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 Page contents
What bird clubs or societies can I join? There are several clubs, societies and special interest groups in Australia, both at a national and local level. The peak body for these organisations is Birds Australia (formerly the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU)). Birds Australia is dedicated to the conservation, study and enjoyment of Australia's native birds and their habitats. You can find other local groups and special interest groups at the links page. Are there bird-watching courses I can do?
I have found an injured bird. What should I do?
Contacts
New South Wales - Wildlife Clinics:
For veterinarians, animal hospitals and clinics, search the Yellow Pages:
Australian Fauna Care: wildlife rescue listings
NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES)
Help for Wildlife: Victorian wildlife rescue site I have found a dead bird. What should I do? Although technically members of the public should have a licence to have in their possession dead native birds or parts of a bird (including skeletons, skulls and feathers), it is permitted in New South Wales as long as the specimen is being passed to the Museum. It is illegal to retain the specimen or parts of it without the appropriate permission from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service The Finding dead birds fact sheet explains how to donate a dead bird specimen to the Australian Museum. Dead birds found interstate should be taken to the local state museum - it is illegal to carry these across state borders without the appropriate permits. I have found a banded bird or a bird band. Who do I contact? The Australian Museum often receives calls regarding birds that have a band on the leg or other form of marking. Other callers find only the band itself or may find a dead bird with a band. To find out what to do, go to our Finding birds with bands or other marks fact sheet. I have an unusual parrot in my backyard. Who should I contact? It is possible that an unusual-looking parrot is an escapee. Some species that are regularly reported to the Australian Museum include: Indian Ringnecks, Long-billed Corellas, several cockatoo species and some odd-looking hybrids that are a result of wild and ex-cage lorikeets mating. Other bird species that are sometimes reported include racing pigeons, pheasants and partridges. There is no central office where aviary escapees can be reported. You may find that the bird is marked with coloured metal or plastic bands without letters or numbers, or metal bands with stamped letters or numbers. Aviculturists and zoos often use such bands on cage birds - our Finding birds with bands or other marks fact sheet tells you what to do if you do find such bands on the bird. If the bird is obviously tame enough to be caught and contained temporarily, and you have a properly set-up aviary or bird cage, you may wish to do so. If you are unsure about the bird's identity or tameness, you could contact a local wildlife organisation, but you must be aware that they do not normally deal with non-wild animals. Also contact your local pet store, veterinarian or newspaper for birds reported missing. Is it a good idea to feed birds in my garden? There are differing views on whether it is a good idea to feed birds in your garden. Most authorities agree that the best way to attract birds to gardens is by providing a good variety of native plants and a reliable supply of fresh water, as well as discouraging predators such as cats. Some issues associated with bird feeding are:
Find out more at Birds in Backyards – What do birds need? How can I attract only native birds to my garden to feed? There are several things that you can do to encourage native birds in your garden:
How can Magpies and humans co-exist safely together? What should I do about an extra-aggressive Magpie? Australian Magpies in urban areas tend to become used to people and are usually not a threat, but may become aggressive during breeding season, which lasts from about July to December. The majority of attacks take place in September, the peak of the season. Aggressive behaviour usually takes place near the nest and can involve swooping, wing-beating, beak clacking and sometimes injury. Avoiding attack usually involves avoiding trees which are known to hold breeding pairs and wearing protective headwear. Very aggressive birds may need to be dealt with by National Parks and Wildlife Services.
For more information about Australian Magpies: Are there any bird controls that will stop birds pecking my veranda rails or roof? Unfortunately most products marketed as bird repellents have not be proven to be very effective, and may also not be suitable for painted surfaces such as veranda rails. It also depends on the bird species that you are trying to discourage. Clear perspex sheeting has been used on city buildings to prevent pigeons from being able to grip onto surfaces and has been effective at stopping them from roosting or nesting. You may need to explore creative building solutions or ask at local hardware stores for good ideas. Do mechanical bird scarers work on farms and in orchards? Most mechanical devices such as motorised hawk models and noise-producing machines only have short-term effectiveness in scaring birds away from crops. However, over the long term, birds become accustomed to these devices and begin to ignore them. Solutions such as netting orchards and planting native food trees that may distract birds from crops could be more effective solutions. State Agriculture Departments should be able to further advise farmers. What research does the Museum do on birds? Two areas of the Australian Museum are involved in research work on Birds:
Ornithology Terrestrial Ecology
Ecology of Red-capped Robin and effects of nest predation What is being done about pest birds such as mynas and pigeons in the city? Common Mynas are not only a pest of cities - they have established themselves along the eastern seaboard of Australia and cause problems for native wildlife through competition for food and nest sites. Eradication methods have been tried but with disappointing results. Reduction of access to nest sites may be one method of control. Find out more at The Common (Indian) Myna site. Feral Pigeons cause problems in cities through the corrosive effects of their droppings on buildings and are also sources of disease. Solutions include constant cleanliness, removal of nests and prevention of roosting, through the use of good building design and slippery materials such as perspex that prevent the birds from being able to land. I hear a bird with a mournful and repetitive cry ('koo-well, koo-well'). What is it? It is likely to be a Common Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea), a hard species to observe. The male makes the call, and is a glossy black bird with a red eye. The female is silent and even harder to see. Birds in Backyards – Bird finder: Common Koel fact sheet (includes call) At around the same time every year, seabirds are washed up on beaches. What are they and what is happening to them?
These birds are Short-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris). Annual die-offs of this species occur between September to February, with high mortality in October fairly common. These birds migrate annually from Australian breeding islands to the north-western Pacific, returning south in spring. The mortality is due to a combination of exhaustion and starvation, and may be higher in juveniles, but in relation to total numbers, the number of deaths does not significantly affect the species. For more information and an interactive migration map: How do I prevent birds colliding with my windows? By reducing the reflectivity of windows or by creating physical barriers that prevent collisions you may help reduce the large number of bird deaths that occur every year. The Audubon Society has some good suggestions: http://www.audubon.org/educate/expert/window.html Do you have information about bird flu (Avian Influenza)? In the Australian Museum there are no experts on diseases transmitted by birds, however we can direct you to the following sources of information: Links
Articles
What is the difference between a crow and a raven? There is no clear difference between crows and ravens (Family Corvidae) other than a tradition that ravens are larger than crows. However, various types of ravens are no more related to each other than they are to one of the crows. In fact, the five native Australian species form a natural group whose members are closer to each other than they are to either crows or ravens on other continents. The conventional division into 'ravens' and 'crows' comes from England, where there are four species of these birds. Two are typically all black: the large Common Raven Corvus corax and the medium-sized Carrion Crow C. corone. The two smaller species are the Rook C. frugilegus, with a naked face, and the much smaller Jackdaw C. monedula, with a grey head. There are few counterparts of the Rook or the Jackdaw anywhere else in the world, and where two or more related birds occur together, they generally resemble the more typical English Raven and Crow. Like so many English bird names, 'crow' and 'raven' were applied to different species that were reminiscent of the original birds. In this way, larger black bird(s) in new places were called ravens, and the smaller ones, crows. However, Australia's rather moderately-sized ravens would probably only rate as crows in some other countries. The Australian Raven, Corvus coronoides, and the Forest Raven C. tasmanicus are Australia's largest species; the Little Crow C. bennetti is the smallest; and the Little Raven C. mellori and Torresian Crow C. orru are about the same, intermediate size. Ravens also have grey bases to the black body feathers (white in the crows) and longer feathers (hackles) on the throat. There are few other obvious differences.
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