AUSTRALIAN 134 WATCHER

AUSTRALIAN BIRD WATCHER 1997, 17, 134-137

Notes on the Diet of Some in New South Wales

by A.B. ROSE, Associate, The Australian Museum, 6-8 College Street, Sydney, N.S.W. (present address: 61 Boundary Street, Forster, N.S.W. 2428)

The following notes are presented as a supplement to previous literature on the diet of Australian cockatoos, lorikeets and parrots (Forshaw 1981; Barker & Vestjens 1989; Lepschi 1993, 1997). Data sources are personal observations and examination of the stomach contents of found dead. Food items in stomachs were examined microscopically if necessary, and food plants were identified with the aid of Bircher (1960) and Beadle et al . (1972).

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus Stomach contents of road kill: 1. Royal National Park, south entrance (34 °11 'S, 151°02 'E), 4 June 1983 (R. Kinnish), subadult female: seed remains, insect remains including larvae, and small pieces of well-worn and rounded wood (possibly used as grit). Observations: 1. Wahroonga (33 °43 'S , 151°08 'E), September 1971 : flock tearing bark from Saw Banksia Banksia serrata which had been killed by fire in 1968; 11 birds feeding on the seed-cones or grubs in them. 2. Forster (32 °11 'S, 152 °31 'E), 25 February 1984: pine Pinus cones pulled apart in order to eat the seed. 3. Same locality, 20 August 1984: 11 birds practically ringbarking saplings. Before tearing at a bough they approached, cocking head from side to side, apparently listening; upon locating a larva they tore the bough in two. I disturbed one bird when it was nearly through, and found a lepidopteran larva that it had been seeking. One bird dug into a Casuarina bough.

Galah Cacatua roseicapilla Observations, Forster: 1. 30 January 1987: two feeding on fruit of Cotoneaster. 2. 7 April 1991: three in Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia eating pieces out of young leaves at branch tips, then one licked at a freshly opened flower-spike without damaging it. (Observed at 3 m, no scale on leaves). 3. 8 April 1991 : six were in two Narrow-leaved Ironbarks Eucalyptus crebra; they appeared to be nibbling at leaves at the branch ends at 0730 h, at 1300 h for half an hour, and again later, lower down. I could not see any fruit. 4. 8 October 1994: a small flock was feeding on the seeds of Beach Spinifex Spinifex sericeus on an island in Wallis Lake. 18 January 1995, on same island: flock feeding on the fruit of American Sea Rocket Cakile edentula. 5. 12 December 1994: ten Galahs surrounded a clump of Beach Daisy Arctotheca populifolia and were eating the flower buds. Just before they flew to this patch, a Little Tern Sterna albifrons chick only a day or two old had taken cover there. As soon as the Galahs had left I searched for the chick without success, so retired to cover to watch the adult terns find it; they could not, and kept calling with no answer. On 17 December 1994 two Galahs kept returning to a Little Tern nest with a newly hatched chick, and were repeatedly mobbed into retreat by the adult terns. Next day the chick had gone and only Galah tracks were around the nest. There was no sign of a Tern runner in the area. Galahs were continually being mobbed, rather ineffectually, at this tern colony. These observations may implicate Galahs in the disappearance of newly hatched young terns. Next breeding season, the Little Terns nested on a different island not frequented by Galahs .

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita Observations: 1. Umina near Gosford (33 °31 'S, 151°19 'E) , 17 November 1993 : one was eating buds of the weed Cats-ear Hypocfweris radicata . VOL. 17 (3) SEPTEMBER 1997 Diet of Parrots in N.S.W. 135

2. Wahroonga, 16 May 1996: c. 200 came in to feed in a built-up area on nuts on a Hickory (Pecan) tree Carya. 3. Forster, 9 September 1996: one was eating the flowers of a Coral Tree Erythrina indica for at least 30 minutes, dropping petals. Stomach contents of road kill: 1. South-east ofTocumwal (35 °50'S, 145 °37'E), 22 February 1970 (A. Williams): seeds of Barley Hordeum, Wheat Triticum aestivum and Sunflower Helianthus annuus .

. Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus Observations: At Forster noted feeding on flowers of Eucalyptus, Grevillea, Callistemon, Banksia, Camellia, Bauhinia and Umbrella Tree Schejjlera actinophylla. 20-25 July 1987: one was with a Scaly-breasted Lorikeet and one hybrid. (In July 1986 one adult was accompanying one of the above lorikeets).

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus Observations, Forster: 1. Observed feeding at the flowers of Eucalyptus, Grevillea, Callistemon, Hakea, Banksia, and Umbrella Tree. 2. 15 July 1987: one was feeding at a Hibiscus flower (unusual).

Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna Observations: 1. Gloucester (31 °58 'S, 151 °59 'E), II December 1965 : a flock was feeding on flowers of Broad- leaved Apple Angophora subvelutina. 2. Wahroonga, 10 May 1977: a pair was feeding on scale on the underside of eucalypt leaves. Stomach contents of window kill: I . Nowra (34 o53 'S, 150°36'E), January 1981 (G. Vincent), subadult male: flower st;~mens and one lepidopteran larva. (Finder reported many birds feeding on flowers of planted bottlebrush Callistemon in the main street).

Australian King- scapularis Observations: 1. Gloucester: pest in the garden eating green Tomatoes Lycopersicon esculentum, Apricots Prunus armeniaca, Sorghum, Cape Gooseberries Physalis peruviana, and noted feeding on fruit of Wild Tobacco Solanum mauritianum. 2. Wahroonga, 22 October 1983: a male feeding on the fruit ofBoneseed Chrysanthemoides monilifera. 3. Forster, 23 October 1984: pair eating half-formed seeds of Coast Wattle Acacia longifolia sophorae taken out of the pod, dropping many pods unopened. 4. Gloucester, 16 July 1986: 17 feeding on the ground on fruit of Camphor Laurel Cinnamomum camphora with one Crimson . Stomach contents of window kill: 1. Turramurra (33 °43 'S, 151°07 'E), 28 July 1973 (G . Richardson): six different species of seeds.

Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans Observations: 1. Bobbin Head (33°39'S, 151 °09'E), 4 April 1968: juvenile feeding on seeds of Summer Grass Digitaria sanguinalis. In July 1973 a hybrid with Eastern Rosella observed above a nest hollow. 2. Leura (33 °44 'S, 150°20'E), 20 October 1968: one feeding on the contents of galls on Mountain Cedar Wattle Acacia elata. 3. Wahroonga, 13 February 1969: feeding on flowers of Tick Bush Kunzea ambigua. 27 August 1972: one eating a soft brown gall or grub therein on Sydney Peppermint Eucalyptus piperita. February 1973: eating seeds of Grey Spider-flower Grevillea buxifolia. January 1981 : eating Crab Apples Pyrus aldenhamensis. AUSTRALIAN 136 ROSE BIRD WATCHER

4. Gloucester, 23 August 1974: eight on the ground eating the fallen fruit of Camphor Laurel. 5. Cowan (33°35'S, 151°11 'E), 25 October 1974: eating seeds of Sweet-scented Wattle Acacia suaveolens, neatly opening the pod at the side. 6. Forster, 21 February 1987: feeding on fruit of Brush Cherry Syzygium. 12 Aprill988: one feeding on seeds of Chickweed Stellaria media with Eastern . 21 May 1988: one on flowers of Bottlebrush Callistemon taking one flower per minute by plucking it off, holding in a foot and picking each floret off, dropping some. 5 June 1989: one feeding on White Wax Scale Gascardia destructor on Fiddlewood Cith.arexylum h.ydalglense. 21 June 1991: feeding on seeds of Dock Rumex obtusifolius. Stomach contents of road kills: I. Bobbin Head, I February 1975 (J. Farrell): subadult male: seed remains. Two species of parasitic louse-fly (Ornith.oica stipitura and Ornith.omya avicularia nigricomis, Hippoboscidae) among feathers. Eleven other road or window kills recorded; all examined had seed remains in them.

Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius Observations: I. Gloucester, 15 July 1965: feeding on Barley Grass Hordeum h.ysterix (seed neatly dehusked). 29 November 1965: feeding on Oats Avena sativa. 20 November 1965: eating small grass seeds and still on Barley Grass. I January 1966: feeding on Barley Grass, Apples Malus sylvestris and Peaches Prunus persica. 2. Wahroonga, 26 October 1977: one feeding on seeds ofsedgeLepidosperma laterale (Cyperaceae). 3. Forster, 28 October 1984: licking nectar from Grevillea 'Sandra Gordon' flowers in between nipping off Callistemon flowers. 8 May 1984: eating seeds of Crab Grass Digitaria isch.aemum. 10 February 1985: feeding on seeds of Stickweed (Canadian Fleabane) Erigeron canadensis. 26 December 1984: two fledglings feeding on fruit of Lantana Lantana camara. 5 June 1987: feeding on flowers of Winter Grass Poa annua. 12 Aprill988: feeding on Chickweed seeds. 19 Aprill988: feeding on seeds of Vasey Grass Paspalum urvillei. 22 April 1988: feeding on Summer Grass and Stinkwort lnula graveolens. 30 June 1989: eating White Wax Scale off Fiddlewood. 18 May 1991: pulling flowers off Crimson Pom-pom Calliandra h.aematoceph.ala, then feeding on nectar of Coast Banksia without pulling off flowers. 19 June 1991 : ten on a lawn with one Pale-headed Rosella P. adscitus feeding on the tiny seeds of Kikuyu Grass Pennisetum clandestinum. 4. Kyogle (28°37'S, 153°00'E), 6 March 1985: feeding on scale (Coccoidea) on leaves of Avocado Persea americana.

Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus Observations: Usually on the ground feeding on grass seeds, but at Wahgunyah State Forest west of Albury (35 °53 'S, 145 °58 'E), on 14 August 1979, pairs were feeding on eucalypt blossom in a tree. Stomach contents of road kills: I. Griffith to Yenda road (34 °16'S, 146 ° IO 'E), 16 December 1973 (K. Blade), subadult male: immature Wheat, small seeds and one beetle (Coleoptera). 2. Narrabri (30 °20'S, 149 °47'E), 23 December 1974 (A. Norman), adult male: various seeds. The data in this study generally agree with data in Forshaw (198 1), although some plant species were not mentioned specifically by Forshaw. The observation of Red­ romped Parrots feeding in a tree, on eucalypt blossom, supports two similar observations in Forshaw (1981).

Acknowledgements I thank the N .S. W. National Parks & Wildlife Service staff (named above) for collecting and forwarding specimens, and Mrs Susie Debus for typing a draft onto computer disk. I also thank Graham Brown (Biological & Chemical Institute, Rydalmere) for identify ing the parasitic flies , Stephen Debus for rearranging the data into a paper, and John Peter for editing.

References Barker, R.D. & Vestjens, W.J.M. (1989), 7he Food of Australian Birds. I . Non-Passerines, CSIRO, Melbourne. VOL. 17 (3) SEPTEMBER 1997 Diet of Parrots in N.S.W. 137

Eastern Rosella Plate 16 Photo: the late B. Stokes

Beadle, N.C.W. , Evans , O.D. & Carolin, R.C (1972) , Flora of the Sydney Region, 2nd edn, Reed, Sydney. Bircher, W.H. (1960) , Gardens of the Hesperides , Anglo-Egyptian Bookshop, Cairo . Forshaw, J.M. (1981), Australian Parrots, 2nd edn, Lansdowne, Melbourne. Lepschi, B.J. (1993) , 'Food of some Australian birds in eastern New South Wales: additions to Barker & Vestjens' , Emu 93, 195-199. -- (1997), 'Food of some birds in southern : additions to Barker & Vestjens, Part 2', Emu 97, 84-87. Received 16 September 1996 •