http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1603406.htm
Wednesday, March 29, 2006. 10:31am (AEDT)
Starlings search finds new populations
A major effort to locate invading flocks of starlings across Western
Australia's south-east has led to the discovery of new populations of
the pest.
Starlings are an introduced species capable of destroying pastures and
crops.
During the past week a total of 30 farms west of Jerdacuttup were
searched by surveillance teams coordinated by the Department of
Agriculture.
Marion Massam from the department says the birds were discovered on
eight farms, about 30 kilometres further west of sites already known to
contain the pests.
Mrs Massam says control measures are already in place to ensure the
starlings do not spread to new areas.
"Traps have been moved into the area where this new group of birds has
been found, we've managed to get radio transmitters on the backs of
some of those birds and that will help us locate their mates in the
flocks," she said.
"As well as that, we're going to have to do a little bit further more
surveillance to the west."
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