Collared Sparrowhawks & Pied Currawongs

Likely there is a lot of ad hoc (or studied) information about Currawong/Collared Sparrowhawk interactions that Stephen has access to that is summarised into that sentence. Just as Pied Currawongs and Australian Ravens will fight for a long time about ownership of a nest tree (they do most years in my back yard) maybe these two do too. It would hardly be surprising. Currawongs have a bit of an advantage by virtue of being a pack animal and small flocks of them can attack raptors. I and no doubt others have seen and reported on that Currawongs will quickly harass a Sparrowhawk that has caught prey. I saw that recently at my home when a Sparrowhawk had caught a Crested Pigeon. Sometimes maybe intending to steal it or just out of aggression. The great increase in summer time (i.e. when they breed) abundance of the Pied Currawong over nearly 30 years in Canberra of GBS data (as shown in my book for 21 years but has continued) has not been matched by a decrease in Collared Sparrowhawks. That is not to say that there is not a negative impact happening. Philip —–Original Message—–From: birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Andrew Thelander Sent: Sunday, 1 December 2013 10:42 AM To: birding-aus Aus Subject: [Birding-Aus] Collared Sparrowhawks & Pied currawongs Hi all I see in The Birds of Prey of Australia: A Field Guide by Stephen Debus (OUPA, 1998) page 90, he refers to the population explosion of Pied Currawongs in SE Australia as a potential threat to the Collared Sparrowhawk. Currawongs are “a predator and competitor capable of robbing and injuring adults and killing nestlings.” Stephen is an authority in this field and has a wealth of information. Currawongs have invaded Brisbane over the years and are nesting in the city. I have also recently found a Collared Sparrowhawk nest which has just been abandoned by the birds for reasons unknown. Does anybody have any information about Currawong/raptor interactions? It seems the currawongs are here to stay in Brisbane. Regards Andrew =============================== 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 ===============================