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Re: Breeding of Magpie Geese

To: <>
Subject: Re: Breeding of Magpie Geese
From: "Greg Clancy" <>
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 12:56:43 +1100
Hi David,
 
Despite the fact that the evidence is circumstantial there is a good case to put that they bred locally.  The evidence is:
 
the local flock of 30 or so birds vacated their long-term usual roost site;
an equivalent number were seen after that in the Coldstream in pairs or small groups;
an equivalent number of adults returned to the usual roost site accompanied by juvenile, not immature, birds. 
juveniles were heard calling in the Coldstream before the flock turned up at Waterview;
No geese have been seen in the Coldstream since the adults and juveniles arrived at Waterview.
As indicated in your email, access to the Coldstream sites was not possible due to them being private property and also inundated so therefore observations were made from some distance making the detection of nests virtually impossible;
There is no evidence that they have migrated from Queensland;
I am not aware of any breeding in southern Queensland in recent years (although this is possible).
Russell Jago, Warren Thompson and myself all agree that there is a strong case for local breeding, albeit not proven beyond doubt.  I believe that the record should be treated as 'probable breeding'.
 
Some years ago a number of immature geese arrived in the local area, but as these were much older than the juveniles observed last year, I considered that they may have flown in from up north.  However they may have been bred locally.
 
 
Regards
 
Greg
 
 
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