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
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))
Sent: Monday, February 08,
2010 1:02 AM
Subject: Spam:******,
[canberrabirds] Peafowl update
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.
-----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?
----- 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.
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
------
If you have received this transmission in error please notify us
immediately by return e-mail and delete all copies. If this e-mail or
any attachments have been sent to you in error, that error does not
constitute waiver of any confidentiality, privilege or copyright in
respect of information in the e-mail or attachments.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
------
--
Ian Fraser, m("pcug.org.au","ianf");">
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Consultancy
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 61 2 6249 1560
---
|
|
