Winter tribe

Guest post by Geoff Leslie of Warragul

Winter is tough for many species – what do spiders eat when there are no flies? One solution that birds adopt is to move around in mixed flocks, or as I like to call it, in ‘tribes’.

I am strolling along a revegetated creekline in Warragul, noting that birds are few and far between when quite suddenly there is movement all around.  A swish of White-browed Scrubwrens into the low shrubbery, and a handful of Brown Thornbills in the branches above. 

White-browed Scrubwren

Soon, a Grey Fantail darts from branch to branch, and a few winter-brown Superb Fairywrens sort through the mulch (most of the males lose their brilliant blue until Springtime).

Grey Fantail

Clearly, this tribe gets some benefit from foraging together. They are complementary feeders with different needs, methods and tastes but in the tribe, the activity of one may provide for another. There is also protection from the aggression of Noisy Miners and Wattlebirds. There are no loud breeding calls or pairing activities or macho posturing by hormonal young males. It’s Winter.

Soon, they have moved on and it is quiet again. It’s Winter, I might go find a tribe myself.