Matthew-
You wrote,
in relation to Bustard decline:
“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.”
Note that
the dates given were pre-myxomatosis, early 1900s. How much impact? It’s a hard
one, since the presence of rabbits and foxes are both likely to have had
significant impacts on bustards. Rabbits,
by alteration of the landscape, which was often very significant, and foxes by
predation. So, did the baiting kill
more Bustards than it saved by controlling foxes and rabbits? And what happens if you only control
rabbits? If rabbits decline, do foxes
switch to other types of prey, such as bustards? Murky waters.
Scott O’Keeffe
-----Original
Message-----
From:
[On
Behalf Of Matthew Herring
Sent: 11 March 2001 14:18
To:
Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] More on
Bustard numbers/decline
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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