Cotoneaster & Gang Gang Cockatoos

Jade, there is certainly plenty of material on Cotoneaster species as invasive weeds in Australia and mention that the plant is spread by birds.  However, there is little mention of which species of Cotoneaster or which birds do the spreading.

Here in Victoria we have at least 7 species of Cotoneaster (all introduced, many of which are sold in the nursery trade!).  Large-leaf Cotoneaster Cotoneaster glaucophylla f. serotinus is spread by Common Blackbirds in se Australia and probably elsewhere.

Some good sites on Cotoneaster as weeds are:

http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weedident.cgi?tpl=plant.tpl&state=&s=&ibra=all&card=S01

http://www.treesforlife.org.au/rogues/weeds/cotoneaster.html

I notice that HANZAB (vol. 4, p. 98) mentions Cotoneaster glaucophyllus (Wood 1992) as a food of Gang Gang.

Maybe Philip Veerman and the Canberra Ornithologists Group can assist, as they mention this issue in their newsletter.

cheers, Martin

Martin O'Brien
Threatened Species & Communities Section
Department of Sustainability and Environment
2/8 Nicholson St. (PO Box 500), East Melbourne  3002


Tel: 9637 9869