Robyn Charlton asked (Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:53:58 +1100)
"Just wondering can anyone remember what the range was for Rainbow Lorikeets
back in the 1970's?"
By using the term "range" I assume Robyn means "distribution range" or that
part of Australia where Rainbow Lorikeets are likely to be seen.
Rather than relying on 30 year old memories which, in any case, are of only
a small part of the overall distribution area of Rainbow Lorikeets, I
consulted the 1970 edition of Peter Slater's "A Field Guide to Australian
Birds" and compared the distribution map with those in the latest Australian
bird field Guide (the Peter Menkhorst edited 2007 version of the Graham
Pizzey and Frank Knight "The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia") and the
second Atlas Of Australian Birds.
Considering that distribution maps are somewhat imprecise, there appears to
be not much difference in the 'range' of this species (which includes the
sub-species Red-collared Lorikeet) between then and now with the following
exceptions:
- Rainbow Lorikeets are now found around the Perth, Western Australia, area;
- the 'range' was much greater in Tasmania in the 1970s than appears to be
the case now.
If the question was intended to be about the abundance levels of Rainbow
Lorikeets (including the Red-collared Lorikeet sub-species) in the 1970s
compared with now, then the answer could be quite different. I know that the
numbers of Rainbow Lorikeets in South East Queensland are much reduced now
compared to those in the 1970s. And I am quite sure that the prime reason
for that is the loss of nesting sites and suitable food due to the land
development deemed necessary for human habitation.
The effects of introduced species (by self- or assisted- introduction) would
have had very little to do with changes in the 'range' or numbers of Rainbow
Lorikeets.
Cheers
Bob Inglis
Sandstone Point
Qld
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