Over the past three years I've witnessed some strange behaviour in my backyard whereby a pair of Kookaburra's "adopt" the chicks of a pair of Pale-Headed Rosella's.
Because people wouldn't believe me, I made a video of the phenomenon during the first year (2006).
I have now finally put the video onto YouTube so anyone who is interested can see what I was able to capture.
I'd be interested to read other peoples comments or similar experiences. The "Bird-People" in my area all claim that it is unique, and if that's the case, then occurring three years in a row would surely make it even more remarkable.
Please take the time to view the following link -
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=wqLg1sWh1AI
I look forward to your comments.
Regards,
Shane Arnfield
Wow Shane that was extraordinary! You have a very confused pair of kookaburras there. Have they made any attempt to breed (that you know of) either before the rosellas used the hollow, during or after?
I will be passing the link on to some more birdy people to get their thoughts.
Holly
Hello Holly,
Thank-you for taking the time to view and comment on the Kookaburra video.
To answer your question: As far as I know the Kookaburras have not had any off-spring of their own. They spend almost their entire lifetime in the tree opposite the hollow waiting for the Rosellas to breed. They swoop down often to observe the progress and once the chicks have hatched, they go through the same frustrating "feeding" process. Last year the Rosellas had two sets of chicks over about four months and the Kookaburras performed exactly the same with both sets, except they started becoming agressive with the Rosella parents.
This became an issue as they'd constantly chase the Rosellas away from the hollow and I was concerned the chicks would starve to death so I placed a grill over the hollow, just big enough for the Rosellas to enter and now everything is fine.
On video I can see the Rosellas dart into the hollow, closely followed by the Kookaburras swooping down on them, but they know they are safe once they are inside.
This still hasn't deterred the Kookaburras as they still visit the hollow and try to poke food through the grill.
As everyone who has seen this has said, it is indeed strange behaviour!
Shane.
Wow Shane, that's a very fascinating story! Thanks for posting it, as well as the link to your youtube video.
Do you mind if I post a link to your youtube video onto another birdsite? I think a lot of people there would like to see this.
Hello Gelmir,
Yes, please link the video anywhere you like as I believe as many people as possible should see what's going on. I'd really like to know if anyone else has ever seen Kookaburras behaving this way because, as far as I am aware, they only ever want to eat other baby birds, not feed them!
Thank-you for your interest.
Shane.
Shane there are dimensions for kookaburra nest boxes available. Perhaps you can put one up near by and see if that fufills their needs? They must find it so frustrating (as evident by their increased aggression at the adults).
Holly
Thank-you Holly, that sounds like a good idea. I will research suitable nest boxes and place one nearby. (Please provide a link if you know of one).
I can't help but feel sorry for the Kookaburras. Sometimes they spend three hours or more trying to pull the grill off the front of the hollow before going back to trying to push food through the grill. It's a bit heart wrenching but I can't remove the grill either because it leaves the Rosella parents vulnerable once again. Right now there are four chicks in the nest and they're probably only a couple of weeks away from flying off.
Shane.
There are a few internet sites that give dimensions - like this one:
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nreninf.nsf/LinkView/EFF6504D3B288A14CA256BCF00088817DB2CE7EB873B43834A256DEA00293261
A fantastic video Shane! Perhaps the Kookaburras have a fertility problem, but I hope the provision of a nest box works. I've never seen the likes of this. I understand why you needed a video to convince the doubters. I hope "you tube" didn't cut any interesting parts out when editing it.
Regards,
bushie.
Thank-you Holly for the link. I'll get something moving on this over the week-end.
Thank-you Bushie for the comments. Yes, everyone I spoke with at first would laugh at me and simply say something like - "Kookaburras won't try to feed other bird species, they'll just be trying to eat them. You're obviously mistaken".
So far I'm yet to discover another person who has witnessed something similar. I'd very much like to hear an experts opinion on these events. As already mentioned, this is now the third year in a row that this has happened (with four sets of chicks) and I don't believe it's going to end anytime soon.
Shane.
G'day Shane,
I've created a thread for story so it can be share with others over at the great new site Birding Oz.
You can view the thread by clicking here.
Thanks again for sharing it with us.
Hello Kim,
Yes, it can be very difficult to watch the Kookaburras at times as you can really sense their desperation as they try to encourage the chicks to eat. Sometimes they persist for hours at a time, bringing all sorts of offerings, before giving up and just sit in the tree opposite the hollow.
I am going to follow Holly's suggestion and construct a nesting box this week-end in hope that they will settle down and have their own off-spring!
Shane.
OK, I've now completed the Nesting Box. For those interested please go to the following link to see an image and details -
www.arnfieldcomputerservices.com/birds/nestbox.html
Shane.
This link might make it easier -
http://www.arnfieldcomputerservices.com/birds/nestbox.html
Gee, I'll try one more time -
http://www.arnfieldcomputerservices.com/birds/nestbox.html
Looks good Shane. It took me a while to get to the site until I worked out your server is using port 81,which my firewall blocks. Just in case anyone else has the same problem. These must be the most high tech bird boxes around, cameras & all!
Regards,
bushie.
Very interesting video
Honestly though, I would not have placed wired over the nest. This is something that is occuring naturally, I would let it continue naturally without interfering.
The term "natural" is probably open to debate. I personally don't find it "natural" for kookaburras to be offering mice etc. to rosella chicks. I think it better to offer protection to the real parents thus avoiding potential catastrophe if one of the real parents is seriously hurt or killed. Just my 2c.
Regards,
bushie.
Hello Magpie and thank-you for your comments. My decision to protect the Rosella parents was not something I took lightly. If, for example, the Kookaburras were visiting the nest in order to consume the chicks, then I guess that is nature and I would have considered those actions part of the Kookaburras requirement to sustain their own life and would not have interfered. The Kookaburras keeping the parents away from the chicks, which would have ultimately led to the demise of the chicks however is another matter altogether.
As humans we go around destroying almost everyting around us so when given the opportunity to preserve wildlife, under these cirumstances, I believe I made the right decision.
Hello Kim (and others), thank-you for continuing to show interest in this story.
I've added the following link to show the birds at the hollow -
http://www.arnfieldcomputerservices.com/birds/grill.html
It does look like there's only just enough room for the Rosellas to enter through the grill but I can assure everyone that they dart in and out without hesitation. This is also the second set of chicks they have bred with the grill in place so I guess that proves they must be entirely satisfied with the situation. They have probably entered and exited over a hundred times and have not even shed a feather.
Interestingly, on the video camera I have often noticed the Rosellas entering the hollow, closely followed by the Kookaburras swooping down, and they go about their business without fear. They've obviously worked-out that they're safe, once inside. They will only occasionally look up at the Kookaburras clinging to the outside, and I wonder sometimes if they're poking their tongues out at the Kookaburras in defiance!
As far as the chicks are concerned, I also feel they aren't concerned with the grill as the previous set of four, and two of the current set of four, left the nest as if the grill wasn't even there.
I can only write that I am completely satisfied that the grill poses not threat of injury to any of the birds. Just the same, I monitor the situation constantly and will always seek advice if I were to ever feel something wasn't right.
Shane.
Another great pair of photos Shane! My feeling is still that the Kookaburra pair have a fertility problem of some sort. I don't suppose that they have explored their own box yet but hope they do. It's a great story and even better if there is a happy ending.
Regards,
bushie.
Hello Bushie, I should have mentioned the new Nesting Box earlier.
Afer installing it at lunchtime last Saturday, the Kookaburras went to it after only a couple of hours. Both birds showed a huge amount of interest in it and spent several minutes poking their heads into the opening, but didn't enter. They even flew back down and landed on top of the box and sat there for a good deal of time.
They still flew down to the Rosella hollow on occassions, but seemed very interested in the box.
Unfortunately, they haven't visited it since. Not once on Sunday, Monday or so far today have they even looked like they were going to fly to the Nesting Box.
Obviously it's only early days so who knows what might happen in the future.
I believe you're right regarding fertility issues as one of our neighbours told me this morning that this pair of Kookaburras have been in the area for around eight or nine years and they have never been seen with young.
Maybe they're desperate to be parents which is why they "adopt" the Rosella chicks? I'd be interested to know if anyone has ever known Kookaburras to adopt other Kookaburra chicks, as everyone tells me that it just doesn't happen, let alone to another species!
Shane.
you could look at it that way.. or in the way that it is natural in that it is not happening due to human interference. This same thing could be happening deep in the bush too and we just dont know about it.