Do
these birds gather on turf farms to collect the dying scarab beattles (and what
ever else) that are killed as part of their turf management? I say this as I
live in a street that has manicured lawns that are regularly sprayed for these
beattles which are readily eaten by local magpies and magpie larks. I am
unsure of the effects of the chemicals on the birds.
Mitch
In the Hawkesbury area NW of Sydney, it is not
unusual to see flocks of upto 100-200 Masked Lapwings in the turf farms. Large
groups in particular are often beside Fernleighs Lagoon in Richmond. During
the 1994 drought, I also once counted about 80 Banded Lapwings in the
Windsor side of the turf farms (the largest number I have seen of this species
anywhere within Australia).
Though not a lapwing but a flycatcher,
Magpie-larks can also be seen in huge numbers on these turf
farms.
Edwin Vella
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