Natalie
I agree with Greg's email as far as feeding predatory birds goes. Other
birds that can become a problem with artificial feeding are some species of
cockatoo and parrots, and larger honeyeaters.
As Greg says some people don't even agree with providing water, but this
argument could be extended to anyone growing a fruit tree, bananas or
flowering shrub in their garden, or having a fish pond that birds drink
from.
In our Top End garden, we provide some small seed for finches, and have lots
of complex native vegetation and ponds, along with bananas which, when
they're flowering attract a range of honeyeaters including Blue-faced and
White-gaped, and Silver-crowned Friarbirds (I also grow the best bananas in
the neighbourhood).
And while there are relatively tame Silver-backed Butcherbirds in the nearby
park, they don't generally venture our way.
Good luck
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
1/7 Songlark Street
BAKEWELL NT 0832
Ph. 61 08 89 328306
> http://web.mac.com/goodfellowdl
> http://www.earthfoot.org
> http://www.mcguire-spickard.com/baby_dreaming/
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baby-dreaming
> http://www.ausbird.com
On 13/5/07 1:15 PM, "Greg" <> wrote:
> Hi Natalia,
>
> The problem that you have experienced is a common saga throughout Australia
> where people feed birds. Not only is the neighbour's budgie at risk (I am
> not really worried about it as it can be easily replaced) but by attracting
> predatory birds such as Butcherbirds, Kookaburras, Magpies, Currawongs etc.
> to backyards people are making it less liveable for small birds which either
> get eaten or chased away. Of course some backyards are only suitable for
> large birds and the lack of habitat can explain some of the absences but
> feeding birds is a real conservation problem. I understand your attachment
> to the strong and bold predators but they should be allowed to live their
> lives in a way which is more harmonious with other species.
>
On 13/5/07 10:14 AM, "Natalia Atkins" <> wrote:
> Hi, This is my first email to the Birding Australia group, so first
> off I'd like to say Hi and thankyou all for offering these interesting
> discussons (about my favourite topic)
> I've been following some of the threads and learning a lot!
>
> I apologise in advance for the long post, and thank you for taking
> time out of your day to read it.
>
> I have a problem regarding local grey butcherbirds here in Brisbane,
> and I'm not sure how to handle it (or whether I should just let it
> go).
>
> As most of you know, the drought has hit brissy quite hard and so like
> many locals, I have set up a bird bath in my yard to attract the local
> birds and offer a bit of water to help out.
>
> The water attracts a variety of birds, but we've absolutely fallen in
> love with a family of grey butcherbirds, and another family of
> Kookaburras. We toss them a bit of mince meat here and there and
> they've become very tame (or, more likely, were previously tamed by
> other people).
>
> Anyway we were overjoyed by the birdlife being in our garden until a
> month ago, when our neighbour said he didn't want them around. He said
> that the birds, being predators, sit and watch his budgie, which he
> hangs in a little cage on his clothes line. He is concerned that they
> will attack it or eat it, and is frustrated that his yard attracts
> Hawks, Kookaburras, Butcherbirds, and Minors which all like sitting
> around in his yard watching his budgie.
>
> Anyway, he blames me for this, and can't see that part of the problem
> is that his budgie being pegged out like bait on his clothes line is
> attracting the predatory birds to his yard, not just the water bath in
> my yard.
>
> Anyway, he `told me off' and said he is going to kill any predatory
> bird that comes into his yard, and that if I care about them, I'll
> stop feeding them and get rid of the water bath.
>
> I explained to him that its illegal and said he didn't care; its his
> yard he can do anything he wants.
>
> Well, we decided to keep the bath. But we have stopped feeding the
> birds mince in my yard. I resent this situation like h*ll, and I have
> been very upset about the whole thing.
>
> Anyway, the tamest of all the birds by far were this years batch of
> baby grey butcherbirds. I've tried to change their habit of visiting
> us each day by feeding them in the park across the road, but they keep
> coming back and looking at the neighbour's budgie!
>
> The problem is they are so tame and trusting, it wouldn't take much
> for a determined neighbour to lure them close enough to trap and kill
> them.
>
> Over the last month since the neighbour threatened to kill the birds,
> 2 of the 7 month old baby butcherbirds have disappeared. Its an
> absolutely gut wrenching experience as I've become so close and
> attached to them. I fear all the time that the other remaining baby
> and adults will be killed by him, then the Kookaburras. It feels like
> someone killing my pets, you know? And maybe he's not doing it, and
> they are just dying from something else?
> But I worry so much about it and he seems cruel enough to act on his threats.
>
> So I don't really know what to do. I have discussed it with family and
> friends, and I think the most overwhelming response I got was `they're
> just birds' or `butcherbirds are pests'.
>
> I had no idea people felt this way about them. I even rang the EPA
> about reporting illegal killing of protected birds. They told me they
> regarded them as pests too and sided with the guy! They said I
> couldn't make an anonymous report, and that I'd need photos of him
> actually killing the birds if I wanted to take it further legally.
> Which is fair enough, but I felt like my concerns were trivialised and
> that noone really gives a hoot.
>
> So I feel that at this point, short of stalking the neighbour with
> surveillance gear, I just have to let it go and live with the pain of
> losing these little friends, one by one. Its killing me inside, but I
> just can't think of what else to do.
>
> If anyone has any suggestions or has experienced anything like it, I
> would really appreciate an outside opinion. And thanks for listening;
> it means a lot.
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