Eastern Yellow Robins have been our most frequent and constant visitors to our bushy backyard over many years. They have been our companions when we have been gardening, dropping down to collect worms and grubs, and perching on the spade handle or the clothes line. But we haven't seen any for at least six months. The other small birds that visit our garden are as regular as ever. Has anyone else had this experience, or does anyone have any suggestions as to why this might be?
Hi Ken. Sometime so these events can be quite random. Other times the reason can be quite complex.
Eastern Yellow Robins are curious birds as you illustrate with their behavior in your garden. I wonder if this makes them more vulnerable than other, less curious, birds to predation by cats. If their are cats pillaging the wildlife in your neighborhood then an eradication or, at the very least controll programme might help.
Perhaps there is now an absence of particular insect species in your neighborhood which is causing the Robins to look elsewhere for food. Are your neighbors using insecticides in their gardens? Are the Robins located nearby? If so, why would that help.
Habitat clearance usually has an effect on a variety of populations. Has there been bushland destruction nearby?
Observing what is happening might produce an answer to your question.
Thanks for the quick reply. We can't think of anything that might have happened to cause this. No cats that we are aware of (we're on an acreage) and no obvious changes. but we will think about the points that you have raised, and look around a bit further a field to see if we can see them.
Thanks again
Ken
Is there another species displacing the Robins such as as the Comon Starling?
Not starlings or any other species that we can think of. We don't have mynahs either. It's a bit mysterious to us.
Is the Eastern Yellow Robin a seasonal visitor? I believe that in some areas there is some migration to higher latitudes in summer.
Woko has some excellent points about cats but birds are usually wary when cats are around. I've just discovered something that has made me quite upset actually, but this is how nature goes. I live in Tenterfield NSW and there are some pet cats lurking about. Some even poop in my garden, so I know they're around, and sometimes I see them. I live on the edge of town where feral cats sometimes lurk and have babies in this area. Feral cats will, when they are pregnant and/or have babies to feed or are just hungry, kill every single creature in sight. Nothing stands a chance against a feral cat on a feeding frenzy. You just know when there's a cat feeding in the area because more than one species will disappear. Reptiles, frogs, insects, small mammals and birds are all at risk of being eaten. Their numbers will just start dropping, and the ones that can flee will, whether they are resident or not.
But when just one species or one family of birds just suddenly disappears is another story altogether. You have to take note of everything, and I mean everything. Take in all bird species as one community that lives, breeds, feeds in your area. How many bird species are there that make up the "resident population"? Your Eastern Yellow Robins sound like they are resident birds to your immediate area.
Now here is the sad part I recently discovered.........my/the resident Eastern Spinebill recently found him/herself a mate, and they've both gone missing. The Yellow Thornbills are also missing and haven't heard the family of Superb Fairy Wrens either. There were about 8-12 of each species. The resident Willy Wagtail (/s?) are also missing. The flock of Red-browed Finches or Double barred Finches are also missing. About a week ago something spooked the large flock of small parrots that come to Tenterfield to roost every night. They took off in a hurry to the west and NEVER CAME BACK. The resident Red Wattlebird pair (I've only seen one of them) has been missing for several weeks and I believe it was breeding at the time. This is all in a matter of about a month or two at the most. I think even the Eastern Rosella numbers are down too.
I know what the culprit is and unfortunately it is an owl of some sort. Going on the behaviour of the owl over the passed 2 months it eats bugs, small reptiles, small birds, frogs (/) and mice. A pair of owls bred in the area and the young one/s have fledged/left the nest. Owls tend to kill native birds over introduced birds.
Always remember, Ken, Autumn is owl season.
What upsets me more than knowing it was an owl that killed these little native birds (and not a cat) is these birds were just one or two individuals that made this area of town their home. Their disappearance is noticed. They will be sorely missed. The parent owls don't take into account native population numbers. Wiping out native bird numbers in order to feed their young is devestating when the number of native birds are low to begin with. Resident birds are an easy target for owls moreso than birds just passing through. Owls WILL KILL an entire family of native bird species, one at a time. OWLS = THE KILLING OF ALL SMALL NATIVE BIRDS THAT ARE RESIDENT SPECIES only if they don't flee the area when it is around. If the do flee the area when an owl is around they will return after the owl/s are gone, and that fact is the only certainty in all of this of the return of any bird species to your area.
Take note of everything Ken!
I'm at Tenterfield, NSW. (Formerly known as "Hyperbirds".)
If your observations are accurate it seems your area needs for far more extensive natural habitat for small birds to take refuge in, Shirley. I take it you have observed the owls predating the smaller birds.
Woko, I haven't exactly seen the owls predating on the birds with my own eyes but have heard the owls crashing into my windows and walls of a night time, and have noted the freaking out of the sparrows and disappearance of the small native birds only for some of them to begin returning today. It was hunting during the day at one point but I didn't see it. I thought I saw it but noted how the Indian Mynahs suddenly freaked out and all the flock flew out of the tree in a panic. Their panic was also in conjunction with an alert call from Masked Lapwings a block away.
It was hard to spot the owls the best of times. It flew silently. It never called out. It moved very quickly. It was always on the move. It was in one place one second and gone the next. It started off with small prey then went for bigger prey as the crashing into the walls of the flat began to slow down. less bugs means bigger prey to feed a growing chick their normal diet. No sign of the owls today. They may have moved on already but it's too early to tell. I finally heard the owls call out just two dats ago, and it sounded like there were 3 of them. Then an hour later a lone owl across the road making a heck of a noise. I recorded it. It fell silent then it too was gone. Something doesn't seem right about that to me. I've noticed a trend this year with birds having bred and the very moment the young ones can fly they leave town, almost like they're in a hurry to get somewhere.
I'm at Tenterfield, NSW. (Formerly known as "Hyperbirds".)
Thanks for your comments. We still have our other "regular" small birds visiting the garden, including Eastern Spinebills, Yellow-faced honeyeaters, White-naped honeyeaters, Superb fairy-wrens, finches and more. The robins weren't seasonal in the past - they were very constant. We will keep watching to see other developments!
Ken
Apropos post #6 I meant latitudes not altitudes.
We've been disappointed about the yellow robins, but we were excited to see a scarlet robin in the shrubs just outside our front door just 10 minutes ago. It stayed around long enough for us to get a positive ID. what a beautiful colour. It was flying about trying to catch insects on the wing (well we think so - we couldn't see the insects). what a treat.
Ken
I was worried when suddenly birds stopped coming in my garden, I am not specifying any particular bird here I have seen many birds in my garden. I was worried when they stopped coming. That time my husband told me that our garden it crowded with trees and we need to remove some of them in all he meant was small makeover for our garden. I agreed with him and he told me about gardeningnorthside.com.au as our neighbor took help from them. We called them and they helped us with trimming the trees, building a small stone pathway and removal of weed. Now our garden looks neat and clean. I placed the water stand in the center of the walkway for birds. A few days later when I was passing by the kitchen door I saw scarlet robin drinking water with few more sparrows and I was so happy that the birds are back now.
Nate, some bird species require not just vegetation for shelter but also open areas in which to forage. For example, Superb Fairywrens & Yellow-rumpled Thornbills. The vegetation structure in a garden is very important in attracting birds.
You might be interested to know that tidiness is usually an excellent way of reducing the number of bird species in a garden. On the other hand untidiness (lots of leaves & twigs, dead branches, old ant nests etc.) provides much more diverse habitat for a greater variety of bird species. Compare the number of bird species in an area which is kept tidy & neatly clipped with an equivalent area of natural bushland where a rake or pruning shears have never ventured.
Yes, Woko you are exactly right now I regularly clean my garden and dispose all the leaves and left over. It feels good to see birds walking in my garden again. Thanks.
Pied Currawongs and Red Wattlebirds are known to drive away smaller birds from gardens, no matter how dense the foliage is.
Domestic cats are just as threatening than feral cats, it's in their instinct to hunt and little can be done about it. I live in a semi rural area where feral and domestic cats are a problem. Responsible cat owners keep that cat inside at night and within the property boundaries during the day with a bell around the cats net to pre warn the birds. Sadly few people follow this edic.
Best thing I ever done was buy a commercially made cat/possum trap from Landmark, our local rural agency. Scored five cats in the first month or so. So for around $84.00 it's been a sound investment and the birds are not threatened as much now.
Like your Yellow Robins I had a family of Willey Wagtails hanging around for months, then they just vanished, only to appear again a couple of months later, maybe another group. The little Wrens seem to come and go too.
Habitat changes, other bird speices and cats (even climate) all have an impact on the small birds.
Even more responsible cat owners (if that's not an oxymoron) keep their cats confined all day every day. A well constructed, iron clad, escape proof cat run is the most responsible way of keeping a cat if one must own a cat. But why, if we love our native birds, spend time pampering a cat when there is so much work to be done to restore natural bird habitats?
Also, I think there is very old research which found that bells on cats don't warn birds as the cats learn to move stealthily so that the pea in the bell doesn't move. Best to trap the cat & prevent it from moving much at all, perhaps.
Nate, why would you clean up the leaves, especially if they're leaves from native plants, in your garden when the natural litter advantages native birds?