Meet "Red"

With brown/grey feathers, the Red Wattlebirds that live in the trees around our home blend in with the bark and foliage. If they weren't so active, you'd not see them.

Here's a photo of "Red" - a wattlebird who has a nest on our property:


I first became aware of these birds when the red-flowering callistemon bush next to the house was in bloom. Also called "bottle brush" plants, the flowers are shaped just like the brush they are named after. The Red Wattlebirds adore them, and when the flowers bloom, they bounce all over the bush, enjoying the nectar. The top of the bush is right next to the window in my laundry room - and every spring, when Red and his mate are breeding, he gets very upset with the "bird" he sees reflected in the window - and attacks it.

Sitting in my office, I'll hear the familiar clatter of Red as he buzzes against the window, and then the clack-clack as he hangs on the side of the windowsill and pecks at his reflection. Fortunately, he doesn't hit that window hard, so he's never been injured. Still, sometimes he goes at this pointless dogfight so long that I worry he'll exhaust himself - and on those occasions, I go and shoo him away, hoping he'll rest a bit.



Below is a closeup - you can see small red bit under his cheek - that's the "wattle" he's named for. He's a medium-sized bird - smaller than a magpie (about 12" from beak to tail) and seems thinner, more trim than a magpie.

My favorite bird-identification source says that Red Wattlebirds feed on nectar and some insects - but when I'm wondering about that. You see, our magpies, who normally ignore all the other birds, are quick to take offense at Red, and always attack him and his kind. The only other birds the magpies attack are the currawongs (which makes sense, since currawongs compete for many of the same foods - and are known to raid the nests of other birds).

Why would the magpies drive off a nectar-eater?

The other thing that makes me wonder is the fact that Red eagerly grabs bits of bread and gobbles it up. For some reason, this year he's hanging around our deck more than ever before. He's clearly looking for a handout.