After 30 odd years of rare sightings of Crested Shrike-tits at our place 2020 was a good year with a number of sporadic sightings. On two occasions a pair was seen. Today I was excited to see an adult with a youngster. The adult spent time tearing bark from a South Australian Blue Gum Eucalyptus leucoxylon while the youngster followed closely, wings quivering & calling. It was the first sign that breeding of this bird species had occurred in or near our property. It seems that it has taken 30 + years for trees we've planted to produce sufficient bark to provide enough protection for bugs to provide enough food to support breeding. Ecological restoration requires patience but it's certainly worth it!
Certainly is worth it woko, I applaud your efforts. Hopefully it might mean they are a more permanent resident in your parts.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
I believe it's a species that moves around quite a bit, Dale. It's interesting that the number of sightings has increased in the last 12 months or so. I often hear them calling, too.
It was nice to see a pair at our bird baths this morning.
Great sighting, Woko. They really shred the bark looking for insects and I have seen them doing the same in reed beds.
Hi Sue. I had thought they were birds pretty much exclusively of woodlands & forests so it's interesting to learn of your sightings of them in reed beds.
I checked their range in my field guide & found that where I live in the Mt Lofty Ranges in SA is a very confined area for them. This means they're at high risk of extinction due to the enormous human development which is destroying their habitat. So if the Crested Shrike-tit uses habitat which includes reed beds then that might help their chances of survival - at least in the Mt Lofty Ranges. However, I must admit that reed beds, like other natural habitats, stand little chance against human development. In fact, there seems to be a widespread belief, at least in my area, that destroying reed beds improves water flow. Oh, dear! That said, it is to the Mt Barker Council's credit that they have compensated, at least in part, for destroyed reed bed habitat by enabling reed beds to grow in the Laratinga Wetlands.
The reed bed was on the edge of a forest so they were probably just taking advantage of proximity. Great looking birds. I have seen them in the Capertee Valley and around Mudgee in NSW. You are achieving some great things on your property, Woko.
Three Crested Shrike-tits at our bird baths late yesterday. We're inundated!!