I fear my previous message may have been filtered out.
With regard to the canard that bird-flu is spread by migratory birds, I
noticed a report in 'The Age" (Melbourne), either yesterday (Monday 2nd
Feb) or the day before, thast while birds in Thai zoos and aviaries were
dying, migratory species there were apparently unaffected.
Back before World War II, when the very isolated Scots island of
St.Kilda was still inhabited by humans and sheep, there was an outbreak
of psittacosis on the island - apparently transmitted by seabirds, eg
auks, shearwaters and gannets, which were a staple food. No such
infection had been recorded before in all the island's history. It
appears that a ship in the North Atlantic had been carrying a
consignment of parrots for the pet trade, but they fell sick and died.
They were thrown overboard and were presumably found floating by birds
nesting on St. Kilda, which ate them. The islanders therefore were
affected in their turn and I believe there were a number of deaths.
Fortunately the disease did not persist among the seabird colonies.
I have heard of someone who became very ill some weeks after being
bitten by a parrot in a celebrated bird park in Singapore. The parrot
landed on him and bit him entirely of its own accord - he did not handle
or feed it. It took a long time to identify the infection which did not
manifest until he was back in Australia.
I do not encourage my grandchildren to allow Crimson Rosellas to
share their food at local picnic-grounds - it's all too easy to find a
bird helping itself to your sandwich after walking down your arm. Better
keep bird and human food separate, however beautiful and confiding they
are.
Anthea Fleming
--------------------------------------------
Birding-Aus is now on the Web at
www.birding-aus.org
--------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message 'unsubscribe
birding-aus' (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
