Category: Birds

Paluma Bird of the Month, March 2024 – Mistletoe Bird

Over the wet season two species of mistletoe (Amylotheca subumbellata and Amylotheca dictyophleba) have been flowering and fruiting in the village.

This is a window of seasonal plenty for Mistletoe Birds (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) who live mainly on the mistletoe fruit and repay the favour by spreading the seeds of mistletoe.

The photo here of a female mistletoe bird was taken from the back deck of #56 at the start of the rainforest walk in mid-February. It wasn’t until the photo was uploaded and cropped that it became apparent the shot had captured a gluey seed locked and loaded for dispersal.

Female mistletoe bird. (Photo by Peter Cooke)

Although there are other birds that can spread mistletoe, the mistletoe bird has evolved a highly specialised and efficient method of ensuring future crops of mistletoe berries.

As a parasite, mistletoe seed needs to be placed in a particular way in the (usually) upper branches of the host tree. Mistletoe minimizes opportunistic feeding by less specialist dispersal species by producing few, inconspicuous fruits. The fruit is low in protein and so the mistletoe bird must eat large quantities for reproduction and moulting.

Amylotheca sp in the cutting near Whalley Cr (photo by Jan Cooke)

The mistletoe bird has evolved a digestive system that processes the fruit particularly quickly and with little damage to the seed. It takes between four and 25 minutes for the fruit to be processed and ready for “planting”.

The fruit emerges with a sticky coating that requires the bird to employ a special technique to detach it from the anal vent. Mistletoe birds often stand facing the host plant and with a wiping action deposits the fruit in a string along the perch. Seeds that emerge from mistletoe birds are much stickier than those of honeyeaters who also snack on mistletoe fruit. Seeds ejected by honeyeaters fall randomly and often miss the strong bonding to the host tree branch that is essential to keep the mistletoe supplied with a source of fluid as it grows.

Mistletoe birds occur throughout Australia in any habitat where mistletoe occurs. They are the only Australian representative of the flowerpecker family, Dicaeidae, which comprises 50 mistletoe-loving species distributed through tropical southern Asia and Australasia.

The male mistletoe bird is brightly and colourfully feathered while the female has more demure plumage, dark grey above with a white throat, light grey underparts and just a touch of pinkish red under the tail.

Male mistletoe bird. Photo by Tobias Hyashi (https://canberrabirds.org.au/our-birds/canberra-garden-birds/mistletoebird-flowerpeckers/)

Jamie Oliver previously posted a link to a great David Attenborough segment that captured the whole process including a time-lapse of seed germination. That link is here.

In early March a number of mistletoes were flowering nicely in “the cutting” around 21-27 Mt Spec Road.

Text by Peter Cooke

Note: no AI used in producing this post, just good old cut and paste plagiarism from various sources.

Paluma Bird of the Month Series

Nearly six years ago, in a rush of enthusiasm, I published what I hoped would be the first in a monthly series of articles on Paluma Birds. That post featured the Satin Bowerbird. Unfortunately, I never followed up with further articles, despite my feeling that this was a worthwhile project that could be a nice complement to Colwyn Campbell’s very successful Tree of the Month series, which persisted right up to the end of 2021.

I am delighted that the series is now restarting with the able support of Peter Cooke, whose first post features the mistletoe bird. Peter and I have several birds lined up for future months and are confident we will be able to keep the series going at least for this year. However, we would be delighted to receive contributions from other residents. If you have a well-framed, sharp portrait of a local bird that you would like to write about please contact us. We can help you write the text, or contribute some text to go with your picture. In either case, let us know! We are very keen to use photos by residents as our primary source of illustrations for the series. if you realize you have a great shot of one of the birds we feature in a post, and would like to share it, I can include it in a comment on that post after it’s published (unfortunately the system does not allow general users to include photos in the comments section).

I hope you find the series informative and interesting.

Jamie Oliver

Where’s Wary? Volunteers needed to count Cassowaries around Paluma-Mt Spec

Although Cassowaries have been seen very occasionally by many of us on the roads and tracks near the village, the only one we can be guaranteed to see in Paluma is the barbed-wire sculpture of “Wary the Cassowary” in front of Wilfred Karnoll’s house. Cassowaries are an iconic and charismatic resident of the Wet Tropics, but due to multiple human-related threats, they are listed as endangered. As many of us can attest Cassowaries are not easy to spot, even when there are nearby, and getting information on population numbers in different areas is very difficult. A new project to fill in this gap has recently commenced and the researchers are looking for volunteers to assist them in their work, or to provide any additional local knowledge that could help their assessments. This project is being conducted in conjunction with BirdlifeAustralia’s “Birds with Altitude” program, that is monitoring a range of Endangered and Vulnerable species in the Wet Tropics.

If you would like to volunteer for these projects, or would like to learn more about the issues they are addressing, please come along to the Launch event at the Paluma Community Hall on August 25th. There will be a catered dinner (donations accepted to defray costs) at 6pm and presentations at 7pm and organising volunteer teams at 8pm. For catering purposes please register if you intend to come to the dinner and think you want to volunteer. Any residents just wanting to learn more are welcome come to the presentations. Surveys and training for both the Cassowary and Birds with Altitude citizen science programs will then be held over the 26th and 27th.

To register follow this LINK. Further information below:

Paluma Range Citizen Science Program Launch & Camp Out

Paluma Range Citizen Science Program Launch & Camp Out

Join with researchers, locals, BirdLife Townsville & BirdLife North Queensland and bushwalking clubs to help contribute to our knowledge of Cassowaries at the southern extent of their global distribution and high altitude birds vulnerable to climate change in Paluma Range National Park.RSVP

Time and location

25 Aug, 1:00 pm AEST – 28 Aug, 10:00 am AEST

Lake Paluma – Magar Yamba Group Area, Lake Paluma, Crystal Creek QLD 4816, Australia

About the event

Paluma Range Citizen Science Program Launch & Birds With Altitude Camp Out

25 – 28 August 2023

Join with researchers, locals, BirdLife Townsville and BirdLife North Queensland and bushwalking clubs to help contribute to our knowledge of Cassowaries at the southern extent of their global distribution and high altitude birds vulnerable to climate change in Paluma Range National Park.

The only targeted surveys for cassowaries on the Paluma Range were for the faecal DNA wet tropics populaton analysis (Westcott et al 2014). No scats, signs or sightings were recorded during that study however, the extrapolated population estimate for the area was 16 adult birds. The Paluma Range however contains 22,050 ha of potential habitat and birds are sighted here semi-frequently. So let’s track them down to add to our body of knowledge about the distribution, abundance, habitat condition and threats to Cassowaries here. Please download the Birdata App on your phone.

Camping @ Lake Paluma – Magar Yamba group camping area or self-arranged B&B accommodation at Paluma Village.

Friday evening welcome, presentation and dinner @ Paluma Community Centre, 65 Mount Spec Road, Paluma.

Friday, 25 August

1:00 pm campsite open @ Paluma Community Centre – Nywaigi Welcome to Country.

6:00 pm catered dinner.

7:00 pm presentations on Cassowary and Birds with Altitude programs. Organise survey teams and locations.

Saturday, 26 August

AM survey designated routes.

PM review camera trap data. Self-catered.

Sunday, 27 August

AM survey designated routes.

PM review findings & camera trap data. Sunday night camping optional. Self-catered.

Monday, 28 August

AM survey optional.

Checkout by 10:00 am.

Funded by a Qld Government CSA – Threatened Species Grant and Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. Supported by BirdLife Townsville, BirdLife Australia, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, NQ Dry Tropics NRM and Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and thank you to the Paluma Community Centre for gifting in-kind support of the community centre for the Friday evening.Read moreRSVP

Red-browed Finch

Red-browed finches (Neochmia temporalis) are a relatively common sight around village gardens at Paluma, mostly in open areas on lawns – especially when the lawn gets a bit long and there are seed heads. They are often seen feeding on the ground where there are crimson rosellas also feasting on grass seeds. They are said to feed on both native and non-native grass seeds. They are a beautiful and distinctive small finch easily recognised by their bright red eyebrow, red rump and red beak with otherwise olive green and grey plumage. If disturbed they will quickly fly away into dense undergrowth where they are hard to spot. They are also hard to photograph as they are fast-moving little birds and they don’t sit still. The two photos below have been reproduced from the Birdlife Australia website.

Red-browed finches (Photos from Birdlife Australia website).

Over the past couple of weekends (about 8 days) I have been lucky enough to watch the progress of a pair of very busy red-browed finches building their nest in close proximity to my place. The finishing touches to the nest were being made late last Sunday afternoon and one of the birds had taken to sitting in the nest – perhaps eggs had already been laid?

The nest is located in the high crown of a native tree fern in an open (garden) area. Birdlife Australia describes the red-browed finch nest as “a large domed nest with a side entrance, woven from grass and small twigs. Nests are usually built 2 to 3 metres above the ground in dense shrubs”. This description is entirely accurate for the nest I have observed. The photo below shows the (largely) completed nest in the top of the tree fern, dome-shaped and with a small rounded entrance. The entrance faces westerly away from the prevailing winds and rain in that particular location/micro-climate. Clever little finches!

According to my research, both parents share the nest-building (which I also observed), the incubation of eggs and feeding of the young. Four to six white eggs are laid per clutch two to three times per year, mainly between October and April. Juveniles are said to be fully independent within 28 days. I look forward to observing the nesting process and hopefully the fledging of some new little red-browed finches in the coming month.

Text & Photo (of tree fern nest) by Michele Bird

A Very Big Day at the Nest

Well, if you have been following Lynda Radbone’s updates from the Thrike-Shrush nest in her fig tree there is some very BIG news to report. It has been a hive of activity at the nest today – Wednesday 14 December. Here’s what happened in the space of a few short hours this morning as photographed and reported by Lynda…….

(1). 7.57 AM. Lynda rechecked the date of birth (hatching) of the chicks. They are 10 days old today. Two of the chicks (the larger ones) have their eyes open. The nest is getting very crowded as the birds grow. Lynda is worried the chicks are going to push each other out of the nest. It’s getting to be a tight squeeze in there. The constant chirping of the chicks is lovely to hear from the verandah. Mum and Dad Shrike-Thrush are run off their feet with the feeding. ‘Chirpy’, ‘Cheep’ and ‘Tweety’ (as named by Lynda) are thriving and the predatory cat birds have stayed away.
(2). 8.04 AM. There is some ‘unrest in the nest’ as the wide-eyed growing chicks hustle for space in the nest.
(3). 8.12 AM. There is movement out of the nest as the larger chicks start hopping up on the branches of the fig tree.
(4). 8.33 AM. A maiden flight by one of the chicks is unsuccessful. Lynda puts the chick back in the nest (for protection from predators). There were several more attempts to fledge with crash landings each time. Lynda keeps watch and puts the chicks back in the nest for safe keeping when predatory birds are around.
(5). 10.12 AM. By now the two larger chicks have fully fledged and left the nest. Only one chick remains in the nest, the smaller of the three. This chick appears to be weaker and its eyes are not fully open as yet. Lynda hopes that this chick is not abandoned!
(6). 12.00 PM. Some five attempts later, the remaining chick finally gets lift off and leaves the nest. It’s off and away into the nearby forest.

At about 12.15 PM, Lynda realises she’s an ’empty nester’. She hopes that the universe takes care of her wee fledgings and keeps the catbirds and other predators at bay. All is unusually quiet in the fig tree on the verandah.

Chick This Out……..

Some exciting news from Lynda Radbone’s garden in the central sector of Paluma Village. A few weeks ago a pair of Shrike Thrush birds started nesting in Lynda’s fig tree. After some frenetic nest building, some eggs appeared in the nest to be closely cosseted by Mum and Dad Shrike Thrush. Earlier this week, the eggs hatched and there are three splendid and very hungry chicks in the nest. Lynda continues to monitor the nest to guard the chicks from hungry Catbirds, with the help of Miss Molly the dog. Lynda has kindly shared these photos of the progress of this little feathered family.

1. Sitting on eggs in the nest nestled amongst the fig tree branches.
2. Eggs in the nest.
3. Newly hatched chicks.
4. The chicks at about 5 days of age.

Australian King Parrot

The Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is found from Cairns to Melbourne. This male was foraging by himself on the dried fruit of an Alphitonia tree (known locally as sarsaparilla tree) near the Paluma Community Hall. Birds from southern Australia are larger than the northern sub-species Alisterus scapularis (minor). Lloyd Neilsen (Birds of the Wet Tropics) says they are uncommon at Paluma and Mt Lewis, but Andree Griffin and Roy Mackay class it as a breeding resident in an area from Little Crystal Creek to Mt Spec and Taravale. 

Text & Photos by Peter Cooke

Little Shrike-Thrush

Two species of shrike-thrush are commonly seen at Paluma — the Little Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) and Bowers Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla boweri). They are not easy to disambiguate even with a clear picture and a few bird books, as colour and distinguishing features vary quite a lot by gender and age for both species. The name doesn’t help as the Bowers Shrike-Thrush is smaller than the Little Shrike-Thrush. 

This specimen posed for the camera on one of Jan Cooke’s tomato plants in April. Jan thinks this is probably a Little Shrike-Thrush.

Text & Photo by Peter Cooke

Rufous Songlark

The Paluma area bird list (compiled by Andree Griffin and Roy Mackay) lists the Rufous Songlark (Magalurus mathewsi) as an occasional visitor to Paluma, although its range covers most of Australia. This bird was one of a pair seen near the Community Hall in April. The Australian Bird Guide says the Rufous Songlark breeds in South Australia in spring and summer but migrates inland, or to north Australia in autumn and winter. The distinguishing ‘rufous rump’ is mostly hidden by wing feathers, but can be seen in photo 3 below.

Text & Photos by Peter Cooke