Exactly Michael. Bowerbirds eat C Pistachio fruits in my street and as they are increasing and feed on a wide range of garden plants (eg viburnum) we could see some interesting feral plant species in the future. The below was in March last year. Can’t remember whether or not I inflicted it on the list at the time 
From: michael mulvaney [
Sent: Friday, 30 January 2015 7:38 AM
To: Baird, Ian
Cc: Rosemary Blemings;
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Chinese pistachio feeding frenzy For my Honours thesis 35 years ago, I studied the weed potential of firethorn and cotoneaster. As part of this work, I fed a road injured king parrot and two crimson rosellas thousands of cotoneaster and firethorn berries. They didn’t pass one viable seed. I concluded that parrots are very efficient seed predators. While whole uneaten fruits may occasionally be transported by parrots, I actually think that they are a great help in reducing the spread of invasive berry producers by destroying seed at the source - the villains of the piece are Pied Currawongs, Silvereyes, blackbirds and Starlings and other fruit eaters. Cheers Michael Mulvaney On 29 Jan 2015, at 9:50 am, Baird, Ian <> wrote:
A Google search shows NSW DPI believes Chinese pistachio is spread by birds. Also ACT Govt recognises it as a ‘garden escape species which has the potential to escape if not unchecked’. It is listed in the ACT’s ‘Are your plants going bush?’ brochure as ‘a plant which is not a major problem ..at the moment....but it is recommended these plants are treated with caution’. Hence that explains its WEED SWAP status. I also note that reference to ‘Trees and Shrubs in Canberra’ (Pryor and Banks) reveals that historically speaking, Pistachio chinensis has been extensively planted as a street tree throughout Canberra. Ian Baird | Senior Policy Officer Nature Conservation Policy | Environment and Planning Directorate | ACT Government Level 1 North, Dame Pattie Menzies House, 16 Challis Street DICKSON | GPO Box 158 CANBERRA ACT 2601 | www.environment.gov.au From: Rosemary Blemings [m("blemings.org","rosemary");">]
Sent: Wednesday, 28 January 2015 5:36 PM
To: Baird, Ian
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Chinese pistachio feeding frenzy Is it known whether these fruits are actually destroyed when eaten by these species? To us it would seem they're unripe and unpalatable. It would be good to think the fruits were too immature to be a threat to the 'bush' but I suspect that's a naive hope. The Chinese pistachio qualifies as a WEED SWAP target species but there are thousands of them around. Alas by autumn they will be too "pretty" for owners to contemplate removing even the female trees. On 28/01/2015, at 2:22 PM, Baird, Ian wrote: Next doors’ tree now has fruit ripe enough to attract parrots and a cockatoos. Yesterday evening, in the space of 45 minutes or so, 4 spp. were observed feeding in the one tree: Gang-gangs (3), King-parrots (4); Crimson Rosellas (5+) and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (2) – although the latter did not start feeding until the Gang-gangs had left. There were at least 5 Gang-gangs in total, including 2 immatures. The immatures were apparently roosting nearby in eucalypt trees waiting to be fed by the adults. One of the pair was seen ‘begging for food from an adult female perched alongside- although I can’t be sure that actual food was transferred! -----------------------------------------------------------------------
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