Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

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stevenz
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Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:50 am
Location: Auckland North Shore

Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby stevenz » Tue May 29, 2018 8:48 pm

Sunday a large black bird was perched and calling on a TV antenna next door. Much bigger than a tui. There seemed to be a small white patch on the wing. As soon as I got the scope out it flew away, of course. I didn’t see white around the face or any obvious white when it flew so I’m inclined to think it wasn’t a magpie. It was calling, a loud harsh rhythmic call, not the garble of a magpie. Pied currawong fits but I know there are no accepted records in NZ and I’m not so foolish as to report this at all. The currawong will show some white when it flies but I didn’t notice any, and the call was new to me. If I could have had it in the scope for five seconds I could easily have said yes or no to magpie (which I have seen around the marina but not near the house.). Possibilities? I’m sure it won’t be back. These sorts of things never are. But scope and camera are at the ready.
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RussCannings
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Re: Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby RussCannings » Wed May 30, 2018 6:44 am

Did you get an impression of the bill shape and size? Or the shape of the bird perched and in flight? What about the flight style--direct with rapid wingbeats or did it glide or perhaps undulating swoops? "Harsh rhythmic call" is somewhat vague but could fit magpie, myna, and starling given their vast repertoirs. Size can be tricky to judge sometimes. In my experience magpies can appear uniformly black when seen from below at certain angles and occasionally give me a rooky impression. As for currawong, their calls are unmistakable so i would suggest having a listen to pied currawong online (I doubt it based on your description though).

Hope it shows up again for ya.

Russ C
Morrinsville, NZ
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kengeorge
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Re: Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby kengeorge » Wed May 30, 2018 2:42 pm

Eastern koel, size would be about right? Have a look here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoBlkaGJk4s
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Neil Fitzgerald
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Re: Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Wed May 30, 2018 6:52 pm

Have you ruled our rook?
stevenz
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Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:50 am
Location: Auckland North Shore

Re: Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby stevenz » Wed May 30, 2018 8:47 pm

I didn’t take note of bill size or colour, which would have helped identification a lot, but I think I would have picked up a light colour in contrast to the rest of the bird. If the rook’s bill isn’t as light as it appears in the book, I can’t rule it out. It’s in the size range, though. The koel is an interesting thought but not the long-tailed. This was a really black black, as with the eastern. The call of the bird in the you tube link may be similar, but I didn’t have the impression of tail length roughly equal to body length. But overall size is about right though it could be a bit bigger. Beyond that I’d be guessing but myna or starling definitely not.

Flight characteristics? It took off in a flash then was hidden by the house so nothing to go on there.

I’ve seen currawongs but not the koel. Are any of these kept as captives?
Mandyjane
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Re: Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby Mandyjane » Wed May 30, 2018 9:39 pm

Could it have been a black cockatoo ? Not withstanding the zoo escapee, the other night I saw a bird flying at dusk in Millwater (Silverdale, Auckland), which, particularly after research, I would put money on was a black cockatoo.. No photo unfortunately..
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Oscar Thomas
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Re: Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby Oscar Thomas » Wed May 30, 2018 10:29 pm

Not a Kaka Mandyjane? There are a few around Auckland at the moment.
Mandyjane
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Re: Large black bird, Bayswater Auckland

Postby Mandyjane » Thu May 31, 2018 8:27 pm

Hi Oscar.. I don't think so. Was my first thought too but it was bigger, and the flight was very slow... but hey.. I've been wrong before :-)

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