canberrabirds

Re: Spam:******, [canberrabirds] Peafowl update [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Subject: Re: Spam:******, [canberrabirds] Peafowl update [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
From: Ian Fraser <>
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:23:53 +1100
My understanding is that the Kangaroo Island population is a 'genuine feral' one. (I'm biased by having seen them of course!). They were in paddocks well away from homes, and were very wary indeed when approached, even in a vehicle, rushing to shelter in mallee patches.

Ian Fraser

Andrew, David wrote:
Hi there
I don't normally enter the introduced birds debate, but I believe the Rottnest peacocks (as opposed to peahens) were recently sterilised or culled; as I understand it their status as a wild/feral population was always dubious as they are basically tame birds (cafe scavengers) and their reproductive output hasn't been quantified.
Having recently moved to Canberra I was intrigued by the Narrabundah peafowl and from what I've learned they would qualify as a genuine feral population!
 
regards
 
David Andrew
 
Migratory Birds Taskforce
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA)
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
 
Tel: +61 (0)2 6274 1879


From: Mark Clayton [m("bigpond.com","chollop7");">]
Sent: Monday, 8 February 2010 12:01 PM
To: 'Barbara Preston'; 'Philip Veerman'; 'Peter Ormay'
Cc: 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Re: Spam:******, [canberrabirds] Peafowl update

Barbara,

 

Peafowl are feral on Rottnest Island off Perth and these are, as far as I am aware, the only “genuine” feral population in Australia and are considered “tick-able” for the Australian list if you are using Christidis and Boles as your Australian authority. I have no doubts that there are other feral populations in Australia and indeed feel that the Narrabundah birds, because they are a self sustaining population, could and probably should qualify as a tick-able feral population. When I was working at CSIRO years ago a colleague told me of a female Peafowl he saw in Monga (then) State Forest with 9 chicks. To the best of his knowledge there was no housing within miles.

 

Mark

 


From: Barbara Preston [m("netspeed.com.au","Barbara.Preston");">]
Sent: Monday, 8 February 2010 10:47 AM
To: Philip Veerman; 'Peter Ormay'
Cc: 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: [canberrabirds] Re: Spam:******, [canberrabirds] Peafowl update

 

Have peafowls ever been known to become feral?

Lots of country folk have had them over the last century or so. I've seen them in old photos, and my parents had them (almost always a breeding pair) for 30+ years in their large garden 30k from the nearest town, but I did not ever know of the peafowls leaving the garden (and small ajoining horse/roo paddock).

(After my mother died a few years ago my father got sick of their honking/hooting/squwarking and cleaning up their droppings from the paving beside the house and shot them (an adult pair and a couple of young males at the time, I think))

_______________________
Barbara Preston Research
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Phone: 61 2 6247 8919
Fax: 61 2 6247 8779
Mobile: 0439 47 8919
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Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 1:02 AM

Subject: Spam:******, [canberrabirds] Peafowl update

 

Hello Peter,

 

You may be right but who knows. Surely there are many foxes and feral cats and raptors and dogs, not to mention still some tigers which will certainly eat them, where peafowl are native. They are likely to be adapted to high predation rates, so what we have here will probably be little problem for them.

 

Philip.  

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Ormay [m("dodo.com.au","peterormay");">]
Sent: Sunday, 7 February 2010 12:55 PM
To: John Layton; 'Vikki'; 'Geoffrey Dabb'; m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Peafowl update

Peafowl is one species I would not be concerned about becoming a nuisance feral in Australia. I don't think they would stand a snowflakes chance in hell surviving outside the built-up area with so many foxes and feral cats about.  I'm surprised that chicks have survived in suburbia there. I suspect they go from dog free yard to dog free yard over fences and some people feed them.  Do any COG members live in the area and know if they are fed?

 

Peter Ormay

----- Original Message -----

Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 7:09 AM

Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Peafowl update

 

I recall that, a few years ago, one bright young man tried to control peafowl numbers in old Narrabundah by using his automobile as an agent of control. He succeeded in putting a small dent in the population and as a result there were those who wished to put one in his head.

 

 

John Layton.

 

From: Vikki [m("internode.on.net","vatic");">]
Sent: Sunday, 7 February 2010 4:42 AM
To: 'Geoffrey Dabb'; m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Peafowl update

 

Hi all

 

It looks like a Peafowl eradication program will shortly have to be employed if these ferals continue breeding.

 

Have we learnt nothing from previous plagues of introduced species?

 

 

Cheers

 

Tony Warren

 



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-- 

Ian Fraser, m("pcug.org.au","ianf");">
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Consultancy
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 61 2 6249 1560  
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