NOISY MINER

Noisy Miner birds are the unrivaled virtuosos of the Eastern Australian landscape, adding a dash of vibrancy to disturbed forest edges and thriving in the cozy embrace of urban gardens adorned with Eucalyptus canopies. Their reign extends from southern Tasmania to the lush greenery of the Atherton Tablelands in far north Queensland.

Both male and female Noisy Miners flaunt a striking resemblance, with their upper bodies adorned in a motley grey coat. Their wings sport a slightly darker hue of grey adorned with delicate yellow flecks, and their underparts a shade of white. A triangular yellow patch right behind their warm brown eyes, harmonize beautifully with their sunny yellow beaks and legs.

Noisy Miners are social birds by nature, and they revel in the company of their feathered friends. They form tight-knit, territorial groups, consisting of approximately 6 to 30 birds, which together compose a loosely knit colony of several hundred members. When a threat looms, their harmonious camaraderie takes center stage. They unite in a cacophonous spectacle, justifying their name as they mob predators like snakes and goannas, successfully driving them away.

As the day breaks, the Noisy Miners embark on their daily serenade. Their communal song, a delightful 2-3 syllable teu-teu-teu, rings out to establish their territory. This enchanting tune serves as a prelude to a day filled with musical interludes, as they sing, chirp, whistle, and chatter through the hours. Their stage is the canopy of trees and the underbrush, where they forage for insects, beetles, ants, wasps, bees, weevils, and caterpillars are their preferred delicacies, and they occasionally grace the ground with their presence. But their palate extends beyond just insects; they’re also avid nectar and fruit enthusiasts, delighting in the bounty of flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs.

Noisy Miners breeding season spans from June to December. The female, nestled up to 20 meters high in a tree and in solitude, meticulously crafts a cup-like nest. Twigs and grasses form its foundation, gently lined with the softest materials – moth cocoons, wool, and secured with animal hair and delicate cobwebs. The female lays 2 to 4 eggs, carefully spaced apart for staggered hatching. She incubates her eggs for 15-16 days. As the chicks hatch and grow, up to 10 family members swoop in to join the feeding frenzy, catering to their demands up to a staggering 50 times an hour. It takes approximately 16 days for the nestlings to muster the courage to venture beyond the nest, and several broods may be lovingly nurtured in one season.

Our native Noisy miner should not be confused with the Indian Mynah, an unwelcome guest in Australia