Observations of Predation, Nest-predation and Other Disturbance Events at Dryandra, South-western Australia II: Birds as Prey of Other Animals

Abstract

I describe nine predation, nest-predation and disturbance events: four by ants, four by the South-western Carpet Python Morelia spilota imbricata and one by the Bilby Macrotis lagotis. Predation by ants was more important on or near the ground, and Greenslade’s Meat Ant Iridomyrmex greensladei was responsible for three of the four events. The Carpet Python took Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus nestlings from a burrow, and free-flying Australian Ringnecks Barnardius zonarius from the tree-canopy and from the ground. The Bilby dug out a Bee-eater’s burrow, which it either depredated or from which it caused the nestlings to fledge prematurely. All observations were made at Dryandra Woodland, a 27 000-ha remnant of woodland, with an almost full community of animals that have declined or disappeared from the surrounding wheatbelt, 160 km south-east of Perth, Western Australia. The context of each event is discussed in relation to the broader background of a 3-year community-wide study of Dryandra’s birds, which involved continuous monitoring throughout each breeding season.