Simon Kennedy (working with the Swift parrot, NRE, Bendigo office,
phone 03-9450-8656 <>) mentioned this
address
and suggested you may be able to help me.
I am researching interaction between large and small honeyeaters, and
any interaction between either of these and lorikeets (particularly
Rainbow, but also smaller lorikeets).
Ray Brereton (working with the Swift parrot, Parks and Wildlife,
Tasmania), suggests that the increased planting of flowering trees in
parks and gardens has markedly increased the city populations of nectar
eaters, both lorikeets and honeyeaters. He suggests that the larger and
more aggressive honeyeaters are competing with smaller honeyeaters to
the detriment of the smaller birds, and that the lorikeets have little
effect on population (apart from local dominance at feeding sites). Do
you know of any research done on this?
I have results from a census in Perth- extract from a summary follows:
start
summary.....................................................................................................................
David Lamont suggested in correspondence that the population of
Honeyeaters has decreased in Kings Park due to competition from the
introduced Rainbow Lorikeets. However the census reports from Kings Park
kept since 1927 do not show this. Prof Recher reports that although the
Rainbow Lorikeet has become very common in Kings Park and throughout the
rest of the urban area, that there has been no noticeable conflict
between the Rainbow Lorikeet and other nectar feeders, and that the
Honeyeater population in Kings Park has shown no real change since 1927,
except for an increase in some species.
Specific figures are available for the following species all of which
feed primarily on nectar:
Brown Honeyeater: The Kings Park census shows an increase in the
population of the Brown Honeyeaters from nearly 400% between 1952 and
1995.
Singing Honeyeater: The Kings Park census shows an increase of 35% from
1986 to 1995 in the population of the Singing Honeyeater, but this has
not been noted elsewhere in Perth, where it is uniformly abundant.
White-cheeked Honeyeater: The Kings Park census also reports a more
recent increase in the count of White-cheeked Honeyeaters, but suggests
this may be localised.
Red Wattle bird: The Kings Park census shows no changes in the
population of Red Wattle birds since 1952.
Prof Recher also notes that there is no evidence of any change in the
Perth urban population of Red Wattle birds.
Prof Rechers opinion is that the effect of the Rainbow Lorikeet on the
avifauna of Perth is neutral."
References:
Lamont, D, Rainbow Lorikeets: An Avian Weed in the West, Eclectus Oct
1997
Recher, H.F, Impact of Wildfire on the Avifauna of Kings Park, Wildlife
Research CSIRO 1997
end
summary.....................................................................................................
I am also interested in reasons for the increasing urban population of
parrots, lorikeets, and the larger honeyeaters I hear reported as
happening in the last 10 or so years. Do you have any theories in the
way of climate change, crop changes, loss of habitat, increased parks
and garden
plantings etc?
Any info or leads, reports etc would be of help, particularly census
reports in city parks similar to Perth
Regards
Rex Gilfillan
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