White-winged Choughs feeding young
White-winged Chough with young
Over recent weeks the flock of White-winged Choughs that frequently visit our garden have been largely absent. A few days ago I found out why.
They’ve been nesting somewhere nearby – but far away enough not to attract my attention. Now every time they pass through looking for a feed (and disturbing the Australian Magpies into the bargain) they have several young ones to feed, their begging calls making sure they aren’t forgotten.
White-winged Chough
how do i shoo them off? they are making a mess of my gardens and are scaring off all the native birds that have lived here for years, this problem is new. they have lived 3km down the road for years . now their cousins,and other distant relative are hear,at times up to 30 or more how can i stop them coming?
Hi Carl,
Thanks for visiting my site and for leaving a comment. I am aware of choughs disturbing Australian Magpies and Little Ravens – there seems to be a long standing conflict between these species on our five acre block. I find your comments about them disturbing smaller species interesting as I have not observed this, so I will be watching them more closely in future. It could be that, because of the size of our property there is less competition for space.
As for them making a mess of the garden, I completely understand. Their preferred feeding method is to scratch at the leaf litter and mulch with their beaks, scattering it in all directions, making quite a mess in the process. On the positive side, they are helping you to control some of your garden pests.
Sadly, I can offer no suggestions as to how you can move them on. I’ve never heard anyone complain about them, so I’ve also never heard any suggestions which would be helpful to you. Similar problems are expressed by readers concerning Blackbirds. Some readers have had some success discouraging Blackbirds by putting out rubber snakes. It’s worth a try.
Hi
Trevor my name is Adriana, Carl’s wife. Thanks for responding back. I
am the one who maintains the gardens and trying to shoo away the white
wing chough. We Live on five acres in the Macedon Ranges Victoria and we
have crimson roselas, mag pies, grey carrawongs, black carrawongs,
white cockatoos, kookaburras, wattle birds, wood ducks, finches and
wrens. They are all afraid of the white wing chough and their presents
can be over welming that the birds fly away. I have put out plastic
owls but it does not work. I have tried rubber snakes once before
because the cockatoos were damaging the plants and that did not work.
The white wing chough only comes to our property and not next door. Why
is this so? They have a pile of mulch by the fence line and they don’t
go to it. Is this a seasonal event? Will they go back to where they came
from? I have been living here 15 years and this is the first year that
they have appeared at my place. Can you tell me more about these birds?
I have spoken to my vet and he can’t explain why this is happening. Are
you an ornithologist? Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks Adriana
we have them on our property in Central Victoria (up to 50 or more) a few different families and I watch them constantly, they do chase other native birds away, but they are a great family bird and all pitch in to look after the young but they can be aggressive as well with other birds,they will not move on and have been here for around 10 years maybe longer.
Hi Trevor my name is Keith,what do they eat as i have just picked a young nestling with a broken wing.