I've just watched a noisy miner slap a rather large skink to its death on a house roof, butcherbird style.
It then picked it up and flew off with it.
Is this normal?
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Wow that is one I haven't heard of before.
They are a honeyeater so nectar + insects is their usual diet.
I've seen them catch insects on the wing but never beat a lizard to death like this. Wish i had my camera on me!
Hi! Magpie, Wow 1st I've heard of that behavior also. We live in the middle of a NM clan and follow them fairly closely. Heaps of geckos on the house and in the trees so ample opportunity. I have seen one take out a largish Golden Orb spider. It may be a strategy for balancing physiology; like salt licks and taking clay.
or, as my wife suggests it's what happens
"when Noisy Miners go bad"
Thanks for the post; it will be one more thing to watch out for. When you have NMs in your back yard, you don’t get to watch much else.
Cheers!
VJ
Hi Magpie, as an update to your post; this AM I saw a Noisy Miner dislodge something 'bigish' out of our Dawson River Weeper and fly down after it.
In the grass I thought it was a small lizard which seemed to be twisting and try to fend off the bird. The bird was being very cautious with its strikes.
It flew onto the shed roof with its prey and proceeded to beat it in the same way you described in your post. I suspect it was a large grub, by which I mean, about 10cm long and 1~1.5cm thick. It beat at it until a "morsel" about 3cm long separated and it flew off with that. If it were a lizard I doubt it would not have broken in that way.
I wonder if it's feeding young … I see that the bird finder mentions that occasional reptiles and amphibians are on the menu …
VJ
Interesting Vern!
I think the Noisy's are just so adaptable and really anything goes with them. They seem to get what they can, where they can and how they can. Amazing how much you can keep learning about such a common bird.