Hoping someone can provide some input. Have noticed for last few months a pair of torresian crows diligently tending their nest high up in our gum tree. We noticed just over a month ago remnants of an egg at the base of the tree and mum sitting on the nest constantly. After a few weeks we started to hear the little, very immature call of the baby bird - from what we could see with binoculars it was only one hatchling. A few more weeks and the birds were still diligently tending to their baby - call was getting stronger. We had a few storms pass through but the nest was never compromised and the adult birds remained close by with baby still making noise. Only two days ago I noticed the birds were not visiting the nest as regularly, however I thought that would just be as the baby was getting older and nearing the fledgling stage. Yesterday, the birds seemed to be staying away longer from the nest and there was no noise coming from the nest, yet the birds still perched close to the nest upon dusk. This morning, the birds were making more of a cluck cluck noise with each other in the same tree but further away from the nest and it looked like they were looking for twigs to make a new nest in a new position in the tree. Still no noise coming from the nest and one adult bird did attend to it and looked to be pecking at something in the nest or trying to move something in the nest. She/he was there for at least a few minutes doing this but no noise from the baby bird at all. I have a deep concern that the baby has died yet I have absolutely NO idea why - it was a good nest, good position and the birds were feeding baby regularly. There are a few other crows flying around and it appears the adult birds are chasing them away from the area. If anyone can tell me what they think has happened I'd be grateful. The tree and nest is too tall for us to climb in order to check the nest. Many, many thanks,
An update - found some of its feathers here and there around the yard - bit of blood on one, so it could have come to an ugly fate with a cat, I'm not sure. I cannot find anything more substantial - maybe that's a good thing. We did mow the yard over the weekend and I'm praying that that wasn't what happened, although we were home all day and didn't notice the adult birds on the ground at all fussing over it at any time leading up to mowing the yard but of course now I feel very paranoid about it and quite upset. ;o(
Hi Papillon garden. Thanks so much for your curiosity.
It may sound rather callous but youngster mortality is a constant feature of bird life. While we humans are very sensitive to having our heart strings plucked by vulnerable youngsters, adult birds go about their business of trying to pass on their genes to the next generation with the resources available to them. Sometimes those resources are insufficient to sustain a new brood (e.g., during a drought insect populations may be reduced or bugs may seek shelter in more protected places) & some of the brood with weaker genes are lost. It's all about producing sustainable, healthy populations.
Predation by other species can also mean the demise of young birds which help to sustain the predator population.
Also, the Channel-billed Cuckoo is known to parasitise the Torresian Crow so it's possible the Crow youngster was ejected from the nest in favour of the Cuckoo. (See Readers Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds) However, this seems unlikely in view of the adult Crow behaviour you've described.
I imagine that disease, tick infestation & so on may also be factors in the case of the Torresian Crows in your gum tree.
So the possible reason or reasons for the likely demise of the Torresian Crow youngster will probably remain unknown unless a closer investigation is feasible & this seems unlikely in view of the height of your tree.
For your information the Torresian Crow produces a clutch of 3 - 5, the female incubates & is fed on the nest by the male. The young fledge at 40 days. (See Michael Morcombe: Field Guide to Australian Birds).
Goodness gracious! On two counts.
Firstly, your second post came in while I was doing my post so I missed yours.
Secondly, it's hard to believe that in this age of environmental awareness there might still be cats roaming around wreaking havoc on our wildlife. Or am I being cynical?
Whatever, it's quite possible that a predator of some description has made a meal of the youngster or youngsters. If you have cats in your neighbourhood I'm confident the local wildlife would benefit from any cat control action you might take whether it be educating neighbours or some other more localised cat control measures.
Appreciate your shared concern Woko. Yes! The cat battle is something I'm constantly dealing with - despite notifying/pleading with neighbours to keep their cats in at night (and day - my cat goes for supervised walks on his harness during the day and loves it, so it is possible) they ignore the requests and let the cat out to roam from 4am until 8pm. It's not good enough. I've been watching in amazement these two beautiful creatures make their nest, tend it, and begin to raise their young only to have it disappear in an instant of the poor little thing starting to fly. I'm so angry about it and feel utterly helpless that there was nothing I could do. I'm sure this all occurred before dawn over the weekend. In any case, my next step is a 'nuisance cat' complaint to my local Council. We have installed motion sensor sprinklers, sprayed chilli pest detterant around the trees/plants and nothing seems to work. It's a constant battle. ;o(It's hard to see mum/dad still visit the nest on occasion and see nothing there.
Thanks so much for the info re: birds that can parasitise the nests. I actually had just noticed only a few days before this scenario that an Eastern Koel was in nearby residence. I heard the calls at night. Whilst I haven't seen any other birds in the nest during the day, perhaps this Koel has been responsible for ejecting the unsuspecting crow nestling. I heard the Koel again tonight but not in the tree the nest is in, at least 100+ metres away in another backyard. So whilst I haven't seen it or any other bird in the nest or in the tree, who's to say what happens at night. I would have thought though that the adult crow pair would have put up a fight if the nest was being invaded given they perched right above it each night in the last few weeks.
Yes, the lack of protective noise from the parents might indicate that the youngster wasn't ejected from the nest by a parasitising bird but became the victim of a cat attack.
It's certainly frustrating when all efforts to educate on cat control fall on deaf brains & other efforts to discourage marauding moggies appear fruitless. I have wondered if small or, preferably, large stickers on cat food packaging in supermarkets warning of the risks to wildlife posed by cats might prevent some of our wildlife from tipping into extinction. I suggested this approach to the SA government's recent cat control council (or whatever it was called) but, alas, that was a bridge too far. I have an increasing respect these days for folk who think globally & act locally since the authorities seem to be unmotivated to take our biodiversity crisis seriously.
Anyway, I hope your local council is made of sterner stuff & seriously acts on your nuisance cat complaint. At least your council seems to be demonstrating some awareness of the need to protect our fast disappearing wildlife.
Your words ring so true! I would go crazy trying to figure out why people don't share the same thought processes when it comes to protecting our wildlife. But I have made it my mission to do all I can to protect what I can, educate those I can and still say sane! The pair of crows have started what appears to be building another nest in the same tree and I'm quite worried the next baby/babies will suffer the same fate re: this neighbours cat that lies in wait from 3am. I'm already coming up with ways to protect the area - ranging from citrus scraps around the tree, chilli sprays, plastic trellis netting etc. As well as a complaint to council. We'll see if things get moving. I love your approach to SA govt cat control council. Sadly, I don't think the QLD Govt. up here has anything remotely similar - as usual in QLD, different councils have different approaches which is so frustrating! If we lived in Ipswich area their cat nuisance process is A1 in terms of educating the public about wildlife, cat ownership responsibilities etc and then if that goes ignored their personal visits and fines are taken seriously. Brisbane council seems quite apathetic in comparison. I have a lot of work to do don't I! Thanks so much again.
Your words ring so true! I would go crazy trying to figure out why people don't share the same thought processes when it comes to protecting our wildlife. But I have made it my mission to do all I can to protect what I can, educate those I can and still say sane! The pair of crows have started what appears to be building another nest in the same tree and I'm quite worried the next baby/babies will suffer the same fate re: this neighbours cat that lies in wait from 3am. I'm already coming up with ways to protect the area - ranging from citrus scraps around the tree, chilli sprays, plastic trellis netting etc. As well as a complaint to council. We'll see if things get moving. I love your approach to SA govt cat control council. Sadly, I don't think the QLD Govt. up here has anything remotely similar - as usual in QLD, different councils have different approaches which is so frustrating! If we lived in Ipswich area their cat nuisance process is A1 in terms of educating the public about wildlife, cat ownership responsibilities etc and then if that goes ignored their personal visits and fines are taken seriously. Brisbane council seems quite apathetic in comparison. I have a lot of work to do don't I! Thanks so much again.
With new cat laws SA has at least made an attempt to move away from an ultra strong cat culture but I fear the progress is so slow that many native species will have become extinct by the time people develp the same attitude towards cats as they have towards tobacco. In this age of ecological crisis slow pace of progress is a perennial issue. We're expected to abide by the informal rules of slow but steady on these things. Unfortunately, slow but steady can so often mean a rapid extermination for native species. Hence, I believe, the need for local people to act locally. Waiting for the authorities to get serious will ensure hell freezes over first. By then it may be all too late.
So, good luck with your efforts, Papillon garden. We certainly need more candles in the darkness.