Sydney Porter—Notes from Australia



311



desert. All this, of course, means death to the various birds, as their


food supply is now cut oil.


Many hitherto scarce Parrakeets and Finches now appear to be much

more plentiful on the bird market and people who do not know the

cause are apt to think that these species are now increasing. The truth

is that these birds are being forced out of their hitherto remote habitats

by erosion and are trying to seek pastures new and thus coming nearer

to civilization. Also owing to the extension of travel facilities to the

remote parts the habitats of the rarer birds are being discovered, and

as soon as this becomes known the trappers hurry to the spot and are

not content until most of the birds have been trapped. This is especially

so in the case of Turquoisine Parrakeet and the Painted Finch.


The introduced fox is playing havoc with the ground birds such as

the Pigeons, Lyrebirds, Mallee Fowl, Brush Turkeys, Bustards, etc.

The fox has no enemies so increases unchecked and I suppose in the

end will exterminate most of the larger ground birds.


Another serious factor, and one which could be controlled, is poison

in various forms. When rabbits were so very plentiful as to become a

menace the “ Poison Cart ” was employed. This laid poison (strychnine

mixed with bran) in furrows on the land and a great deal of this was

eaten by birds especially Parrots.


A good many sheep-grazers poison the water in the troughs about

the wells to kill the foxes and dingoes which come to drink, but in the

meantime countless thousands of birds are destroyed, as this is often

the only water for miles and most birds come to these troughs to

drink twice a day. One person I met stated that he recently saw and

counted over five thousand various Parrots, including many Lead-

beater’s Cockatoos, at one drinking place which had been poisoned.


I was told of fruit-growers who sprayed their fruit trees with poison

to kill the Lorikeets and in one large orchard four dray loads of Musky

Lorikeets were carted away. Yet I was refused permission by the

authorities to take away one single pair of these birds.


Many thousands of Gouldian and other Finches are exported each

year from the Northern Territories, and it is probable that the species

will not be able to stand this continual drain on their numerical strength

for many more years.



