Mallee-fowl flight

[John Leonard <>]

Surely the foxes would/do eat the young birds, before they could fly?

On 12/19/05, Syd Curtis <> wrote:

 

Frith found that foxes are not a serious threat to mallee-fowl.  They do
take some eggs, but in the heat of summer the sand of the mound is so dry
that it falls back in faster than the fox can dig it out so some eggs
survive.  The main threat to mallee-fowl - at least in those days - was
competition for food from sheep and rabbits at a critical time of the year.

BTW, I strongly recommend the book.  Harry Frith (later Chief of the
Division of Wildlife Research of CSIRO) spent some years studying these
birds, and their amazing behaviour.  Borrow, or buy second-hand, if you
possibly can.

Cheers

Syd




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-- 
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net