birding-aus

Re: Grey Butcherbird killings in Brisbane-Needadvice please

To: "Birding-aus" <>
Subject: Re: Grey Butcherbird killings in Brisbane-Needadvice please
From: "Terry Bishop" <>
Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 17:23:57 +1000 (AUS Eastern Standard Time)
 
 
 
My parents lost a budgie due to the Butcherbirds pecking at the cage causing

The budgie to die from stress. 
 
Terry B 
Orange, NSW 
 
-------Original Message------- 
 
From: Peter Shute 
Date: 05/14/07 10:08:19 
To: Natalia Atkins;  
Subject: Re: Grey Butcherbird killings in Brisbane-Need 
Advice please 
 
A question for the list: 
Can a Butcherbird really pull a budgie out through the bars of a typical 
Budgie cage? If so, I think I might consider draping a shroud of fine 
Chicken wire over it before I hung it out, if it was my budgie. 
 
Questions for Natalia: 
Has this neighbour lived there for a long time? Was he there before you 
Moved in? If so, he may know that there were never this many 
Butcherbirds around before, and be correct that it's you who has 
Attracted unnatural numbers. It will be interesting to see what happens 
To the numbers if you stop or reduce the feeding. Perhaps even tell him 
You've done this - many people are overjoyed to have their concerns 
Taken seriously, and good neighbours are a valuable thing. 
 
I'm also intrigued at someone's suggestions that there should be no Red 
Wattlebirds there. When you've double checked what they are, please let 
Us all know your conclusions. Whether they are or aren't what you 
Thought, we're interested! To help with identification, try 
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder . 
 
You mention that "some prefer the smaller seed eating breeds of birds", 
Etc. I'm wondering if you own a pair of binoculars. Once you can see 
The smaller birds more clearly you might be amazed, not only at how many 
Types there are around, but how many you just thought were sparrows, 
Etc. 
 
As for what happened to the two that disappeared, there are so many 
Possibilities that one couldn't be sure he has anything to do with it. 
After all, have you ever watched the rearing of a family of Butcherbirds 
>From start to finish before? At some point the young ones will have to 
Disperse to their own territories, I would have thought. I don't know 
At what age that would normally be, or whether they'd keep hanging 
Around if they're being fed. 
 
Peter Shute 
 
 wrote on Sunday, 13 May 2007 4:07 PM: 
 
> Thankyou so much for taking some time out to consider my 
> situation, all of you. Bless your hearts!! 
> 
> Well I think I have learned my lesson. I most definitely 
> won't be taming any more wild birds at this particular 
> address. I can't protect the ones I love and I can't bear 
> their loss when they are killed. Talk about heartbreak!!! It 
> sincerely feels like two beloved pets have been slaughtered 
> and I miss them SO much. I am steeling myself as much as I 
> can for the potential slaughter of the remaining 3 birds, and 
> then whatever else that guy can catch. 
> 
> Grey Butcherbirds are incredibly charming, intelligent, 
> charismatic little birds. I can understand that everyone has 
> their preferences, and some prefer the smaller seed eating 
> breeds of birds, or something more `pretty' like a parrot. I 
> can only say that I know these birds as individuals, and I 
> have grown to love them as individuals. It wasn't a choice I 
> made; they chose me and I have felt blessed to have them in my life. 
> 
> Anyway, all your advice and the extra information you have 
> provided about the natural behaviour of these birds has 
> helped. It hasn't been easy to hear some of it, but 
> nonetheless I'm listening:) 
> 
> PS. The main local birdlife here in east Brisbane consists of: 
> 
> rainbow lorikeets (huge numbers), 
> Noisy minors (huge numbers) 
> Peaceful Doves (huge numbers) 
> Fig birds (huge numbers) , 
> bluefaced honey eaters (small numbers) , 
> red wattle birds (small numbers) 
> Swallows (medium numbers) , 
> Tawny frogmouths (one family) 
> Australian crows (one family) 
> Magpies (one family), 
> Grey Butcherbirds (one family) 
> Collared sparrowhawk (one pair) 
> 
> The `plagues' (if you want to call more than one family in area a 
> plague) are the noisy minors, doves, and rainbow lorikeets. 
> 
> Thanks again:) 
> =============================== 
> www.birding-aus.org 
> birding-Aus.blogspot.com 
> 
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, 
> send the message: 
> unsubscribe 
> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) 
> to:  =============================== 
www.birding-aus.org 
Birding-Aus.blogspot.com 
 
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, 
send the message: 
unsubscribe 
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line) 
to:  
 

===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com

To unsubscribe from this mailing list, 
send the message:
unsubscribe 
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to: 
===============================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU