Wednesday 8 September 2021

Wild Bird Wednesday 476 - Spotted Pardalote

Spotted Pardalotes (Pardalotus punctatus) are tiny birds, with a wing span of about 50-60 mm.  They spend much of their time feeding high in the canopy of gum trees.  They have a distinctive double note call, and for much of the time they are easier to hear than see.  They nest in tunnels that they excavate into banks, such as stream side and road cuttings. 

These birds were nesting just below a bridge over a small stream (drain!) in a local park, and their regular movements in and out of the nest hole made them much easier to see than normal.  I think I have seen them described as 'confiding' and they certainly came closer to me than most birds do.  There were a number of branches that had fallen over the stream that they tended to land on prior to entering the nest hole.  They are very fast moving and great fun to watch.

The male birds have a yellow chest and white spots on the crown, while the females have plain chests and yellow spots in the crown.













Unfortunately, a couple of days after I took most of these pictures we had a day of heavy rain and the stream where these birds were nesting flooded, submerging the nest tunnel.  The pair of birds were still in the area, so maybe they will try to nest again.  I will keep an eye on these birds, as the park with the steam is one of the few places I can visit during lockdown!

As ever, to join in with WBW, just click on the link/ button below.  Cheers  SM


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19 comments:

  1. Both males and females are strikingly beautiful. Interesting choice of nesting location.

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  2. Even among your spectacular birds, this one is amazing!

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  3. It almost looks like a butterfly with closed wings. Awesome!

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  4. YOu got a lot of great shots of such a sleek compact bird. Never seen anything to compare it to.

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  5. Hari OM
    they are delightful jewels for the eye... such a shame about the flood. As for lockdown... there are murmurings up this way again... YAM xx

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  6. What a beautiful little bird!

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  7. It's a wonderfully attractive little bird. I hadn't realized until recently (Thanks, Tim Low) that they are subjected to serious aggravation from large honeyeaters.

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    1. Hi there - think I saw somewhere that they spend about 5-10% of their lives being chased by Honeyeaters! SM

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  8. Cute little birdie..I love its spots..I'm always amazed how perfect the patterns are in feathers..so colorful..Enjoy the rest of your week..

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  9. Both males and females are strikingly beautiful

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  10. Beauties. The markings are interesting. Such tiny birds. Love those wee ones,

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  11. Such cool birds! It's a real thrill for me to see a bird in my backyard that I've never seen before. I'm keeping my eyes open, as summer turns to fall!

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  12. Hi Stewart, thank you for your visit on my blog. That's a beautiful bird. Beautiful photos of this bird.

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  13. Oh, for the days when our travels were not dictated by covid! What a cute little bird. Our fall migration is underway here and its time to get out there and see what's moving. Take care.

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  14. Hello Stewart
    very nice bird with great feather colors
    Greetings Frank

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  15. Hi Stewart!!!... What a beautiful bird!!! I love...
    Have a nice week...

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  16. Hello Stewart.
    I have not had the chance to take this species. It's as vivid as the blue tit.
    Bravo for your photos, the plumage is wonderful.
    Thank you for this!
    Regards

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