Hi Thyer
In your posting below, you wrote:
"The bird
> died over night while in the care of NPWS."
I just wanted to comment that sometimes birds are so severely stressed by
their ordeal that they die even if in good care. I was supervisor at a
wildlife rehabilitation centre out of Perth for a time, and this was one of
the things we had to deal with. Our volunteers sometimes became quite
upset at the loss of some of the animals we cared for, and they didn't
understand how vulnerable some species (and/or individuals) are, whereas
others seem to manage to survive just about anything. I guess thats one of
the main reasons some species are so much more successful than others.
Of course, survival of the fittest is important in keeping any species
strong, healthy, and viable. The weaker ones often die (e.g. your Northern
Giant-Petrel specimen) leaving only the strongest to pass on their genes to
following generations. With our humanity, we're disturbed by the harshness
of nature, but when species are weakened, they are more like to die out as
a species.
Sorry. Your comment sent me off on a trail, which has probably been
discussed before. I post it here at risk of causing a stir, which I don't
want to do.
Regards
Jenn
Jennifer Muir
----------
> From: Thyer <>
> To: Lloyd Nielsen <>
> Cc:
> Subject: Re: birding-aus Northern Giant-Petrel in north Queenslasnd
> Date: Friday, 6 August 1999 8:20
>
> Lloyd Nielsen wrote:
> >
> > Del Richards has asked me to put the following posting on birding-aus -
> >
> > An immature Northern Giant-Petrel was picked up at sea off Low Isles
off
> > Port Douglas on 31.July, 1999 (approx 16 degrees 30' South). It was
> > taken to the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas where it later died.
> > Weight was 1.9 kg - bird was emaciated - usual weight apparenty about 3
> > kg. It is now being lodged with Queensland Museum. Probably first
> > record for north Queensland.
> >
> > Lloyd Nielsen
> > Mt Molloy, Nth Qld
>
> Hi Lloyd and Birding Aus-ers,
> I had a similar experience with a Northern Giant-Petrel back in 1986. I
> worked off-shore at the coal loading facility at Hay Point near Mackay,
> and one day we saw a bird in the water having difficulty staying
> upright. It would keep tippling over on one side and stretching out it's
> wing to try to balance and keep afloat. Seeing it's distress we launched
> the rescue boat and retrieved it from the water. The bird had a pungent
> odour and was infested with some sort of lice. It was brought in to the
> then National Parks and Wildlife office in Mackay where Doug Shultz
> Positively identified it as an adult Northern Giant-Petrel. The bird
> died over night while in the care of NPWS.
> Kind regards
> Les Thyer
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