The team members for the Significant Trees
of Drouin project were constantly hearing a persistent ‘seet-dee-dee’ bird call
during many of the tree surveys - click here to hear the call. In its breeding season, the Spotted
Pardalote calls continuously from the canopy of large eucalypt trees.
The tiny Spotted Pardalote, Pardalotus
punctatus, feeds on psyllids and other tiny invertebrates on the leaves. The
bird helps to control insect populations, preventing them from stripping the
foliage and perhaps from ultimately killing the tree.
One very strange trait of the Spotted
Pardalote is that despite it being a canopy dwelling bird, it prefers to nest
in a purpose dug tunnel in the ground. The sides of roads paths, gutters and
dams etc, are favourite sites. Keen gardeners will sometimes come across this
beautiful little bird dashing in and out of a well concealed nesting tunnel in
some soft garden soil.
A close relative, the Striated Pardalote,
prefers to nest inside natural tree hollows, crevices in buildings, etc.
Get a chance to see a Spotted Pardalote up
close or through binoculars and it’s easy to see why it is often referred to as
the jewel of the bush. The wings, tail and head of the male are black and covered
with small, distinct white spots. Males have a pale eyebrow, a yellow throat
and a red rump. Females are similar but have less-distinct markings.
Get out the binoculars and start checking those
large eucs in your street!
This
article was contributed by The Significant Trees of Drouin project team.
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