Wompoos have a large gape, which means they can deal with chunky fruit. Quandongs give them no problems. Because of this, they play an important role in dispersing seeds throughout rainforests. (Not all of the fruit-eaters are so beneficial. Many of them crush the seeds when they feed.)
Unfortunately, wompoos aren't fond of rainforest fragments and regrowth, preferring larger expanses. There is evidence that they are declining in dissected landscapes, which may have implications for the quandongs and other fruiting trees (such as Cryptocarya). However, figbirds appear to be increasing in the habitats that the wompoos dislike, so it may not be all bad news for the trees.
7 comments:
Very beautiful bird the Wompoo I love their call.
They're not keen on getting their portraits taken!
The call is amazing. It sounds quite human to me. I've been known to stand in thr front garden and mimic them. (When there's no one else around, of course.)
Wollack-a-woo!
Lovely colours, wow! Thanks for your patience with taking their pictures, Snail.
Tony, they sound to me like ham actors who haven't quite got the hang of elocution: "Ah-wom, ah-POO!"
Lulu, they are spectacular birds and quite big too --- about 40cm. Problem is, they are either in the forest where I can hear but not see them, or sitting at the top of the huge quandong. I'm sure it's deliberate!
You guys have the best animal names, period!
:)
We did drop the ball on 'green tree snake', though.
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