Why term them "ferals"? The implication in the term is that they are
escapees, with populations that are not viable without more escapes.
This is a long way from the truth! These species are "New Australians",
no less than we are, with no prospect of removal or even control. They
are now a part of our ecosystem, and their interactions with indigenous
species - and not just birds - need to be documented as they happen.
Sadly, for some indigenous species, the interaction may be very short
term, as it seems was the case for the Thylacine and the Dingo, then
European Man. Perhaps someone else will be able to identify a bird
species under threat from "New Australians" other than ourselves.
Allan Lees
\
Mike Simpson wrote:
One thing no one seems to have picked up on is that all these so called
'ferals' have been in Australia almost 150 years, so this is hardly a new
problem, and why should it suddenly be of concern now? In that time other
non-Australian birds such as Cattle Egrets have migrated here under their
own power, and there does not seem to be any outcry about them.
Surely the most invasive 'feral' is homo sapiens, who apart from introducing
most of the foreign birds was also responsible for the land clearance etc.
maybe we should eliminate them as well?
Regards, Mike Simpson
Penrith, NSW
http://members.optusnet.com.au/ozbirds
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