>just read in the paper about the baby boy (14 mo) who lost an eye from a
>magpie attack in Canberra. Does anyone know any more details?
>
>Also, does any one know why Tassie magpies are so docile compared to
>mainland birds. I have never heard of anyone being attacked in Tasmania, so
>why the difference in behaviour b/w mainland and Tas?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Eric
I haven't heard about the little boy.
My impression, gained from a week in Hobart and environs, is that Tassie
Magpies are not very urban?I was looking out for them to see whether they
were indeed smaller than mainland ones, but it wasn't until day 4 that I saw
them ,on farmland to the east of the city. The urban niche that magpies
inhabit on the mainland seems to be occupied by Forest Ravens there. Am I right?
Perhaps if they are less urban then there is less scope for them to attack
people.
I was looking out for Tassie Magpies becaus eof a suggestion in Slater that
they might be a separate species, as they are smaller than mainland birds,
whereas they shoudl eb larger, livign in a cooler climate (Bergman's Law). I
foudn that were markedly smaller than mainland ones, but that other seemed
to be mainland size. Can anyone comment on this.
Perrhaps if they are a different speiceis this is the reason why they are
less agressive?
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Dr John Leonard
PO Box 243, Woden,
ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA
'... after only twenty years in existence much of the
environmental movement has taken on the form of just
another corporation or interest group. Their interest may
be disinterest, but their methods are one with the rational
élites and are therefore limited to the details of corporate life.
[They] ... are attempting to justify restraint and a common-
sense approach to self-respect with the use of intellectual
tools designed to eliminate both.' John Ralston Saul
http://spirit.net.au/~jleonard
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