Hi Michael,
The Otways has a very limited number of bird species recorded, compared
with similar wet forest habitats in the East of the state (East of
Melbourne).
I've never heard of any historical or current records of the two species
you mention in the Otways, however the book to check is:
Belcher. Charles F., The Birds of the District of Geelong, Australia, 1914
>From my experience, only the following 'wet forest speciality' species
exist in the Otways: Olive Whistler, Rufous Fantail, Satin Bowerbird,
Bassian Thrush, Pink and Rose Robin.
A number of other wet forest species that you'd expect to find,
(Red-browed Treecreeper, Large-billed Scrubwren, Lewins Honeyeater, Doves,
Gerygones etc), just dont seem to like it!.
Its a real mystery to me why more species dont inhabit the Otway Ranges.
Whether its a soil type/vegetation thing, a predatory reason, or something
else.
I remember reading once that the regional aboriginal tribe, the
Wauthaurong (whose territory bordered the Otway Ranges), had myths
describing the people that inhabited the otway ranges as lawless
cannibals, and it was forbidden for anyone to enter the ranges.
I think the group of humans that lived in the otways were more closely
related to the Tasmanian aboriginals and probably had a different set of
stories and law that governed their use of the environment. I wonder if
they used birds as a primary food source and hunted a number of species to
extintcion that have just never returned???
Anyway...i'm just theorising now...hopefully someone else might have some
better answers.
Peter
Michael Todd <>
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28/02/2008 04:35 PM
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[Birding-Aus] Otways- Eastern Whipbird, Superb Lyrebird?
Hello all,
I'm currently writing a couple of lectures on Tasmanian birds. One of
the papers that I've read is one by Ridpath and Moreau 1966 (in Ibis
108: 348-393) in which they compare the avifauna of Victoria and
Tasmania. They mention that the Eastern Whipbird and Superb Lyrebird do
not occur in the Otway Ranges of Vic.
They say that the significance of this is that it shows that there were
other factors responsible for the relatively depauperate Tasmanian
avifauna than simply Bass Strait. ie. that there were habitat reasons
for why some forest birds didn't occur everywhere during the last 12,000
years or so.
Not having a great deal of experience in Victoria birds, can anyone
confirm or deny that the Eastern Whipbird and Superb Lyrebird occur in
the Otways?
Cheers
Mick Todd
--
_________________________________________________________________________________
Michael Todd
Wildlifing: Images of Nature: www.wildlifing.com
Latest Images: Macquarie Island- King Penguin
PhD Candidate- Tasmanian Masked Owl
School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 05, Hobart,
Tasmania 7001
Mobile: o458 394676
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