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Jacky WinterAlternative names: "Peter-Peter", "Post-boy", "Post-sitter", "Brown Flycatcher", "white-tail", "Stump-bird", "Spinks" Aboriginal name: "dhunidjuni" [yuwaalaraay] |
Sightings
Jacky Winters (subspecies "fascinans") are permanent guests where we lived until 2006, 20 km south of Narrabri, New South Wales. Often perched on fence lines or poles, they hunt insects in the paddocks.
Not seen regularly were we live since 2007, 20 km east of Narrabri, but permanent residents at another property some 30 km east of Narrabri. Seen by us to hustle a Forest Kingfisher, indicating that they may compete for the same food source.
Photos
Pair of Jacky Winters on an old barbed-wire fence line (click on image for larger version)
On a fence post, with its feathers ruffled by high wind...; click on image for full-size display
Close-up shot of an immature bird, probably a Jacky Winter(?) spreading its wings to cool on an extremely hot day (click on image for larger version); note the dark patches showing through the plumage, similar to the bird in the photo above when its feathers are ruffled by wind
Fledgling Jacky Winter seen 30 km east of Narrabri NSW (click on image for larger version)
This is certainly an immature bird of the Robin family (see shape of bill). Most likely, because of its behaviour, it is a young Jacky Winter(?) (click on image for larger version)
In wintertime Jacky Winters can look a lot "fatter", because they are puffed up to protect themselves against cold weather (click on image for larger version)
Jacky Winter on its perch late in the evening (click on image for larger version)
Habits
Similar to Willie Wagtails, Jacky Winters can be opportunistic hunters. They will accompany us during garden work to pick off insects disturbed by us, but will not come very close. Jacky Winters are the only Australian songbird known to us that will sing most vigorously in wintertime (hence the name...).