FW: Double-barred Finches

[Denis Wilson <>]

Greeting COGsters.

Benj makes a good point about the finches and native vegetation.

My father banded many Double-bars in the "Canberra Botanic Gardens", in the pre-opening era - prior to its renaming as ANBG.
In those days, of early development of the Gardens, there were large open areas between the main plantings of shrubs.
They were set out in botanical families (still are, largely). So there were rows of Proteaceae (eg, Hakeas, and Grevilleas) 
and then Myrtaceae (e.g. Callistemons, Melaleucas, etc).
In between these rows were large areas of native grasses (or "wild grasses").

These grasses were allowed to thrive and seed. The grasses grew to about 18 inches high (in the old money).

Consequently the finches of Canberra thrived there.
Red-brows and Double-bars mostly.
They then bred in the dense shrubbery offered by the flanking plantings, but the spiky Hakeas in particular were very popular nest sites.

Of course, in the early years of the ANBG, a decision was made to replace the "wild grassed areas" with cultivated turf, which is kept mowed,
(to the advantage of little children, Wood Ducks and Choughs).

The Finch population of the ANBG plummeted thereafter.

An ancient perspective on finches in Canberra.

Denis Wilson


Denis Wilson
"The Nature of Robertson"
www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au