After several years in Port Macquarie I have finally added an elusive tick to
my garden bird list....the common Pied Currawong, or P Wong as it goes into the
notebook.
Despite an abundance of wet gullies with eucalypts, native figs and exotic
camphor laurels or privet, the Pied Currawong doesn't appear to have
established a beak hold in town. I've seen them on a regular basis in the
surrounding towns including Wauchope, Crescent Head, Kempsey and Laurieton so
they are common in the region and presumably they are resident or visitors to
some areas of Port Macquarie as well, however I hadn't come across them.
I'm curious to why a bird that has been so successful on the east coast in
urban areas haven't become established here. I've discussed the subject with a
couple of local birders and opinions have varied from competition with resident
Torresian Crows to the Currawongs here being more restricted to areas of native
bushland and haven't yet adapted to the opportunities of urban life.
There were some recent discussions on Birding Aus on the impact of Currawongs
and small birds in urban areas, so Port Macquarie could be a good control to
compare with other urban areas where Currawongs are present. However to my
eyes, there is also a lack of small birds here in urban town areas here away
from the bush reserves. I put that down to continuing fragmentation of habitat,
cats and the Noisy Miners.
Tim
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