Hi all,
Last Sunday Joy and I went to Phillip Island to check the place out and try and add a few birds to the year list. It was a very successful day and included a Southern Giant Petrel feeding straight out from the boardwalk at the cafe complex at the end of the road.
We also had an interesting encounter with a Little Wattlebird. The Banksia are in flower and lots of Little Wattlebirds were feeding on the nectar. As we watched one bird feeding high up on the outer edge of the tree a raptor called from above. The response from the Wattlebird was instant and very interesting. It “froze” in a twisted pose with all its feathers fluffed out. I wonder if it was a cryptic pose with the bird trying to mimic a dry Banksia flower? The colour of the bird, grey-brown with white flecking, and the shape it assumed made it look, with a bit of imagination, somewhat like one, and maybe just enough like one to fool a distant raptor? I have put a photo on my blog.
I considered the possibility that the bird had just decided to warm itself in the sun but it didn’t move slowly into the pose and shuffle its feathers as a bird starting to “sun” usually does. At the sound of the raptor cry the bird “snapped” to the position and froze. After about 3 minutes in the pose, and with no further raptor calls heard during this time, the bird flew down and into an adjoining Banksia.
Has anyone else seen this behaviour?
cheers
Jenny http://jenniferspryausbirding.blogspot.com.au/ ===============================
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In the Hunter I observed a Little Wattlebird that had hatched in a hanging pot plant in someones courtyard. On observation prior to fledging the bird was getting around in this strange contorted twisted position as its parents came down occasionally to feed it. This bird was out of the nest and out and about on its feet. Lorna Mee
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I have seen this behaviour with Varied Sittellas. The whole flock froze in position when a Brown Falcon flew over. They were very difficult to see in their frozen posture, against the trunk and branches of the tree they were in. They maintained this until long after the raptor had gone.
Paul Osborn
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Hi Jenny, have not seen it with a Little Wattlebird but when I was staying on an Island in Fiji a Perigrine stooped on a flock of turtle doves and one of them froze I think it was about 35mins without moving a muscle.