Alex J. Saar wrote:
Historical note:
Birds of Western Australia by D.L. Serventy and H.M. Whittell (1976)
states:
Quote:
Distribution: The Long-billed Corella is confined to the South-West from
about Geraldton to the south coast.
The bird is no longer found near Perth, where it occurred abundantly, as
elsewhere in the Sout-West, when the colony was first settled. The
botanist, Charles Fraser, who accompanied Captain James Stirling on a
survey of the Swan River in March 1827, observed "large flocks" of this
cockatoo at the eastern part of what is now the City of Perth near the
Swan
River, and noted that the birds "feed on the roots of orchideous plants,
for which they scratch to a considerable depth." George Fletcher Moore,
the
Advocate General, wrote in his diary on June 23, 1835, that at Guildford
the "white cockatoos are becoming very troublesome upon the wheat, as
well
as the crows. One is obliged to keep a boy to drive them away, or to
make
some contrivance to frighten them... It is singular to see a field
spotted
black and white with these depredators 'piebalded'." They have not been
seen in such numbers near Perth within living memory, but in other parts
of
the South-West they remained in strength until comparatively recent
times.
... Small colonies survive in isolated parts of the Darling Range
country....
End of Quote.
Frank OConnor wrote:
>
> Alex Saar mentioned that Long-billed Corellas are historically native to
> Perth. This is incorrect. It is the Western Corella, and I don't know of
> much evidence that they were very common on the Swan Coastal Plain. (i.e.
> west of the Darling Range).
>
You are a bit short in the tact department Frank, particularly since
Alex has gone to the trouble of quoting an historical source.
As a general comment on on-line manners, I would suggest that people
check the veracity of things they doubt off-line before they make their
comments on B-A.
Regards, Laurie.
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