A Possible Attack by a Whistling Kite Haliastur Sphenurus on a Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus Fuliginosus

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A Possible Attack by a Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus on a Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus On 30 May 1991 at Pretty Beach, Murramarang National Park, N.S.W. (35°45'S, 150°15'E), I observed a Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus attempting to carry away from the ground an adult Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus. The Kite, which had the Oystercatcher in both feet, was flapping its wings vigorously in an attempt to become airborne. My investigation of the scene may have caused the Kite to abandon its effort, as it released the Oystercatcher and flew off. I then inspected the Oystercatcher which remained prone on the sandy shoreline. It was dead, and freshly oozing blood from wounds around the neck and wings suggested that it may have been the Kite's recent kill. I had observed a pair of Oystercatchers foraging on the beach and adjacent rock platform the previous day, and assume this bird to be one of that pair. After inspecting the kill, I retreated from the scene to see if the Kite would return. However it failed to reappear, and after approximately 20 minutes I left. I returned to the site later in the day and found the Oystercatcher gone. It would appear that at around 800 g (Pringle 1987), the Oystercatcher was too heavy an item for the Kite (also c. 800 g: Baker-Gabb 1984) to lift off the ground, though other species of similar weight have previously been observed in the Kite's diet (Wheeler 1963, Debus 1983, Baker-Gabb 1985, Bollen 1991), some of which may have been taken as carrion. This appears to be the first recorded occurrence of a Sooty Oystercatcher being preyed upon by any other organism (C .J. Chafer pers. comm.). References Baker-Gabb, D.J. (1984), ' Morphometric data and dimorphism indices of some Australian raptors', Corella 8, 61 -63. --( 1985), 'Accessory publication: the feeding ecology and behaviour of seven species of raptor overwintering in coastal Victoria', Australasian Raptor Assoc. News 6, 4-9. Bollen, C. (1991), 'Breeding diet of the Whistling Kite at Goulburn, NSW', Australasian Raptor Assoc. News 12, 7-8. Debus, S.J.S. (1983), ' Food of the Whisting Kite at Armidale, New South Wales', Corella 7, 62-63. Pringle, J.D. (1987), The Shorebirds of Australia, Angus & Robertson, Sydney. Wheeler, R. ( 1963), ' Accipitriformes at the Laverton Saltworks, Victoria, 1950-53', Emu 63, 8- 13. By MARC ANDERSON, 57 Parklands Avenue, Heathcote, N.S. W. 2233 Received 15 January 1993 • .

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