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Mark
is very welcome to feel that the small population of
Rainbow Lorikeets in Canberra, which are primarily on the north side, have all
come from aviary escapees and not genuine wild birds. That may very well be the true history. I for one, don't
have any evidence to the contrary. Also for what it is worth, I have never seen
that group but I have over the years seen Rainbow Lorikeets in several other
places around Canberra and Queanbeyan that certainly behaved like wild birds.
That does not prove either idea. Of course that also raises the old chestnut
about if they are breeding here, when do we regard them as wild? It shouldn't be
hard to know if they are being supplementary fed. We have plenty of other
species of parrots that are being supplementary fed, all around the city. I am
curious as to doubts over lorikeets self feeding, when we have great numbers of
honeyeaters doing quite well.
About
the (?) former population of Blue-billed Ducks on the
Fyshwick Sewage Ponds well that is an interesting new twist. No
doubt many of us, other than just Mark and I have wondered why that little group
got established and did so well there. Always were a draw card to add some joy
to a trip to the site. It would be interesting to confirm or otherwise what Mark
now raises as I suppose a rumour. I had just assumed that there isn't any other
suitable habitat elsewhere nearby and / or the species is so uncommon that there
has not been arrivals from outside to establish another group
nearby.
Philip
The
lost lorikeet in today’s Canberra Times is a Rainbow Lorikeet. I feel that the
small population of Rainbow Lorikeets in Canberra, which are primarily on the
north side, have all come from aviary escapees and not genuine wild birds.
Virtually all the Rainbow Lorikeets I have seen in Kaleen have been aviary
escapees; they are relatively easy to pick by their behaviour. “Rainbow
Lorikeets are nomadic, their presence or fluctuations in numbers in any area
being governed by the flowering of trees and shrubs”[ Forshaw 1992, Australian
Parrots]. I doubt very much that there is a year round supply of nectar
available here unless the birds are being deliberately fed a la Currumbin in
Queensland. If they are wild birds why are they here year round and why in such
a relatively small area? In southern Western Australia they have exploded in
numbers. Why has it taken so long for these birds to build into the low numbers
now seen in Canberra?
The
same goes for the (?) former population of Blue-billed Ducks on the Fyshwick
Sewage Ponds. After asking a few questions of people in the know (there are
several duck experts locally) I am now 99% certain they were “aviary” bred and
released on the ponds. Why have they never been recorded away from
Fyshwick?
I’ll
be interested to see people’s comments!
Mark
From: Philip
Veerman [
Sent: Friday, 30 September 2011
11:56 AM
To: 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds]
lorikeet
Yes we
should remain aware of the existence of escaped birds. What species of Lorikeet
would that be? I would suggest instead it would be more correct to
say so any sightings may not be of a
'wild' bird. That
on the unlikely possibility that this escaped bird is seen, relative to the
known small existing wild population of Rainbow
Lorikeets.
-----Original
Message-----
From: Michael and Janette Lenz
[
Sent: Friday, 30 September 2011 10:12
AM
To: chat line
Subject: [canberrabirds]
lorikeet
In today's
CT newspaper a lost notice for a lorikeet at Evatt - so any sightings would not
be of a 'wild' bird.
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