Hi,
I wasn't sure where to direct this email, hope you can help me with this?
Recently whilst searching through threads on 'Birding - Aus' for any
reference to what I see is the plight of 'Sulphur Crested Cockatoos' along
the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne, I came across this following article (part
thereof):
Kamikaze Cockatoos
Fiona Anderson wrote:
Hello all,
Further to Carol's sighting, on many occasions I have seen Sulphur-crested
Cockatoos riding the ?wave? of air a few feet in front of large trucks
travelling at nearly 100km/h along the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne. The
first time I was following a truck and saw a cockatoo fly above and then
drop in front of the truck. I expected to see a puff of white feathers as
the bird was hit. No such sight. Instead, about 10 seconds later the bird
suddenly reappeared and flew into a nearby tree with its crest raised and in
full screech. I have since seen it from other angles and the cockatoos do
indeed surf the pressure wave for a few seconds. I have no doubt that this
behaviour is deliberate. Maybe a possible future research project is
adrenaline addiction in Cockatoos!
Happy Birding,
Susie
However, what I see as I drive West and East along the Freeway are a
collection of 'Sulphur Crested Cockatoos' scattered along the verges of the
Freeway or plastered across the asphalt that haven't been successful at
evading traffic, let alone surfing the pressure wave in front of large
trucks!
There is no doubt that the Freeway is going to get busier this year with the
opening of the 'Eastern Freeway Extension' and more Cockatoos will succumb
to being fatally wounded on that stretch of road.
The questions I ask are, "Have any birding groups undertaken research
concerning this/these flocks/s of Cockatoos along the Eastern Freeway, i.e.
are the flocks diminishing in size or endangered?" and "Would it be a
reasonable idea to have signage established along the Freeway to bring to
drivers consciousness that these Cockatoos are Freeway users as well and
caution needs to be taken?"
Thanks for your assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Anthony Purdon
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