More on Bustard numbers/decline

["Matthew Herring" <>]

Just some interesting facts that others may have not read or heard about:

In the Readers Digest complete book of Aust. birds: "In 1896 flocks of 50-60 were found near Moree, NSW and in 1897, a flock of more than 1000 birds was seen near Hay, NSW. Both this book and HANZAB (vol. 2, pg. 637) refer to flocks of up to 200 in the Kimberley and when at Broome Bird Observatory i do remember reading about a record of 40+ behind the observatory on the plains, approx. 10 years ago. This is in their old record sheets. Given the threatened status of most of the world's 20 or so species of Bustard, you'd think we'd be well and truly on to it by now. Interesting to read in HANZAB, of the susceptability of the Australian Bustard to control programs for locusts, mice, rabbits etc. and that hundreds were poisoned by baits in the Riverina and other regions of southern Australia. Has anyone out there seen good numbers in QLD recently? 

Matthew Herring - Albury, NSW. 

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