere not in the vicinity. I guess they learn what the call means through experience, perhaps passed on from parents, much the same way immature birds are initially less wary of humans, but react nervously in response to observing the behaviour of their parents.
Allan
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