First Fantailed Cuckoo -Ivanhoe, Vic.
By Birding-Aus, on August 31st, 2013
On hearing the first cuckoo in spring .. the thud of a bird hitting the glass door. Usually it’s a Spotted Dove, but today at 9.00 a.m. a Fantailed Cuckoo was clinging to the cross-bar, stunned and motionless. I took a couple of poorly focussed photos while Brian walked round the house to put a tea-towel over it. We put it into a shoebox for an hour to recuperate in peace and safety. An hour later it was released and flew off, apparently unharmed. Anthea Fleming Ivanhoe, Vic near Darebin Creek =============================== 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 ===============================
Hi Greg, fan-tailed cuckoos are mainly summer migrants to Victoria, though a few do overwinter (and sometimes even call mid-winter). I published an article a few years ago about bush-bird migration, obscurely in the Interpretive Birding Bulletin, would you like a copy? A Wingspan report (1999) on the Australian Bird Count (by Peter Griffioen, Mike Clarke & myself) also deals with such matters using ABC & Atlas data. One of the features about bush-bird migration is the mass exodus of many insectivores from wet forest for the winter (reported in Emu 85, etc), many people don’t realise that common birds like grey fantails and golden whistlers are almost entirely summer visitors to wet forests (summer visitor defined as absent for a period each winter). Cheers, Richard. Richard Loyn Eco Insights 4 Roderick Close Viewbank VIC 3084 ph: 03-9459 4268 mob: 0488-77 66 78 richard.loyn@bigpond.com —–Original Message—– [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Greg and Val Clancy Sent: Saturday, 31 August 2013 11:44 AM Your note about the Fan-tailed Cuckoo is interesting. One of the first, if not the first, observation of this species that I had was of a bird that flew into our school building at Cronulla, Sydney, NSW. It unfortunately died. I was interested that you stated that it was the first cuckoo in spring. Are they absent from your area during the autumn-winter? I ask this because they are observed more often on the NSW north coast during the autumn-winter in atypical habitats such as dry forest and woodland and urban and suburban areas. I wonder if this species can be added to the growing list of southern species that migrate north for the winter (Silvereye, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, Striated Pardalote, ?Southern Boobook (or Mopoke), Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater etc. etc.). I would be interested to hear from others on this topic. Regards Greg Dr Greg. P. Clancy Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide | PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460 | 02 6649 3153 | 0429 601 960 http://www.gregclancyecologistguide.com —–Original Message—– Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2013 10:25 AM On hearing the first cuckoo in spring .. the thud of a bird hitting the glass door. Usually it’s a Spotted Dove, but today at 9.00 a.m. a Fantailed Cuckoo was clinging to the cross-bar, stunned and motionless. I took a couple of poorly focussed photos while Brian walked round the house to put a tea-towel over it. We put it into a shoebox for an hour to recuperate in peace and safety. An hour later it was released and flew off, apparently unharmed. Anthea Fleming Ivanhoe, Vic near Darebin Creek =============================== =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org =============================== =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
I’ve been hearing small numbers for some months in the Chatswood area of northern Sydney. This is normal and they are probably setting up territories and partners in preparation for our seasonally early nesters. I would need to check my records but they are possibly here all year, perhaps with greater numbers in the cooler months. Or they might be present but not calling in the warmer months. Andy On 31/08/2013, at 11:44 AM, Greg and Val Clancy < gclancy@tpg.com.au> wrote: Andy Burton 0431 550 105 9416 2636 =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Your note about the Fan-tailed Cuckoo is interesting. One of the first, if not the first, observation of this species that I had was of a bird that flew into our school building at Cronulla, Sydney, NSW. It unfortunately died. I was interested that you stated that it was the first cuckoo in spring. Are they absent from your area during the autumn-winter? I ask this because they are observed more often on the NSW north coast during the autumn-winter in atypical habitats such as dry forest and woodland and urban and suburban areas. I wonder if this species can be added to the growing list of southern species that migrate north for the winter (Silvereye, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, Striated Pardalote, ?Southern Boobook (or Mopoke), Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater etc. etc.). I would be interested to hear from others on this topic. Regards Greg Dr Greg. P. Clancy Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide | PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460 | 02 6649 3153 | 0429 601 960 http://www.gregclancyecologistguide.com —–Original Message—– Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2013 10:25 AM On hearing the first cuckoo in spring .. the thud of a bird hitting the glass door. Usually it’s a Spotted Dove, but today at 9.00 a.m. a Fantailed Cuckoo was clinging to the cross-bar, stunned and motionless. I took a couple of poorly focussed photos while Brian walked round the house to put a tea-towel over it. We put it into a shoebox for an hour to recuperate in peace and safety. An hour later it was released and flew off, apparently unharmed. Anthea Fleming Ivanhoe, Vic near Darebin Creek =============================== =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================