AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR OF RED WATTLEBIRDS Anthochaera carunculata AND NOISY FRIARBIRDS Philemon corniculatus
| Posted: |
10/08/2021 |
| Author(s): |
Hugh A. Ford, Stephen Debus |
The aggressive behaviour of Red Wattlebirds and Noisy Friarbirds was quantified in a 240 ha
remnant of eucalypt woodland near Armidale, New South Wales, from 1990 to 1992. Wattlebirds
spent 1.8 per cent and Friarbirds 1. 7 per cent of their time in aggressive activities. Wattlebirds chased
from 12 to 3.7 and Friarbirds 0.5 to 1.8 birds per hour from the vicinity of their nests with young.
Higher aggression rates were shown away from the nest in the 1991 breeding season (7.7 and 6.5
chases per hour, figures for Wattleb1rds first) and at a heavily flowering Grevil/ea robusta tree on the
University pf New England campus (6.1 and 17. 7 chases per hour. for Wattlebird and Friarbird
respectively).
Aggression is not indiscriminate, but is principally aimed at potential competitors and predators.
The most frequent victims of aggression were conspecifics (24% in Wattlebirds, 37% in Friarbirds).
other large honeyeaters {32%, 10%). potential nest predators (14%, 22%) and small honeyeaters
(12%, 14 % ). Small insectivores were only occasionally chased. The impact of these large
honeyeaters on other birds may be small in large woodland remnants, though it could be more
significant in small or degraded patches
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