Some comments on John Young?s Fig-Parrot discovery ?
The negative article in The Australian throwing some doubt on the discovery
should be dismissed and forgotten. There is more to this behind the scenes
than meets the eye. The main complaint from those quoted is that
photographs/data have not been released previously. The fact is that it has
been ?work in progress? for some years which needed to be gathered before it
was made known.
As one of a few trusted people who have been privileged to share in some of
the facts and to see a range of photographs over the time, this has to be
one of the most exciting ornithological finds for many years.
There have been suggestions that the published photograph may have been of a
captive bird. This is false ? all birds photographed were free flying wild
birds. I would regard the veiled suggestion in the article in The Australian
that the photograph(s) have been a known race of Fig-Parrot with colours
altered/shifted by computer as despicable. This certainly did not happen.
This special bird really does exist as depicted in the published photograph.
As has been made known, the intention is to eventually publish a paper on
the discovery. The very fact that Ian (Dr Ian Gynther) is working with John
on this means that the project is in excellent, capable hands. The rest of
us just have to be patient. There is still a lot of work to be done.
The reason that the locality has been kept secret is not because of the
probability of birders tramping around trying to find it but because of fear
of collecting. John made it known at the release (which the Queensland
Minister for the Environment attended) at O?Reilly?s recent Bird Week that
it had been suggested to him that some specimens should be taken for
?further scientific study?!
As far as John capitalising on the discovery by taking tours there at some
later date (the locality is quite remote and difficult to access), I doubt
that he would but if he did, I would say good luck to him. To get this far
has cost him an enormous amount in time and expense and Australian
ornithology will be the beneficiary in the long run. The chance of anyone
finding a tiny, quiet, elusive, apparent canopy dweller in foliage the same
colour as itself without the combined observational and climbing skills of
John Young is about zilch!
As to a personal opinion on the bird?s eventual identity considering the
information I have been privileged to, I would not offer one other than to
say I would be quite surprised if it turned out to be Coxen?s Fig-Parrot.
Without singing John?s praises too much, I think he should be given the
accolades he deserves. Only he could have found such a bird in such a
situation (how many of us are prepared to spend night after night sitting
and sleeping in the rainforest canopy to study secretive owls and the
like?). If this bird turns out to be an unknown race or species of
Fig-Parrot, the fact remains that it has escaped some very competent
ornithologists and collectors over the past two centuries. John may operate
in an unconventional manner but in light of his results, that should be
accepted and encouragement given. As one of his close friends and privy to
some of his confidential information, I fully believe that he is one of the
most competent field ornithologists that this country has seen. One example
is his recent Eastern Bristlebird work which has been near mind-blowing.
When it was feared the species may be extinct in SE Qld, EPA employed him to
try to locate any remaining birds. Not only did he find a dozen or so pairs
but he found nests in near impossible situations which resulted in an
apparent thriving captive colony being established and probably ensuring the
survival of this race should wild populations become extinct.
Finally, it would be no surprise if there are further exciting finds to come
over the next few years.
Lloyd Nielsen
Mt Molloy Nth Qld
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