Good question and the issue is largely semantics. It is sad and strange that there is no English word that bridges the gap between “common” and “rare”. We only
have access to a hot potch of poorly defined adjectival additions like “un, moderately, rather,” etc that vaguely fill in gaps.
As for kookaburras, they are very territorial and need suitable habitat and food (that may not be suburban), so the presence of sufficient suitable habitat
is going to impact on where they are seen.
Philip
From: John Harris [
Sent: Friday, 3 August, 2018 11:21 AM To: Robert Parnell
Cc: chatline
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] unusual visitor
Are kookaburras becoming so unusual in Canberra that the sighting of them is important enough to report? The Report still calls them Common Breeding Resident. But also notes that there is a slow decline. Is the fact that I see and hear
them almost every day from my place (Nicholls, backing onto Ginninderra Creek) deluding me into thinking they are still common? At what point do the editors list them as Uncommon Breeding Resident?
On 2 August 2018 at 22:38, Philip Veerman <> wrote:
I heard a kookaburra at home (Kambah) last week. Also unusual, though not a first. They are regularly
perched on the light poles on Tuggeranong Parkway adjacent to Mt Taylor.
From:
Robert Parnell <>Date:
Friday, 3 August 2018 at 9:44 amTo: sandra henderson <>Cc:
chatline <>Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] unusual visitor
I have seen kookaburras in Telopia Park, Barton on two occasions in the last week or two.
On 2 August 2018 at 22:38, Philip Veerman <> wrote:
I heard a kookaburra at home (Kambah) last week. Also unusual, though not a first. They are regularly
perched on the light poles on Tuggeranong Parkway adjacent to Mt Taylor.
From: sandra
henderson [
Sent: Thursday, 2 August, 2018 4:10 PMTo: Cog lineSubject: [canberrabirds] unusual visitor
went into my front yard right now to find out what the commotion was about - and found a kookaburra sitting in my leafless ash tree, just metres from the front doot. The first
one in my yard that I can ever remember. The local noisy miners, magpies and pied currawongs are not happy!
