Bett Mitchell asks about the occurrence of Kelp Gulls Larus dominicanus in
Victoria.
The quick look at data from the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife shows the
following for the species. Of about 150 records (some have no specific
date or site) the breakdown is.
Pre 1972 - 12 observations
1972 to '76 - 12
1977 to '81 - 56
1982 to '86 - 15
1987 to '91- 8
1992 to '96 - 10
1997 to present - 5
These records are mostly from Port Phillip and Westernport Bays with a
handful of records for Warrnambool, Wilson Promontory and the Gippsland
Lakes. The Atlas of Australian Birds (version one) may be the reason for
the high observation rate for the species for the years 1977-'81, however
the data could still indicate a decline in the species for Victoria. The
Atlas of Victorian Birds indicates that Kelp Gulls have colonised Australia
since the 1940s and are scarce year round residents in certain parts of
coastal Victoria.
What do other observers think?
I encourage birdos to forward all their Kelp Gull observations to me or the
Atlas so a better understanding can be gained of the species distribution
and occurrence in Victoria.
Martin O'Brien
Executive Scientific Officer
Scientific Advisory Committee
Threatened Species Program
Department of Natural Resources and Environment
4/250 Victoria Pde.,
East Melbourne, 3002
Victoria, AUSTRALIA
tel: +61 3 9412 4567
fax: +61 3 9412 4586
e-mail:
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