Hi David, John, Mark and all
An interesting check on the reliability of historical records results from
ongoing work by Fred Ford who has collated specimens and information on
sub-fossil remains from local caves, particularly those remains carbon dated to
times since European settlement. In short, I think there tends to be great
over-reliance on historical records. In particular the omission of a species
from the record means little. A good example is the Tasmanian Long-tailed
Mouse classified by zoologists as a Tasmanian endemic based on historical
records, yet here it is, far from Tasmania, being taken into these caves by owl
species which are also under-represented in the historical record. I suggest
you consider records from the south east region as being indicative of what
probably occurred in the ACT and make judgments based on bioregions. So in
regard to Magpie Geese, when Europeans arrived, there were reported to be
flocks of thousands in wetlands along the Victorian coastline, eg around Sale,
so it is likely that small groups were occasionally found in the higher, more
inland area that would become the future ACT, whether or not there are any
historical records.
As for real records, I'm sorry I have no more detail on the following story,
but I very vaguely remember that when I worked for ACT Parks and Conservation,
one day I received two phonecalls about a public report of four Magpie Geese
seen flying over Queanbeyan. I think one of the phonecalls might have been from
Mark Clayton (copied into this reply). I phoned the PCS staff at Googong to
ask them to have a look but they had not seen any Magpie Geese. I guess this
might have been in the 1980 or early 1990s. Perhaps the birds were really
swans but if anyone managed to validate the report, perhaps the observation is
in the COG records somewhere.
cheers
Don Fletcher
0428 48 9990
-----Original Message-----
From: John Bundock
Sent: Monday, 17 April 2017 5:25 PM
To: 'David McDonald (personal)' <>; 'CanberraBirds'
<>
Subject: ACT reports/records of Magpie Goose ?
Are these of any interest?
Queanbeyan Age and General Advertiser 27 October 1864, p. 2.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/30635203
Queanbeyan Age 15 February 1868, p. 2.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/30577582
John Bundock
0400249429
-----Original Message-----
From: David McDonald (personal)
Sent: Monday, 17 April 2017 11:19 AM
To: CanberraBirds
Subject: ACT reports/records of Magpie Goose ?
Greetings. In the context of updating the Annotated List of the Birds of the
ACT, I am wondering if anyone knows of historical reports of the Magpie Goose
in the ACT - excluding, of course, the introduced population at the Tidbinbilla
NR.
We have historical reports of Bustards and Brolgas from what is now the ACT,
and much more recent records of Magpie Geese from Rose Lagoon and Lake Bathurst
in NSW, but I have not been able to locate any historical Magpie Goose
reports/records for the ACT. Steve Wilson's book is silent on the matter, which
is instructive.
With thanks - David
--
David McDonald
1004 Norton Road
Wamboin NSW 2620
Australia
T: (02) 6238 3706
M: 0416 231 890
F: (02) 9475 4274
E:
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