catbirds have moved in I think

32 posts / 0 new
Last post
birdie
birdie's picture
catbirds have moved in I think

More excitement in the world of my back yard and around the back fence!! :)

I think this pair of Catbirds may have moved in as they are very much at home in this particular tree and on the ground surrounding it. The "tick" to each other all the time and so I've discovered that this is the way to tell if they are around. They make the noise and I fly outside with the camera!! I am developing better skills and if I sit and wait they come and go around me so it is easier to catch them!!



Hope you all enjoy them as much as I did!!

cheers

Birdie

birdie
birdie's picture

Here is one that shows the wing spots etc

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Tassie

Absolutely brilliant Birdie,thanks for sharing I would love them here.
Sounds like you may have a pair, things might get even better.

birdie
birdie's picture

Thanks Tassie, I am so happy that the place is bursting with bird life at the moment, but these are very special I must say.I am wondering if the cat cry is to attract a mate as they don't seem to be using it now, but a few weeks ago they were going to town with it in the early hours.

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Tassie

Gidday Birdie, the Green Catbird is a Bowerbird and does not build a bower but rather just lays green leaves upside down in a small open area.
Leading up to breeding both birds are very noisy singing out mainly from the mid height in the forest canopies to determine territories.
After this the male will defend his nest in an area of approx 15-20 metres diameter around the nest,during the nesting period the loud calls drop right off and the male makes lots of "clicking" noises as you have described.
The nest is usually built in very dense understory foliage.
Birdie you will know when you are near the nest 1.Where the male is hanging around and making clicking sounds will be close to the nest. 2.When you are to close to the nest the parents will drop to the forest floor and feign injury (similiar to Plovers)
Its interesting to note that pairs hold the same territory and have been recorded as doing so for periods of up to nine years.
Groups of 10-15 have been seen together in the off season but are thought to be immatures and adults that have not yet established territories.
The nest can be anywhere from 2-23m above ground and the nesting period is from September to January so its safe to say that yours are nesting.
Hope this helps you Birdie.
Cheers
Tassie.

Tassie

Oh yeah I meant to tell you Birdie,the Catbirds will only call out during dusk and dawn,the only exception to this is when they are courting then they call during the day. :)

birdie
birdie's picture

Thanks so much Tassie. that about settles it then. I would say the nest is very close to the back corner of my yard and over the fence in the general area of the drain. I did see one of them drop into an upturned dead palm frond that was stretched over a limb of the tree about 4 m off the ground. i wonder if that is it? HOw exciting, I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again Tassie
CHeers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Tassie

Its a pleasure Birdie, I am about as excited as you are lol.
It will be great to hear that they are actually nesting there for you.

heva1
heva1's picture

Gorgeous shots, Birdie, how exciting for you and for us too being able to share.
They really are beautiful birds, and sounds like such unique and interesting behaviour too from what Tassie is saying.

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Amateur

I'm green as a catbird with envy mate, lucky to have themm. They really are exceptional birds, interesting you said plovers drop to the floor and feign injury when you come near there nest, I thought they swooped?

Amateur

Oh wait, you mean plovers as in the sea ones and not the masked lapwing? That's another question I have, is a masked lapwing a type of plover? Because I always hear them being referred to as plovers but they don't look anything like the plovers i've seen while browsing the site.

Tassie

Gidday Amateur, mate what I am talking about is the Masked Lapwing which in fact is their proper name,however they are also refered to as the Spur Winged Plover which I have called them since I was a kid.
They often start by feigning injury when you are approaching their nest however once you get to close the swooping starts.

GeorgeP
GeorgeP's picture

VERY exciting news, Birdie. What a great thrill it must be to have them in your yard. Keep those photos comin' because they are brilliant. Can't wait for the next installment. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

George
Melbourne, VIC

birdie
birdie's picture

Thanks everyone, I knew you'd be excited too. I can scarcely believe that something so interesting has chosen my little area to live!
This kind of makes up for those early mornings when it appeared that the Wattlebird and the catbird were contesting the territory . I still hear the Wattlebird during the day and it came within about a metre of my window today so I think it lives here too now.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
birdie's picture

Have taken some more shots, this time from my bedroom through the window to show how close to the house their territory is. This morning..... 4.30 ...and they started calling incessantly to eachother . kept it up for 1/2 an hour ! It is such a privilege to have them but they do try your patience some mornings.

This was through the window too:

tonight just before dusk, I was lucky enough to sit at my chair by the fence observation post and to observe them as they flitted around having a feed off some unusual looking red plants. Suddenly I noticed there was a 3rd bird, so I think I may be too late for the nesting time. It may have already happened and one of them could be the young bird.

it was amazing sitting at my perch there. The catbirds were "tsking" to eachother, the drongos were going off with various different calls in a neighbouring tree and then the coucals starting hooping to eachother.
Wow it sure is an active neighbourhood since the rains have come.

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

george
george's picture

birdie maybe tassie has a spare pair of ear muffs ,you surely do need them at times.we had the catbirds for two mornings.
all jokes aside they are very pretty.

birdie
birdie's picture

Guess what? I am definitely too late for the nesting time, I caught the parent feeding a large juv yesterday at early evening. I snatched a shot through the window but it may not be worth posting and then the parents took off and the juv hopped quickly away out of sight of my prying camera lens!

cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

heva1
heva1's picture

awww.... birdie, you been caught catnapping! maybe they will come back to visit, fingers crossed.

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

birdie
birdie's picture

Ha ha Hev. Yes catnapping indeed, though it is a bit hard in the mornings with their noise. I should hit Tassie up for some earmuffs shouldn't I?! I woke early trying to decipher if it was a young bird answering and then went back to sleep! I must say that Catbirds are plentiful in the general locality at the moment. I seem to spot one wherever there is a good bird area nearby.
Pheasant coucals too are conspicuous at the moment in and around my garden!

Cheers
Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
birdie's picture

A further update to the catbird family. I heard them around just now and looked out the bedroom window to find one feasting on a palm berry on the ground in the back corner. then it perched on my bird watching chair while it had a feed!
I took a few shots through the window and it appeared to be breaking off bits of twig and pecking at leaves so I am wondering what that would be for? Do they use them for sharpening their bill or anything? Being Feb it would be too late for nesting now surely?. I saw the other family this morning on my walk , but the parents flew to take my interest away from the youngsters.
Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

heva1
heva1's picture

Isn't it interesting observing bird behaviour? I often get so engrossed in watching behaviour I completely miss the moment with the camera... and catch a few flies in the process as I stand open-mouthed!!
ps I can't help you with what they were doing but I'm sure someone will be able to help on here..

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Amateur

According to my Field Guide this is still a main breeding season for spotted catbirds until March with a casual breeding season after that in case of unseasonal rainfall etc. So you might have some baby catirds to listen to in a wahile if you're lucky. Sounds like a beautiful bird to have in your backyard!

birdie
birdie's picture

HI Amateur
These are green catbirds, I think the spotted ones are further up North aren't they?
I had fun with them on my walk again this morning. I seem to be in catbird heaven lately between my walk and my garden. Funny really, because I can remember when I first saw one in a local sanctuary I thought how I'd love to get close to one and it seemed an impossibility at the time.

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Amateur

Well, February is still a main breeding season for the green catbird with march being the casual breeding season, so maybe you're in luck.

birdie
birdie's picture

Well, this sure looks like nesting behaviour to me. And they are at it every day at the moment!! :)

I'll keep you posted. It has been pouring with rain and they seem to like coming out after rain (all the birds)

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
birdie's picture

Hey all, they are still there. I hear them clicking away but the bush has grown over a lot since the rain and I can't see as well as I used to.

Tassie.......... are you out there...? hope things are OK as we are not used to you being away from the forum for this long. I hope it's just something simple like a broken computer or something and nothing serious.

look Forward to hearing from you again

Cheers

Birdie

PS Hev... feel free to join in any time!!!! :)

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Tassie

Hey Birdie, Hev and everyone. Birdie I have just got this notification and thanks for your concern. I have been away for quiet some time and the birdwatching had to take a back seat mainly due to this persistent bloody rain and when its not raining the extreme humidity and mosquitoes have kept my head down.
I have had a quick look at the pics from Hev and your outing, looks like you guys had a great time....good onya's.
Birdie and Hev are you guys on Facebook at all because if you are I would like to add you so we have another way of keeping in touch.

heva1
heva1's picture

Heyyyyyy welcome back Tassie! yeah we had a great time... was quite funny that both Birdie and I had 'what if she's an axe murderer?' conversations with family before we met up.... but all good, and we lived to tell the tale lol. Now as for facebook...yes I am but not sure how to share that with you without the rest of the world also knowing!!... will ponder that one...any ideas?

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Tassie

Hey Hev and thx. I will give you my email address and if we make contact that way then I can give you my name or vice versa and we can go from there.
My email is

Too cool.

birdie
birdie's picture

Hi Tassie - good to see you again. glad to know you're OK. Hev I just had a look at your FB page and it was great to show the family who I actually met up with as we didn't take a pic of eachother that day!!

Tassie I know what you mean about keeping your head down. the sodding mosquitoes have invaded everywhere here too, and my favourite catbird watching corner of the garden is now 3inches deep in slush and I think the mozzies have set up a flying academy there as it is lethal to even try to get close.

Not to mention that the rain didn't cease for about 2-3 weeks.

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Amateur

Glad to hear from you Tassie, good to know you're ok.

birdie
birdie's picture

Thought I'd resurrect this page to update anyone who was interested in the Catbirds..... follow this link if you haven't seen it already ..... babies woohoo
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/messages.cfm?threadid=A3C4F877-B7BE-907F-D87971157849AAAA

Sunshine Coast Queensland

 and   @birdsinbackyards
                 Subscribe to me on YouTube