Hi All,
Could I get confirmation that this bird in our backyard lillipili tree is a Southern Bookbook.
It seems to have taken up as a permanent fixture but is driving us crazy as the Mynah birds seem to hate it and wake us up. Any tips on getting rid of the Mynah birds and ensuring our new resident is safe from their attacks without scaring the him/her away? The kids love it.
Thanks
GH
affirmative
are you sure the belligerents aren't noisy miners?
Thanks. Yes you are right Noisy Miners. Not thinking with the early wake ups.
Hmm... free snacks the owl is probably thinking in regards to the noisy miners. Not sure if this owl species eats birds but most would if freely available and catchable. If the owl is a bird eater your noisy miner population will drop dramatically. No need to intervene as the owl is doing it for you. But, the fact the miners are noisy and they wake you up, I'm guessing the owl is killing them one by one. They're noisy because they are being attacked by the owl. That would probably explain the noisy miners attacking the owl, to get it to move on. The owl ain't listening to reason!
Don't worry, the noisy miners would move on quickly if their numbers drop and if the owl remains.
I'm at Tenterfield, NSW. (Formerly known as "Hyperbirds".)
Boobook Owls actually feed mostly on insects and the occasional small rodent. I don't think they would normally go after a Noisy Miner, especially one that is awake and mobbing them......
Unfortunately Noisy Miners are notoriously difficult to disturb, and being a native species, your options are limited. I think eventually your lovely Boobook Owl is more likely to find a quiet neighbourhood with less Noisy Neighbours!
My understanding is that Boobooks will use a hollow when they are nesting in the breeding season, but out of the breeding season they roost on branches like your Boobook is doing. Thus, one option you have is to try and put some thicker folliage around it's roosting spot to shield it from the nuisance Noisy Miners. You could possibly try a little hollow and see if he takes up residence there (although in my experience other birds and possums often find artificial hollows more inviting).
Good luck either way, and enjoy your time with the Boobook!
Dave, Sydney.
from what i've read boobooks usually have a few regular roosting locations they rotate through.
they seem pretty tolerant of harassment from Noisys in my experience, they just tend to ignore it.
boobooks can take larger prey like rats and rabbits, albeit rarely.
In many parts of the Noisy Miner range the species has become extremely dominant because of the destruction of native understorey. If this is the case where you live, ohglenhaven, then you can expect lots of Noisy Miners to harass anything they see as a threat or an intruder, particularly as Noisy Miners tend to operate in family/community groups. What you & your family are witnessing is an event of modified nature. Relax & enjoy! If you wish to restore your locality to a more original state, encourage smaller birds & restore Noisy Miners to a more natural population then I'd recommend you plant understorey consisting of indigenous species.