In recents months there have have been Topknot Pigeons report from sites
well into Sydney suburbia, such as Marrickville, Gladesville, Moore Park,
Greenwich, where there seem to be no recent records. They've been in my
local park in Glebe which is part of the Sydney City Local Government area.
If you want to see how urban these sites are, take a look at the Google
map view for Petersham: http://goo.gl/maps/5HI3a
where Simon Gorta reported some yesterday.
I'm wondering is the one-off event with perhaps lack of fruit elsewhere
causing the pigeons to forage into sub-optimal habitat?
Or are the forerunners of a new seasonal or even resident element in
Sydney's suburban avifauna?
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo are an interesting analog. Two decades or
so ago they were limited to Sydney bushy fringes but now quite sizeable
flocks forage seasonally into the centre of Sydney. You can see flocks of
YTBCs wheeling over busy Sydney roads like Anzac Parade in Kensington.
White Ibis are another interesting urbanization. A few decades ago
their closest breeding to Sydney was Macquarie Marshes. Now they nest
in palm Trees on busy roads in the centre of Sydney.
I'm betting Topknots will join Crested Pigeons as the second native
pigeon to really urbanize in Sydney (at least seasonally) - not just in
the leafy suburbs, like bronzewings etc.
Andrew
|
