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Hi Birders,
Penny Drake-Brockman's note of 20 February 2001
about seeing two White-headed pigeons feeding almost within the Sydney CBD while
unusual, is not an extension of range. White-headed Pigeons occur further south
to about Narooma, but the observation represents an in-filling of the range.
Previously White-headed Pigeons were only known to occur irregularly in some of
Sydney's northern leafy suburbs (the North Shore), on the lower slopes of the
Blue Mountains and in some of Sydney's southern suburbs. However their
predeliction for the fruits of introduced trees, viz Camphor Laurel, Privet and
various 'wild olives" and the fact that no one shoots them for the pot anymore,
means that they are well and truly on the increase. Compare their numbers now
with the situation in 1958 "The Birds of Sydney (Hindwood & McGill) when it
was reported that there were no recent observations!
Alan Morris
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