I have been reading some blogs on this site and they seem to put Wattlebirds in a bad light and Noisy Miners in a good one. I would like to point out that Wattlebirds are not the problem in my yard. I like Noisy Miners, they will tweet, yell and tap at the glass to get bread. which is sweet, but are chasing all my other friends away. Not only Wattlebirds but a Black bird as well (I have to admit that could be due to a Butcherbird attacking him, though I did see him afterwards). So has anyone else see the gray bullies at work recently?:-)
Noisy miners boss everything around my area, from cats to other birds. Magpies and Magpie-larks are aggressive too but their numbers are nothing compared to the Noisy Miner colony. The Wattlebirds and the miners fight each other the most but majority rules the Miners always win.
Taz
I have six to twelve Noisy Miners in my area, it may as well be a amy. You have remined me that I have always wanted Magpie-larks in my yard, I gess now that it has been my noisy friends puting them off. I have just been, in the last few weeks, visted by a Magpie that I used to feed when it was only just a juvenile, it too has been attacked(not to be too harsh on the Noisy Miners). These are all natives, and they all hate each other.
Hmm the Noisy Miners do not show much interests to the Magpie Larks in my area. Magpie Larks usually come in the wet season when it is all muddy and perfect for them to hunt and beginning nesting - they love eating worms that get flushed out by the rain. Well Noisy Miners are no doubt the biggest backyard bullies. Planting dense shrubs may help smaller birds to hide from the Noisy Miners. But I think it may be the feeding that causes the competitive nature of the Noisies to rise. They know they can get free food from you and there is no way they are going to give that opportunity to other birds.
Taz
Could you say no more food to one of their little faces at the window?
It's hard isn't it? But they will certainly not go away nor give other birds a chance if you give in to their cute charm each time. I don't blame you it is very difficult to resist.
Taz
There is little point not feeding them anyway, when the yard is full of Indian Mynas(common) all the time. Not that I have anything against them, but it is good to feed some natives.
To feed, or not to feed.
That is the question.
People have been getting more successes with planting native flora to attract native fauna. This is good because the Indian Mynas can't really benefit much from this and Noisy Miners can be less aggressive.
Taz
Are planting flowers will help the Noisy Miners more than the Indian Mynas, I hadn't thought of that. It also could crate more problems between the Noisy Miners and the Wattlebirds.
Wattlebirds can hide easier though ;)
Taz
I agree, the other day one was flying about so I looked outside to see it. It wasn't for about a minute that I noticed that it was in the leaves just 3 metres from me!
I call our Noisy Miners the police of our backyard. You always know when there is something out there a bit out of the ordinary when the Miners go off. It is usually another bird or a goanna or snake. This morning I watched them chase a friar bird relentlessly for about 15 minutes.
They even attack my dog! who will try to climb the tree to get at them which is extremely hilarious to watch. No animals are ever harmed in these incidents. :)