Aussie Finch Forum

Seems to be that we now have the complete set ...Yep I reckon every predator in Dubbo knows where we live now .
In the last few days there has been 2 types of Hawk , 1 brown and 1 grey , funny enough the grey was being chased by 2 Galahs and was trying to find a safe place to hide in my back yard .

And we have Kurrawongs , Butcher Birds , Mynahs , Magpies , Blue Jays and not so much predator but very territorial Pee wees ( Muddies ) .

All I an say is thank goodness for full roofs as the birds have to come pretty much right into the yard to get at the aviary birds where they are confronted by the Staffy and the girls if they feel up to the challenge .

Its interesting to watch the way the aviary birds react when there is a predator above , they seem to be in sync with the wild birds and scatter then go dead silent .

Blue Jays?????

Is there a Dubbo In North America?

GregH wrote:Blue Jays?????

Is there a Dubbo In North America?

Blue Jay is an old colloquialism for a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)

It is still a common name used here in Brisbane.

The Blackfaced round here never cause problems. Do we have the nice ones on this side of the country?
LML

the cuckoo-shrikes around here are delightful, I've never seen one even glance twice at my aviary, and they frolic and play just like corellas (only quieter!) on the powerlines in the early morning

The problem with the wet years is that everything does well,mice and raptors love it. We have huge numbers of raptors at the moment but not so many in town as out bush. If you encourage birds into your backyard then these guys wont be too far behind,particulaly in rural areas.
I used to get really annoyed with White Plumed Honey eaters around the aviary as they love to taunt the finches and bounce all over the wire roof.Now i think they are great,At the first sign of a hawk or buthcher bird they sound the alarm and the birds sit quietly till the danger has passed.They take away that real suprise/shock element and i cant say the White Plumed Honey Eaters here have done any real damage to my birds.The finches get used to them and basically stay off the wire and ignore them.
Interesting that we have a sub- species here that i dont think is as aggressive as the Southern ones.Our Magpies also dont swoop and are no where near as aggressive.

Hmmm another name muck up ...Yes GregH they call them Blue Jays here too , and they harass the crap out of caged birds by landing against the wire , I dont know what the intention is but the birds dont like it .

When I lived near Penrith they use to poke their beaks through the top of the milk bottles and drink the cream of the top ( yes back when milk had cream on top)and when it came in a bottle with a foil lid.

Desertbirds we have a pair of Maggies that live in the tree out the front at the moment , during swooping season they never came near us yet if anyone walked past the house they were targeted and repeatedly swooped .

Thanks Dano know I know what they are , I often wondered what family of birds they belonged to.

Thanks for setting me straight. I only know them as BFCS. Never had ab problems with tem in Tamworth when I kept birds there only hawks (mice and snakes).

Well the mongrel grey hawk is back and getting a bit gamer by coming into the tree closest to the house where it can watch the aviaries ...

I'd pay to have a grey goshawk around here!! send him down!!!!