I keep seeing 2 kookaburras hanging around the same tree and they often take turns going to one particular spot on the trunk and peck at it.
Could they be preparing a place to nest or is it more likely just where a source of food is?
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You could be right. They might be setting up a nest hollow. Hope so.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
It's about the time of the year when both Blue-winged & Laughing Kookaburras begin breeding. Are there tree hollows in the vicinity of the cavity you've photographed &, if so, are they being occupied by other birds? From reading the breeding notes on these two species in Michael Morcombe's Field Guide to Australian Birds I gather that nesting is in a pre-existing tree hollow. So it may be the case that the birds you're observing are having to create their own sufficient hollow due to competition for a hollow or hollows nearby.
Reports on the birds you're observing would be most welcome, Mishkaka.
Should be interesting to keep watch adn find out. Our locals nest in a palm tree right up under the fronds but they have created a hole. Another possibility is termites as food in that tree. Let us know the outcome.
Thanks, we've got lots of King Parrots, Galahs, Eastern and Crimson Rosellas, and lots more (even had a Brushtail Possum on our porch the other night!) so I'm thinking tree hollows are probably on high demand. I haven't seen any hollows but there are a lot of older trees around too.
I'll definitely update if I see them nesting!
That's cool! I'll keep an eye out, thanks for replying!
Me too!
I haven't seen or heard the kookaburras in a while but the hole has definitely gotten bigger!
An exciting place where you live, Mishkaka.