To indulge in a 'little raven-on'

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Hi John,

Nice pun, fair points and I may be a bit geographically or altitudinally challenged although I was taking the easy stage of being agreeable. The issue could and probably does revolve around the question as to the extent of movements of these birds. Most of our migrant birds show mainly a latitudinal OR an altitudinally migration (of course these terms are abstractions on the basis that the two are not entirely separable). So it is easy to use these models. However a small sample of our birds (Satin Flycatcher & Rufous Fantail are obvious examples) clearly combine a latitudinal migration with an altitudinal migration. Maybe the Little Raven in part does the same (though in reverse to benefit from the Bogong moths). So how does the Little Raven interpret Canberra. Is Canberra part of the high country or part of the low country as far as it is concerned. Many years ago when McComas Taylor was talking about the results from the atlas and showed overheads of I think the Fuscous Honeyeater he said they migrate from north to south ACT. Yes during the different seasons that is where the birds were recorded. So, sure the results appeared to show that, till someone pointed out that the ACT is not an island and that the real pattern could be something totally different. Interpreting bird distributional data depends so much on the range of perspectives available. (Which is why the GBS Report is not a list of impressions but goes into such intimate detail in explaining the way the data were compiled and the restrictions and biases that may be included.) The ref from Ken Green & William Osborne is as valid as the others, in part collaborative but not entirely, each providing another perspective.

 

Philip