Mark’s comments re starlings are
interesting, and pretty much accord with my (casual) observations over the last
25 or so years. I have noticed what appears to have been steady decline
in starling numbers in suburban Canberra over the years, particularly in the last 10-15 years. But
for me, the decline in numbers of House Sparrows has been more obvious and dramatic
– sparrows are far less abundant now in Canberra than they were during
the 1970s and early 1980s. I can remember being barely able to think over
the incessant chattering of hordes
of sparrows in suburban Ainslie in the late 1970s, similarly also around my
parents home in Weston during the 1970s – 1980s. Sparrows used to
be present in sizeable numbers (in at least these two suburbs), and the repeated
removal of sparrow nests from house guttering was a regular spring/summer
ritual.
However, since (approximately) the early –
mid 1990s, sparrow numbers seem to have declined markedly, at least in my
experience, with breeding now a relatively rare occurrence in my experience.
In six years of GBS recording in Hackett I can only recall one (unsuccessful)
breeding attempt, with sparrows a rare bird overall. In the past few
years, my GBS chart shows low numbers (generally 2-5 birds) present all year,
but I have had numerous sparrow-free days, with only the occasional individual
present or flying overhead to keep up the regular weekly pattern.
I also recall sparrows as being a very
common urban (as opposed to suburban) bird with large numbers around
non-residential areas such as Woden Plaza in the 1970s and 1980s, where they would forage in amongst the
crowds for food scraps. The arrival of the Common Mynah appears to (at
least in part) be responsible for their decline in areas such as this, that
species having adopted role of avian rat. Mynahs may also be partly
responsible for the drop in numbers elsewhere – mynahs appeared in Weston
as a (rare) breeding bird in around 1980, and were also breeding on the slopes
of Oakey Hill by 1981. By the mid-1980s their numbers had swelled to be comparable
with present levels.
Brendan
