Potentially they do not actually threaten anything in the Canberra area. I am sure the Crested Pigeon could hold its own against a Spotted Dove. The point is do we have to wait and find out they are a problem when it is too late to do anything about them. This is what happened with the Common (Indian) Myna. The then ACT wildlife authorities were too scared of public opinion to do anything about them at the time. It has fallen to an amateur group in CIMAG to take action. If the problem had been tackled when the opportunity was there then perhaps there would not be the need for groups like CIMAG. CIMAG is doing a great job but will it ultimately succeed? I will leave that for people to work out for themselves. Do we really want another introduced (feral) species in the ACT. The gentleman behind the myna introduction to Canberra also wanted to put Mute Swans on the lake!!
As for whether the Spotted Dove is competing with anything, the answer is yes! I was talking with a well known local ornithologist in the last few days about this topic and he says that the Bar-shouldered Dove is being forced out of some areas in northern NSW by the Spotted Dove. Apparently this was predicted by the late Harry Frith when he was doing his pigeon work at CSIRO.
Similarly, at Alice Springs where the species appears to have been deliberately introduced from aviaries, it is competing with both the Peaceful and Diamond Doves. I am not sure if it competes with the Plumed Pigeon. From what I have been told when I was last up in the Alice, there is a concerted effort to eradicate the Spotted Dove.
As couple of other good examples, and there are plenty more, look at the Cane Toad and European Rabbit. Both were limited in their range for quite some time before they “exploded” over the landscape. Now look at them and the environmental they cause.
Enough said!
Mark
From: John Layton [
Sent: Wednesday, 2 February 2011 12:05 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Spotted Doves revisited.
Apropos recent posts about Spotted Doves. Could someone tell us why Spotted Doves are considered to be a threat in the ACT.
Specifically; what species do they pose a threat to, and have they proved to be a threat in other areas?
John K. Layton
Holt.
