matter, flowers, nectar, insects and their larvae and in arid areas the seeds and fruit of the saltbush. All bluebonnets mainly drink at dawn and dusk and are cautious when approaching water. Social behaviour Bluebonnets are usually found in pairs or small groups of under ten birds. Pairs separate to breed in late winter before rejoining the flock in late spring with their young. When flushed bluebonnets will quickly leave the ground whistling their call notes while on the wing. They will fly to a nearby tree where they will fall silent and adopt an erect posture to inspect the intruder awaiting the opportunity to return to the ground. Bluebonnets fly with an undulating, sometimes jerky gait generally below tree-top levels. Breeding Bluebonnets normally breed between August and January but this can start earlier or run later in response to prolonged periods of rainfall. During his courtship display the male bluebonnet will raise and lower his 'crest', stretch his neck, vibrate his partly raised wings and move his fanned tail from side to side. Bluebonnets form monogamous pairs and will normally only breed once a year but in years with abundant rainfall have been known to breed twice in one season. The nest site is selected and prepared by both the male and female and is often in a hollow in the trunk or limb of a tree, living or dead with a small entrance hole. Usually four to seven white oval eggs will be laid on a layer of decaying wood dust on the bottom of the nesting cavity. Only the female incubates the eggs and is fed by the male during this time. Incubation lasts approximately nineteen days and chicks hatch covered in white down. The female continues to brood the chicks alone but the male participates in feeding the chicks with the hen. Chicks fledge the nest at about thirty days old and continue to be fed by the parents until they are independent at about 12 days after they have fledged. The family will then rejoin the flock. Aviculture The bluebonnet is a moderately common species in the wild though not so in captivity as they are often regarded as being drab, noisy, extremely aggressive and poor breeders. References eastern bluebonnet eastern bluebonnet Birds of New South Wales Birds of South Australia Endemic birds of Australia eastern bluebonnet