birding-aus

RE: (Urban) Red V Little Wattlebirds territory requirements

To: "Tim Dolby" <>
Subject: RE: (Urban) Red V Little Wattlebirds territory requirements
From:
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 09:42:01 +0800 (WST)
>
>
>
> Little Wattlebird are becoming more common. The main reason for this is
> almost certainly related to the fact that people are planting more
> banksia and grevillea species. In my yard alone I have planted 3 banksia
> species (Banksia serrata, B. marginata, B. spinulosa) and a range of
> grevillea and grevillea cultivar hybrids (Grevillea rosmarinifolia, G.
> Robusta, G. Elegance, G. Honey Gem, G. Poorinda). Little Wattlebirds,
> and a few others, such as Eastern Spinebill, love them. The ongoing
> 'drought' conditions have therefore favoured this species, mainly
> because people are starting to plant the sort of plants that don't need
> much watering. Australian city habitats are changing.
>
> Tim Dolby
>
  It's not only Australian plants which feed Little Wattlebirds.  In
recent years Little Wattlebirds have arrived every Autumn in our garden.
 First they feed on a neighbour's Tecomaria capensis, then on our pink
Protea for months, as long as the flowers last.  They seem to dominate
when Red Wattlebirds also wish to feed on the Protea. Both plants are
South African.  (Eastern Spinebills also feed on Tecomaria as well as
South American Fuchsias).

Anthea Fleming



===============================
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