Dancing Duet~

Jun27

The Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney Australia are an urban bird paradise.

I found this pair of magpie larks singing and dancing happily in the park.

The name magpie lark is a misnomer as these handsome birds are neither magpies nor larks, but are members of the giant monarch flycatcher family.

Magpie larks are musical prodigies who sing co-ordinated duets together, timed by the metronomic movements of their synchronized dancing. See: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160803-the-strange-reason-magpie-larks-dance-when-nobody-is-looking

Cheers to you from the magical birdies of Oz~

231 thoughts on “Dancing Duet~”

  11. I’m so glad you posted this. I’m meant to be going to Oz and NZ on a cruise in November and have a very limited time in Sydney so want to make good choices on my visit. I have been a city tour on VR and so can see some sights that way. The botanical garden has been recommended by others. What do you think Cindy? I have probably only one actually free day there.

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  16. Thank you for posting this. These birds are simply amazing. I watched a short video where two of them are singing together in perfect synchronization.

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  27. Would you believe I’ve never been there Cindy. I live here about 6 hrs up the road from Sydney but each time I go to the ‘city’ its usually some important visit and I never have time to go in. Plus its pollution doesn’t do my lungs any favors so I keep it short anyway.
    But as for the birds, I’ve always called them a peewee. Short with a high pitched ‘peewee’ sound. I think the definition in the dictionary says its in reference to someone small, diminutive trying to speak up and be heard. Their call is quite high and you certainly can’t miss them 😂 🤣
    And I think the one on the left is a young’un as it still has a slight dullish black color and not full black yet and the one on the right seems to be dad with his white ‘eyebrow’ 😀
    Great shots dear lady, even the flower is gorgeous, thank you for sharing. I can at least know what some of the gardens look like now. Or at least its inhabitants anyway 😀

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    • Yes, people call them peewees or peewits, which really is a much better name isn’t it. And double yes (smart birder you), this was a teenagerish bird singing for his supper, there was quite a song and dance going on! Locals often pass on tourist destinations so I can well relate, and there is so much actual natural nature to see in wonderful Oz. We toured the government house this visit by ourselves and chatted with the politician who lives there. I googled her after but don’t remember her name. She was lovely and so was her house in the middle of the park. The park itself really is wonderful, and I imagine especially so now, with the brakes on tourism. You as a local can have your tourist destination to yourself, and that actually applies to all of Oz! Lucky you დ

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      • I’m usually not a fan of the ‘presents’ that birds bring, or leave. Yesterday, I watched from our front window as a robin left 3 ‘presents’ in 10 seconds as it perched on our pink dogwood tree just on the other side of the glass. It spoiled my coffee break. 🙀

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  45. Absolutely stunning captures, Cindy. Kudos to you!! You need to pat yourself on the back for these pictures. I just loved viewing birds we don’t see here. Thank you! xo

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  51. Yay! I can comment on your blog!

    Obviously I am having WP issues with comments.

    However, no issues with these beauties and this wonderful post. What a feast of photography Australia is! Thank you, Cindy!

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    • I am worried the Australians are going to get tired of me hijacking their country with my photos. Sorry guys, your country is a minute by minute photographic feast! If it weren’t for my family, I would probably still be there! დ

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      • Definitely not worried Cindy…but just imagine being stuck here because of the virus, 6 months at least while this thing is going on 😀
        Would you like me to give a call to customs, I’m sure I could convince them you’ve stolen all our birds and they must bring you back for questioning…and then you can’t go back because of the virus, when they realise you’ve only taken their pictures lol 😂 🤣

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    • Aren’t they amazing! Bird brained means brilliant brained and I love the scientist who came up with the replica idea, you could tell he had fun with this study! დ

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        • Oh my gosh, they are so adaptive, which means clever and survivable. They migrate everywhere they shouldn’t go, to the high desert near to us, to the mountains with the snow near us. I mean they are claiming prime southern california real estate without paying a penny! And they are staying. Why not. Free rent. People here think they are awesome and exotic and feed them (my family and me too). They fly in. Stay. Own it. Never pay a penny. I should be so smart! 😉 დ

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          • Haha be careful, those geese will take over everything! I guess that’s a sign of some level of intelligence, though. But, one thing I know for certain is that they have no idea how to navigate traffic. No matter what side of the road they’re on when you approach them, they always run straight in front of your car…sort of like squirrels, but larger.

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            • My son explained the squirrel thing to me. He said over the process of evolution, bolting fast, even towards a large predator when it is also moving fast, can distract the predator and increase the odds of the squirrel escaping. It may have been a good strategy for the eons of evolution for squirrels, that and bolting into holes. Cars, evolutionarily speaking, they are super newbies on the block, so maybe we need to give the squirrels more time…..

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    • Laughing….I think this dancing and singing involved an adolescent trying to cage food from a tired parent, hence the fed up expression. They still did sing and dance though. And thank you, you stay safe too დ

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  66. Just read a children’s book called ‘Johnathan Crow, Detective. I’m sure one (or more of the short story chapters featured a meadow lark. 😀

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      • I think I was surprised when the book related that Johnathan Crow was over twenty years old. I do chase the crows from the bird feeder from time to time, but I also give them turns.

        I think some of them have learned to share… the feeder that is. 😉

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          • Not often but I’ve seen the crow and a catbird on the feeder at the same time. Sometimes a Cardinal and wrens will be on the feeder and a crow will be on the ground below and visa versa 😀

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  76. Lol -They are both looking a little bit excentric. Seems the right one is the leader of the duo. 😉 Thank you for sharing another wonderful birds with me, Cindy. Unbelievable how intelligent and famous birds are all over the world. Be well and stay save. Michael

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  79. Cindy, these birds are beautiful indeed and you did a fine job on capturing the Black and White colors with perfection! It is hard for me to get the details of the blacks without blowing the whites with such a photo but you nailed it beautifully.

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  84. Beautiful birds! We don’t often see a black-in-white combo in nature, I think. I can think only of the zebra, panda, the lovely dalmatian. I’m sure there are actually quite a few, but it’s still striking to me. Cheers to you, Cindy!

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