"Tim Dolby" <> queried "Duan Biggs"
<>
RE: [Birding-Aus] Trip reports for Australia and New Zealand nowonline,
saying
'I'm interested to see that you saw Spotted Bowerbird at the Hattah
Campsite. This was probably something else. It would be a very rare bird to
see in Victoria - they are probably considered locally extinct (although I'd
like to hear any views to the contrary). >From what I can gather the last
Spotted Bowerbird population in Victoria were at the Old Kulkyne Station
(actually now part the of Hattah-Kulkyne NP), with a pair nesting in the
early 1980s. There was also a record from Ned's Corner in 1989. The closest
recent records to Hattah in NSW are from Balranald and Kyalite, just north
of Swan Hill in Vic, or further up towards Ivanhoe.
It is also interesting to see that the Spotted Bowerbird doesn't rate a
mentioned in the 'Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate in Victoria 2007'.
Not sure why?
Your bird may have been Apostlebird? Have you got any photos?'
Spotted Bowerbirds are definitely very rare in Victoria. I've never seen one
and would try for any reported. Apart from one report from Lindsay Island
(probably the 1989 Neds Corner report Tim mentioned above), I've not heard
of any other in the last 25-30 years. This is in spite of them persisting
for at least some of that period at Euston, NSW, less than 0.5 km from the
Victorian border just across the river from Robinvale. I've seen them there
and they may still be resident there (anyone know?) and this would be only
some 20 km from the Hattah camp ground. Partly because Apostlebirds are
rarely solitary that would seem like an unlikely confusion species. Immature
Crested Bellbird perhaps? It is not impossible that it was a Spotted
Bowerbird but some documentation is required before acceptance.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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