birding-aus
Hi Birders
Both John Harris and Tony Palliser thought that I was being too
dismissive of the possibility of the Spotted Bowerbirds being seen at
Valley Heights in the lower Blue Mountains of NSW as mentioned by Carol
Proberts. At the risk of having my head chopped off, I am prepared to
stand by my statement that the birds seen were either a
mis-identification or they are avairy escapees. The current distribution
of the Spotted Bowerbird in inland NSW has it about 200 km west of the
coast in northern NSW and about 400km west of the coast in southern
NSW.In 40 years of reviewing & sifting records, the only two records in
eastern NSW that I know of are for a single bird at Tuggerah (5 km from
where I live) 1985-87 where it co-existed with a group of Satin
Bowerbirds. The other record is for Jenolan Caves House more recently, a
location frequented by Satin Bowerbirds too. I don't see either record
as an extension of range! Furthermore I understand that the Valley
Heights record of 2-3 birds has yet to be confirmed! Finally with 35
years experience with the NSW NPWS I can say that you would be surprise
what people have in their avairies! It is very easy for people in
western NSW to catch in the chook run, the Spotted Bowerbirds that feed
in their gardens or with the chooks, and swap them for something
"exotic" from eastern NSW. Then there are the plethora of wildlife parks
that swap native animals amongst themselves, and these escape too! So
will I be proved right?
Alan Morris
Records Officer NSWFOC
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