Spotted Turtle-Doves

["Philip Veerman" <>]

All good comments Martin, I would only add that on your comment they are not - as far as I can see a tightly knit group, in the way that I understand Common Mynas were when they were first released that this is related to two things.

 

1    That the Mynas were first released here in Canberra as a group (although others have probably come here separately since then) and the Turtle-Doves it appears were not released as a group but have spread from their own expansion (as the Crested Pigeon and Galah have done) or many releases in several separate events.

 

2    The Turtle-Doves, although they can be sociable towards others of their species, are nowhere near as dependent for individual success on having others of their species nearby, as are the Mynas. So that is a simple biological difference between the species that I would suggest explains your point.

 

Also you are totally correct about including Queanbeyan. I suggest the idea: "What is needed is someone ............ - to have a thorough crack at understanding the distribution - both static and dynamic - of the species" as we only have sample data, I suggest we would not want the detail of analysis to exceed the limited capacity of the data. A main part of the purpose of my GBS Report was to explain how the information is gathered and then emphasise that the data need to be taken in full context and hopefully used up to its full capacity but not interpreted beyond its capacity. Martin's excel table output is simple but indicative even at that level. I think the issues are not really as difficult as Martin suggests and is likely to change even as any analysis is happening.

 

For what it is worth, I have not again located the pair that I observed earlier this week (that appears to have started this phase of discussion). I hope the local sparrowhawk has eaten them, rather than that they have found a secluded nesting spot locally. 

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: martin butterfield [ Sent: Friday, 1 January 2010 5:33 PM
To: Bruce Lindenmayer   Cc: ; chat line   Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Spotted Doves

I have commented in the past
about the way this species seems to be approaching "take - off". 
That  view is supported by the Chart in the attached spreadsheet.  I
will confess to being astounded that for the last three years (NB the data for
year 28 is draft as it hasn't been fully analysed yet) over 20% of sites have
reported a SpoTted Dove (STD) at least once.  

A problem that may
exist is that they are not - as far as I can see a tightly knit group, in the
way that I understand Common Mynas were when they were first released.  The
spreadsheet of No of years by Suburb shows a wide range of suburbs blessed (OK,
cursed) with the presence of the species.  Obviously this will be
influenced by the number of observers active in a suburb in a year but I believe
the raw figures serve my illustrative intentions.

What is needed is
someone with access to better software than myself and with more formal training
in such matters - to have a thorough crack at understanding the distribution -
both static and dynamic - of the species.  When I last discussed this there
was hope of getting an Honours student form ANU to do this, but nothing tangible
transpired.  Obviously if a researcher is found I am very happy to provide
data, as has been done with Kate Grarock's Common Myna project.

One
further comment is that if any research is undertaken it must include at least
the city Queanbeyan and preferably the whole of SE NSW since otherwise any
action which is taken in Canberra will be defeated by birds re-entering from the
hinterland.

Martin