The pink robins of the Waterworks Reserve have been able to take a breather during the Covid-19 pandemic from the groups of international and mainland birders who give them a hard time in the spring.
The beautiful robin is either absent from most of Australia or hard to find so it is high on the checklist of birds to be spotted in a reserve so close to Hobart, where it is common.
The problem is the use of mobile phone apps of bird songs which can lead target species to believe a rival has invaded their territory, or attract females to seek out males that do not exist.
The use of playback, as it is known to birders, is defended by those who spend large amounts of money on travel to spot birds. With limited time in one location, it can help them see as many species as possible.
Many birders oppose playback, however, on ethical grounds.
A couple of years back I met an American couple at the Waterworks keen to see our 12 endemic species and I noted they were not using playback. The Americans, from California, gave me a cautionary tale about the apps. It concerned a favourite American bird, the black-capped chickadee.
They said they knew a researcher who played recordings of the male song to female chickadees as part of a study on their breeding behaviour.
“He played a male’s territorial call to see how many females would come looking for the source of the songs,“ they said. “One came, and she hunted for the male, looked high and low and couldn’t find him. Of course, she couldn’t know the sound was coming from a mini-loudspeaker.”
The Californians said the female gave up after a while but next day returned to the same spot where she had heard the vibrant and powerful call.
“And she never found him. Other males found her, and sang and wooed her but she wasn’t interested. She just searched day after day for the bird which had sung that powerful song. He had stolen her heart. He was in a different class, even if she had not seen him. He was a Hollywood star, the Brad Pitt of the woods.
“She imagined, though, how splendid he would look in his spring plumage. And he’d be a good mate and partner, he’d have good genes for her offspring. He’d help her build the finest nest.”
The Americans said other males came and went, trying to woo the female all spring and summer, but she still wasn’t interested.
At the end of the breeding season, the researcher still saw the female, coming to the same spot each day where she had heard the recording of the phantom male.
The visiting birders said the chickadee did not accept another partner, and did not breed that year.