Paul makes an interesting point about potential competition between the
Australian Brush-turkey and Superb Lyrebird in areas of geographical
overlap.
It appears to me that the spread of Lantana in bushland is assisting the
brush-turkey to colonise new areas around the greater Sydney area. The
Lantana provides the Brush-turkeys with shade and visual screening from
conspecifics, as well as food. On the other hand, Superb Lyrebirds favour
open forest floors, in forests with relatively dense understoreys. Invasion
of lyrebird habitat areas by Lantana would make them less suitable for
Superb Lyrebirds but potentially more suitable for Australian Brush-turkeys.
So I think Paul's concern about the potential of brush-turkeys displacing
lyrebirds in some forest/urban interface areas is a real one.
Stephen Ambrose
Ryde, NSW
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Paul Burcher
Sent: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 8:51 AM
To:
Subject: Brush Turkey invasion ??
Andrew
I thought Pied Currawongs were hosts for CBCs and over the decades Pied
Currawongs have flourished around Sydney at the expense of smaller birds
such as wrens. So CBCs could be a good thing despite them sounding like
someone dry wretching at 4:30am. In relation to Brush Turkeys they
maybe re-establishing distribution but they are expanding territory. I
guess that originally they would have been in deep gullies or riversides
that had rainforest or wet sclerophyll forest - now they are on ridgetop
suburbs (such as where I live Cowan, just south of the Hawkesbury) due
to the food availability. Could their expansion/re-establishment be at
the cost of Superb Lyrebirds? I know what I would rather have in my
backyard!
Paul Burcher
Andrew Taylor wrote:
> I'm not sure anyone posted a link to yesterday's Herald story:
>
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/first-it-was-the-march-of-the-cane-toad-x2
026-now-the-brush-turkey-is-eating-sydney-20091101-hrku.html
>
> The reporter unfortunately has jumbled some details - koels and
> Channel-billed Cuckoos are unlikely to displace small birds.
> By parasitizing wattlebirds & currawongs respectively they might
> even assist smaller birds.
>
> An alternative explanation for koels & CBCs increase in Sydney abundance
> (mentioned in the above article) is diet, as other frugivores like
> White-headed Pigeon & Figbird have also been expanding south. But maybe
> it host availability. One koel host - Magpie-lark was formerly much
> more abundant in Sydney - but Figbirds & wattlebirds are certainly more
> abundant now. Not sure if CBCs have more hosts available now.
>
> Andrew
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