Sunday, December 10, 2017

Grey warblers and shining cuckoos

With the pest eradication going on, one of the first bird species to increase will be the grey warbler. These little birds are often heard Grey warbler song (MP3, 527K)  but difficult to see. They busy themselves fossicking around in the undergrowth looking for invertebrates to feed on.  They have at least two broods a season. The second brood can be targeted by the migrating shining cuckoo that lay their eggs in the warbler nest. These cuckoos are very rarely seen because of their green plumage that blend into their surroundings. If you happen to be observing a warbler by its nest while a cuckoo is calling https://tinyurl.com/shining-cuckoo-call the warbler can get quite agitated. They obviously understand the threat.
Photo of nest from:  http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz Grey Warbler song DOC,


Grey gergone is the warbler

No comments: