Peach Faced Lovebird - The Next Feral Bird for Alice?



A Peach-Faced Lovebird photographed in the wild in Braitling



Could this be the next avian invader for Alice Springs? The Peach-faced Lovebird, a popular and very attractive pet bird, is native to arid parts of the south-west of Africa around Namibia.

It is a hollow nesting species and we are right in the middle of their breeding season now. There is a small flock which has been resident around Braitling for several weeks now and there is a risk that they may be breeding.

Please keep an eye out for this, or any other feral bird species that you notice around your gardens. Notify the authorities and let us know so we can get the word out. Coming from an area with quite similar climate to Alice, this species could potentially be a greater danger of spreading out further from town than the Spotted Turtle-dove.

We're beginning to get on top of the feral Spotted Turtle-dove problem so the last thing we need is to have another outbreak of feral birds.

Cheers

Bananas From a Horse Paddock!

Last week, Land for Wildlife coordinators went to assess a new property for membership. The property, in the racecourse/winery rural area, had some nice specimens of remnant Ironwood and Fork-leaved Corkwood trees. A portion of the property, however, had been used for horse grazing in the past and showed signs of its grazing history, with shrubs eaten below 'horse height'.

Bush Banana fruit in an old horse paddock

 A low diversity of grasses and herbs occurred, with the understorey dominated by Buffel Grass.Imagine our surprise then when we stumbled across this gem in the middle of the old horse paddock! A healthy Bush Banana (Marsdenia australia) twining up an old Ironwood stump.
The Bush Banana can be found in semi-arid woodland and mulga in Central Australia. It is often inconspicuous as its thin, woody stems wind their way up taller trees and shrubs and its foliage is often lost amongst that of the supporting plant.


The most obvious and unmistakable part of the plant are its fruit. They are large and pear shaped and often occur within a month of good rainfall. This was an important plant to Aboriginal people across the region, with most parts of the plant being eaten at some stage. The unripe fruit can be eaten raw, while the ripe fruit can be eaten after being cooked. The inconspicuous, cream coloured flowers can also be eaten.

No fruit yet, but this bush banana was
found growing in an urban backyard

The ripe fruits split open to reveal many seeds with light, feathery attachments like a dandelion. They can be spread some distance by the wind. This dispersal technique allows them to turn up any where around Alice Springs, provided germinating plants are protected from grazing by stock and feral animals. A specimen was also found in a Garden for Wildlife property in Eastside recently.

So if you find any straggly, not very interesting looking vines tangling their way up a tree (or even a stump) in your backyard, don't pull it out! Let it grow for a while, or send us a picture for ID, it might be a Bush Banana! 

Feral Dove Trapping Workshop

Feral Spotted Turtle Dove

 The feral Spotted Turtle Dove workshop held last weekend was a big success, with about 20 people of all ages participating. The morning began with a presentation about the trapping program, including information on the biology of the Turtle Dove and how to identify it from our native pigeons. Participants also learnt about the impact of the feral doves on the town's bird communities.

This was followed by a brief talk by Anthony Molyneux from the Alice Springs Desert Park. He explained how captured doves are used for the behavioural enrichment of the Park's captive carnivores, after being humanely euthanized.

About 8 traps were constructed and sent home with new participants in the trapping program, enabling them to contribute positively to a valuable conservation initiative for Alice Springs.

Awareness was also raised about the issue of new feral animals arriving in Alice Springs - particularly avian invaders such as the House Sparrow. These pests are common urban residents in southern and eastern towns and cities, but are slowly making their way towards Alice. Already, breeding populations exist in places such as Tennant Creek and Coober Pedy.

Making traps at the workshop

On that note, it's important to notify the relevant authorities of any unusual or 'new' bird sightings you might make. Such sightings should be reported to National Parks and Wildlife on (08) 8951 8250, or Land for Wildlife (08) 8955 5222.

A big thankyou is due to Bloomin Desert Nursery for again hosting the event, Anthony Molyneux for his involvement and of course all those who participated on the day. Don't forget to keep us posted with you catches and counts of feral Spotted Turtle Doves!

Anyone who missed out on the day and would like to participate in the trapping program or would like more information, call Land for Wildlife on the number above.