This group of choughs live next to the grounds of a primary school. From what happened this morning, I think they've learnt that people (or school students at least) are potential sources of sandwich etc and it being Saturday, no school, they were overdue for morning tea. Once they figured out I brought no offerings, they wandered off.
This is the same group of choughs who featured in my October post, and I saw the same bird with the malaligned and grossly long beak again today, so it is surviving adequately.
This time I was able to see that just one bird was affected this way.
And if you are interested, here's the nest, complete with one bubba chough, that I affectionately refer to as a 'choughling', and one mature chough delivering an insect. I'm not sure how many of the choughs feed the nestling, but they give the appearance of a high staff ratio for childcare arrangements.
I read your first paragraph and then scrolled down- that front bird has quite the stare! I can see why you backed away. Interesting to see that bird with the deformed beak surviving so well. And their nest is so very like a pee wee nest.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm wondering how that bird will go long term. These choughs are in a very public location and I cycled past this morning. Nothing using the nest, which I expected. But then 3 choughs with big chunks of food, 1 was sandwich! flew up to the nest branch and one sat in the nest to eat. I don't think any of them were the fledgeling.
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