2 Whistling Kite at Acton, ACT
Identification history
| Haliastur sphenurus | 26 Jan 2020 | natureguy | ||
| Haliastur sphenurus | 20 Jan 2020 | BIrdsinCanberra |
Identify this sighting
Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.
User's notes
This Whistling Kite was in the trees on the north-east corner of the island when I first arrived. Initially it flew off to the north towards Acton. Fortunately, it returned soon afterwards, once again perching in the tree. These trees were also being used by some Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes and some Australian Reed Warblers. The cuckoo-shrikes did not seem happy to share the tree with the kite and eventually drove it off. The island was littered with the carcasses of dead Silver Gulls (I have included a picture of one), many with wounds to their abdomens. I wonder if the kite was responsible for those wounds? A previous siting (4239630) in November 2019 on Canberra Nature Map mentioned a kite on this island keeping on eye on roosting gulls.
4 comments
ArcherCallaway
wrote:
27 Jan 2020
I thought the same initially but the sighting date was before the hail. Not sure what kite predation would look like on birds though.
natureguy
wrote:
27 Jan 2020
In South Africa I once observed an eagle take out a guineafowl. It then plucked off some feathers and ripped the bird open. It only ate the organs and then left the carcass in the tree before flying off. This looks like what has happened here as there is a patch on the belly where feathers are absent (where the Kite has been feeding).
I have also seen a Sparrowhawk catch a Willie Wagtail at Jerrabomberra Wetlands (although that would have just been a snack).
I have also seen a Sparrowhawk catch a Willie Wagtail at Jerrabomberra Wetlands (although that would have just been a snack).
BIrdsinCanberra
wrote:
27 Jan 2020
Hi Ryu and Luke, Many thanks for the informative discussion. Yes, Ryu, was right, the sighting was before the hail storm and the island was littered with gulls in a similar state, although the young ones seemed untouched. I was thinking the young birds may have starved from having no adult birds to feed them? Once again, many thanks for the informative discussion. All the best, Jon
Location information
- Coordinates 149.105968-35.294368
- Altitude 567.0m
- Maps Lake Burley Griffin West
- Places Acton, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 12 Jan 2020 08:04 AM Recorded on
- BIrdsinCanberra Recorded by
-
Collections
Birds Birds of prey BIrdsinCanberra Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr
Species information
- Haliastur sphenurus Scientific name
- Whistling Kite Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Rare or uncommon native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 648.6m Recorded at altitude
- 361 images trained Machine learning
