It has been so hot today, even the currawong's are panting.
This currawong is so tame, he visits us daily and takes raw meat from our hands. His Mrs isn't quite so tame though she sits in the frangipani bush and you have to throw food to her.
Unfortunately this pair of currawong's are feeding three channel billed cuckoos. The cuckoos get rid of the currawong eggs and lay their own eggs in the nest of the poor unsuspecting currawongs.
Channel billed cuckoos have to be the ugliest birds I know and the three babies are bigger than the currawongs feeding them.
I bet this chap will be glad when the kids have left home.
Great capture, yet am saddened that he and his mate's brood is unlikely to reach maturity. Nature takes no prisoners and the cuckoos, always taking advantage of other birds in the breeding season, are some of the worst offenders.
Cuckoos must be lazy birds to do something like that. Not sure I've ever seen one either. I thought this guy was a crow. Are they a party of the crow family? Must be a nice feeling to have a while bird or animal take good from your hands. Nice close up 😊
Had to laugh at your story & the way you tell it Babs! Not funny for mum & dad currawong but I don't suppose they know they have been foisted with the wrong kids & will love the ugly little blighters regardless. Cuckoos are the same over here of course, murderers & squatters. Hot, hot I can't wait!
@terryliv Oh Terry, go wash your mouth out, ha ha. Currawongs are beautiful birds. You should see the channel billed cuckoos they are feeding, they are the ugliest birds on earth.
@lyndamcg Channel billed cuckoo eggs look very similar to currawong eggs, so the poor unsuspecting currawongs don't realize until it is too late that their eggs have been eaten and replaced.
@paul10 Thanks Paul. Pied currawongs are distantly related to the crow family I think but they belong to the strepera family not corvus.
I love the song of the currawong and here is a link to let you know what they sound like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGod03UZpVo
Here is a pied currawong feeding a channel billed cuckoo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSu-4Rb0TNE
They are ugly sods aren't they and our currawongs are rearing three of these buggers.
@happypat I think they probably feel they have drawn the short straw and even though they feed the cuckoos they must be terrified of them. Here is a link to a pied currawong feeding a channel billed cuckoo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSu-4Rb0TNE
scary
Fantastic close-up and I loved those videos. Thank you. I see what you mean about the cuckoos being ugly. It's not surprising their natural parents don't want anything to do with them Fav.
Great close-up! Sounds like your cuckoos are like our Cowbirds. They lay their eggs in other birds' nests with the same result. If I see them at my feeder, I chase them away.
Fab shot, beautiful and clear. I would love to see a picture sometime of the cuckoos if you can Babs? Poor birdie though - do you have a bird bath in the garden for them or is there water nearby that it can drink and bathe in?
I adore him!!! I love his face and blackness and natural attitude-y look. :) I wasn't familiar with currawongs and I'm happy to have googled him and learned a bit about him thanks to you!
January 27th, 2017
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
This is a lovely close up though Babs (reluctantly).
I love the song of the currawong and here is a link to let you know what they sound like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGod03UZpVo
Here is a pied currawong feeding a channel billed cuckoo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSu-4Rb0TNE
They are ugly sods aren't they and our currawongs are rearing three of these buggers.
scary
Here is a photo of a channel billed cuckoo http://www.survival.org.au/birds_channel_billed_cuckoo.php
Yes we do have a bird bath in the garden and there are also lots of waterways nearby for them to drink and bathe in.