Blackbirds in Stanthorpe, QLD / bounty systems

["Ross Macfarlane" <>]

I'm afraid I wouldn't agree with the bounty proposal. Bounties have a long 
track record of failure for e.g. foxes, cats, etc. (the number of ears 
presented for the bounty tends to considerably exceed the actual reduction 
in feral populations.) If there was e.g. a dollar a head offered for 
blackbirds there'd likely be a lively trade emanating from southern states' 
suburban gardens.
I must say I'd always thought of blackbirds as relatively benign as feral 
bird species go. Compared to, say, mynahs, sparrows and starlings they don't 
interact much with the natives, that I've noticed, and they seem almost 
exclusively associated with habitat close to humans, in suburban backyards 
and country towns. In my backyard they inhabit all the exotic shrubs and 
bushes, but generally won't be seen dead in the natives in the front yard. 
Happy to be corrected though...
Cheers;
Ross Macfarlane