Just out side my house in a low fork of a gum tree I have a healthy 2.5m mistletoe almost touching the ground. Now from what I gather Mistletoe birds are the major distributor of these plants. Some Honeyeaters also contribute, but mostly Misletoe birds. I have not seen any, but beleive they make a nest. Can anyone advise me what type of tree they usually look for to do so, particularly in SEQ. I'm near woodland but the imdediate park where the plant is, is sparse on protection for such a small bird. I'd plan to plant out my fence line with a local throney shrub to give potential birds some cover, but a popular nesting tree wouldbe beaut if possible as well.
Also, anyone know how long it would take the mistletoe plant to cut off the food supply of a mature gum tree? It's down low in a fork, so from what I have read one of the limbs will eventaully go.
mistletoes very rarely kill their hosts, doing so would cause their own demise after all. they have an undeserved bad reputation. they are hemiparasites and do their own photosynthesis. they are only dependant on the host for water and some nutrients.
in some heavily disturbed environments ecological imbalances favour mistletoes so they can form unnaturally dense infestations which can impact on tree health if the host is under particular other stresses (e.g. drought conditions) where control mechanisms are lacking (possums, fire)
Thanks Zosterops, that's good to hear.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
Can't seem to find much from google about what trees thay favour to nest in. Read one suggestion the males like Silky Oak trees in breeding season. There is a Silky Oak trees less tha 15m away from the mistletoe plant.
Found this pic, but have no idea what tree of corse. Be surprised if it's local. Anyone?
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
There is a photo of a mistletoebird nest on the Canberra ornithologist group's homepage (http://canberrabirds.org.au/) which to me looks to be in a native euch
Ryu
Canberra
Aiming for DSLR-quality shots with a bridge camera
A lot of birds are not fussy about the species of tree they nest in. With the wide distribution of mistletoe birds they are probably pretty adaptable, they are found in most parts of Australia except Tasmania - no mostletoe in tassie.
I often see mistletoe birds collecting nest material but never see where their nest is so they must be pretty well hidden. If you want to see mistletoe birds in spring plant some lamb's ear, stachys lanata, they love using the fluff off the leaves for their nests.
Hi Greg, thanks for the plant suggestion, but I guess now I have started this plant local exercise they will have to use spider webs and the old Acacia flowers.
I have read the birds are vagrant and live in a broad habitat. They seem like a very adaptable bird who likes a rather difficult construction to nest in, and quite hard to find when they do build. Unfortunately the gap between the local bush and the mistletoe plant in the park is quite a distance. So at best will have to wait for more shrubs to develope for their saftey. And even then only if the coucil will dare to have shrubs in a park heavens forbid.
NB, I could find no referance on google to Native euch, could it have another name?
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
I'm no plant person, I just meant that it looks to me like a native eucalyptus, and I don't know what species- You may have better luck from looking at the leaves
Ryu
Canberra
Aiming for DSLR-quality shots with a bridge camera
euc is short for eucalyptus
they are generally identified from keying out flower and fruit morphology, though they can be really difficult to id.
People wanting an attractive native climber with fluffy seed heads to attract Mistletoe Birds needing nesting material I would suggest Old Man's Beard Clematis microphylla. It's widespread across Australia in a variety of climates. Check to ensure that it's indigenous to your area, however.
Mistletoe Bird nests are built in the outer foliage of a wide variety of trees & shrubs so anything indigenous to your area would be suitable I imagine, jason.
I'm a duffa. Of course eucs is short for eucalypts. The penny should have dropped as I recently been reading on propergating them.
Old Man's Beard, excellet choice. Surely there has to be something local. Tonight reading me thinks.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
I've had some mistletoe birds in the garden today, once you learn their high pitched call you notice them around. One way to see mistletoe birds is to stand with a hose watering your garden on a hot day. They love to fly through the water of a hose or sprinkler.