Mistletoe Bird 

One of the most beautiful of Australia’s bush birds, but tragically one with very destructive feeding habits, is the Mistletoe bird. It is so named, of course because it feeds on mistletoe berries. Unfortunately only the soft part of the fruit is digested; the hard inner seed passes through and if he droppings happen to fall on a suitable tree bough, then the seed grows there. Eventually some trees are so burdened with the parasite that they die, and where there is no regeneration this result in a gradual but very definite decline in tree numbers.

Mistletoe birds are the major means for widespread dispensation of all the mistletoe species in Australia, so this very tiny brilliantly colored bird is indirectly responsible for the destruction of many trees in our landscape. In a totally natural environment this is merely means older trees dying out to make room for younger ones. However, in most areas natural environments no longer exist. The regenerating ability of trees has been greatly reduced, for various reasons, and it is now necessary for each individual tree to live longer.

Despite these unfortunate circumstances I still find the Mistletoe bird very intriguing and it is always a pleasure to see a full plumage male. They are amongst Australia’s smallest birds about the length of a mans index finger, with iridescent blue/black head and black wings, brilliant red throat and breast, red under tail coverts and a bold black streak down the otherwise white abdomen. Females are just “plain Jane” grey with whitish breast and pink under tail coverts. There should be no identification problems with the bird being so tiny and plumage so striking and chances are you won’t notice the female unless she is accompanied by her “escort”.

You may think that such a bird should build an equally dainty nest and in fact they do. Most bird books love to describe the nest as being similar to a baby’s booty hanging by its heel and I must confess that it is difficult to be original and describe it otherwise. Made of cobwebs and other fine material and hung in draping leaves in a pendulous manner it does look just like a finely knitted booty.

These birds are considered to be common, never the less, one can’t just walk out into the scrub and expect to see them. However should there be fruiting mistletoe about then your chances are very good. Their range extends all over Australia from mistletoe in the rainforest, to mistletoe I the desert and any where in between. As they are nomadic, appearance coincides with the seasonal requirements of their host plant. I guess this is one of the exciting things about them, like meeting an old friend in strange places, you never know where you might come across them and be reminded of things familiar to you.

But then again there are the trees with cancerous like parasites hanging from outer limbs and their own foliage insidiously replaced until they eventually they die. A little iridescent bird is responsible for lingering death and eventually they will have instigated their own decline.