An ongoing source of contention here (as no doubt elsewhere) is the feeding
of wild waterbirds, especially swans, on Lake Burley Griffin. One woman in
particular regularly delivers vast quantities of bread to them!
Legislation seems not to be feasible, and the National Capital Authority is
drafting stronger signs, giving reasons preferably not to feed at all, and
certainly not bread. I've been asked if I know of any scientific basis for
saying that "bread is bad for them". I don't, though that hasn't stopped me
in the past, I fear, from making assertions anyway!
So, does anyone know of any published material on deleterious (or otherwise
I guess!) effects of bread on waterbirds? I'm speaking physiologically;
reasons based on unnatural accumulations of birds, loss of fear of humans,
etc etc are probably pretty well covered.
Thanks in advance
Ian
Ian Fraser, Canberra
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Writing Consultancy
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 02 6249 1560 fax: 02 6247 3227
---
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
