Hi,
I was wondering if anybody could tell me around what time of year do the rather common birds you seee around Australia start preparing/building their nests? I know Spring is breeding season but when do they actually start? I’ve seen live cams of Eagles in America sitting on their nests with and without eggs when it is still snowing.
Hi Mishkaka. Quite a few Australian bird species begin nesting in winter, at least in the south of the continent. E.g., Australian Magpies & Little Ravens. In the arid interior many species, common or uncommon, depend on rain to get the reproductive juices moving. Rain produces the food which they need to feed not only themselves during breeding but also their young, of course. In the tropics, with which I’m not familiar at all, I would imagine that the monsoons would determine breeding time for many species.
Many common water bird species depend on good rains to replenish parched (or human-drained) wetlands & those rains can come at any time of the year.
And, to my knowledge, common migratory species don’t breed here.
So, it’s a bit difficult to answer your question concisely. If you don’t have one, might I suggest you buy a reliable bird field guide with information about when & where birds breed.