About two weeks ago I heard a call that I had not heard for about 15 years. The only problem was back then I never found out what made the call but now I know. It's a Rufous Whistler. The odd thing I noticed is that the male I was observing was accompanied by a Golden Whistler female.
Jackie
with your avatar I assume that you can readily identify all Whistlers
Peter
LOL Peter, is there a hint of sarcasm?? I chose my avatar because of its significance.
It is a Lord Howe Island GW and took the pic on our trip in "08" where hubby proposed!!
You know the saying; never assume because it makes an ass of you and me
Cheers, Jackie.
You little
s, very funny. Could it be like something my husband used to say?? Was it dark?? He always said, in the dark all girls look the same
(the Golden Whistler girl could have been a Rufous girl ? Or he could have had a fling ......)
M-L
LOL Araminta
As far as I know female and juv Rufous Whistlers have dark streaks on their breast? This birdie didn't.....so I think, as you said it Araminta "he could have had a fling"....
Cheers, Jackie.
no sarcasm intended, more a presumption or supposition, my sarcasm when used is clear & direct not gentle hints
there is a clear difference between the female Golden and Rufous Whistlers
I presumed that a person with your avatar would have no difficulty in identifying the 2 species and therefore there was no need to ask if you were certain that it was a female GW with the male RW
Peter
I have seen 3 golden whistlers in the vicinity of a rufous whistler but not together - yet.
I know this conversation is old but I have only just found this beaut site. We have been gradually trying to restore our riverfront property of 20 acres. We have planted aroind 5000 indigenous trees. I have always kept a bird list and have around 100 species now (not counting introduced), some only visitors; eg white winged trillers for a day. We are now reaping the benefits of the plantings (see previous) and two years ago for the first time we had rufous whistlers which seemed to stay. This year, last month, for the first time, we have been seeing a golden whistler ( and also coincidentally a Southern Yellow Robin). What I am wondering is will the golden whistler oust the rufous. It says somewhere that one (rufous?) forages higher than the other, and I know the rufous would be harder to spot at this time of year as not calling as much, so maybe the rufous's are still here and I am just not seeing them??????? Also we have scarlet robins this year and not flames... used to be the other way around. There are some flames further down the road.
Pam
Hi Pam. Sounds like a great project you have going. Roughly where are you located?
I particularly like your focus on planting indigenous species. Isn't it exciting to watch things develop, especially with all the bird species moving in or through to take advantage of your revegetation?
I doubt very much that the golden whistler will affect the rufous whistler numbers. Their ranges overlap 100% so it's quite natural for them to co-exist. My experience where I live on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges, SA is that rufous whistlers are more sedentary than golden whistlers which generally appear in winter but soon move on.
Thanks Woko. I am glad.... I had only seen a golden whistler years and years ago when I had a horse riding lodge in the higher elevation around here (near Mansfield in Vic). I was out taking a ride with heaps of people, and I heard this very loud birdsong, and there, perched right at the top of a pine tree in the pine forest, was a golden whistler yelling his head off!!!!! I had always hoped one would come and visit here.... we are a lot lower down. So I was very excited, but didn't want my residents ousted.
Concidentally, after saying the flame robins hadn't arrived this year..... they have, in the last few days!!! Also I realise that the yellow robin is now called Eastern... I have always called it Southern.
Pam