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I have been around the local birding scene for 60+ years and have been saying for years that a lot of the so-called common species are in decline but keep getting disagreed with ..... "but they are still being recorded".... yes but in far fewer numbers than
previously. I have been to the ANBG and NOT seen either Superb Fairy-wrens or White-browed Scrubwrens on at least one occasion and very few of those species on other visits. From the time I and others helped the late Steve Wilson band in the ANBG in the mid
1960s onwards, the overall numbers of most species have declined dramatically. The Crescent Honeyeater was a relatively common bird previously, now only the odd bird turns up, very few Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are to be seen except possibly now when migrating.
Certainly other species are now being recorded such as the Bassian Thrush and Satin Bowerbird but these are relatively recent arrivals. When doing the "Blitz" on previous occasions I have been to Lee's Creek and New Chum's Roads, both areas I know very well,
and NOT recorded either White-browed Scrubwrens or Brown Thornbills, two of the most common birds we used to band in the Ranges. Birds that in previous years I used to band in my garden are either in severe decline or gone altogether! I now no longer band
in the garden.
It is time that now totally useless and irrelevant organisation, Birdlife Australia, stopped trying to give every Australian subspecies a "common name" or trying to reorganise its administrative structure and did what it should be doing - ANOTHER NATIONAL
BIRD ATLAS - I think they will be surprised and concerned at the results.
And yes Anthony, Neil is no longer the President of COG!
Mark
On 13/09/2025 9:22 am, Geoffrey Dabb via Canberrabirds wrote:
Ah, the media these days ! No wonder young people are becoming suspicious about what they are told. But what about the fairy-wrens? Do we believe that ? Do we think there is ground for concern?
Do I hear a yawn in the background?
I thought Kim Farley is the current COG president
On 12 Sep 2025, at 2:19 pm, Geoffrey Dabb via Canberrabirds <>
wrote:
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