Hello again,
I'd like to provide a little extra information in reply to the posting by
Greg Roberts on 17 December 2004.
Greg finds it hard to believe the high number of claimed sightings of
Coxen's Fig-Parrot made over recent years. Two possible explanations for the
apparent increase in sighting frequency relate to a) significantly greater
public awareness, and b) human population growth in or close to areas
inhabited by the bird.
With respect to the former, the recovery team has conducted a concentrated
campaign via brochures, electronic media, press articles, public
presentations, training workshops and targeted projects to heighten
awareness of fig-parrots in areas of known or potential habitat,
particularly emphasising the need to report all sightings as a matter of
urgency. Prior to this campaign, it is very likely that people were seeing
the birds but were not aware of their endangered status or that sightings
needed to be reported, while other people did not know what the birds were
at all. Even to non-birders, fig-parrots seen well (and I emphasise that)
are distinctive and memorable. Some sighting reports involve observers who
initially thought the birds they had seen were a type of lovebird (exotic
parrots of the genus Agapornis), which have an uncanny resemblance to
fig-parrots in size, body form and voice.
In relation to human population growth, the Maleny-Stanley River Road area
in south-east Queensland, the location of one of the clusters of reported
sightings I referred to previously, is a case in point. This stretch of
plateau and escarpment links the Blackall and Conondale Ranges and forms a
narrow, high altitude bridge between the headwaters of the Stanley and Mary
Rivers, the latter historically important for Coxen's Fig-Parrot. Up until
about 10 years ago, four dairy farms occupied the roughly 12km length of
this road. With recent settlement of the area (residents arriving from
Brisbane and interstate) no less than 70 households now occur along the same
stretch. More people mean more eyes and, importantly, the eyes of people
living permanently adjacent to the habitat of Coxen's Fig-Parrot. The
chances of such people encountering fig-parrots are far greater than they
are for the occasional, transient birder.
In my previous message (16 Dec 2004), my use of the term 'credible' when
describing some reports from members of the public was a little loose. What
I meant was they represent reports with sufficient information about the
bird and the circumstances of the sighting to be indicate the claimed
identification may have been correct. Naturally, without being present or
without tangible proof in the form of video, photographs, sound recordings
or a bird in the hand, we cannot stake our lives on the accuracy of such
reported sightings. Nevertheless, it would be remiss of the Coxen's
Fig-Parrot Recovery Team not to document and further investigate all such
reports because potential records may shed light on locations of extant
populations, habitat preferences, seasonal movement patterns, breeding
sites, etc. and help to target future searches or areas requiring habitat
rehabilitation. Furthermore, in situations where sightings appear to be bona
fide, it would be unwise for the recovery team not to adopt the
precautionary principle and so guide conservation or management decisions
accordingly. Rest assured, though, that not all claimed sightings are given
such consideration because many simply lack sufficient detail, are without
any form of substantiation or are obviously misidentifications.
Contrary to what Greg indicated, the recovery team has received several
reports involving Coxen's Fig-Parrot actually feeding in trees. The most
recent of these refer to the fig species Ficus racemosa (two cases), Ficus
rubiginosa/platypoda (two cases) and Ficus coronata (one case), and the
lilly pilly Acmena ingens (one case). Birds were reportedly observed feeding
for extended periods of time and on three occasions were actually detected
by the discarded pieces of fig flesh falling from the trees. Unfortunately
the recovery team only learned about each of these records well after the
event. Future confirmation of such important food tree observations will
depend upon the timely relaying of information about these opportunistic
encounters. Hopefully the necessary prompt communication will result from
the now improved community network.
Bye for now,
Ian
Dr Ian Gynther
Senior Conservation Officer
Conservation Services
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Southern Region
PO Box 64, Bellbowrie QLD 4070
Tel: (07) 3202 0250; Fax: (07) 3202 6844
E-mail:
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