101180_BIB Chinchilla A4.indd

Figbird
length 28 cm
Blue-faced
Honeyeater
length 29 cm
Noisy Friarbird
length 34 cm
Grey Butcherbird
length 30 cm
Black-faced
Cuckoo-shrike
length 33 cm
Dollarbird
length 28 cm
Crested Pigeon
length 32 cm
Laughing
Kookaburra
length 45 cm
Common Startling
length 21 cm
Pied Butcherbird
length 35 cm
Sulphur-crested
Cockatoo
length 50 cm
Pale-headed
Rosella
length 31 cm
Noisy Miner
length 25 cm
Red-winged Parrot
length 32 cm
Magpie-lark
(Pee-wee)
length 25 cm
Willie Wagtail
length 20 cm
OF THE WESTERN DOWNS
Zebra Finch
length 12 cm
Brown Honeyeater
length 14 cm
Australian White Ibis
length 72 cm
Striated Pardalote
length 9 cm
Galah
length 35 cm
Silvereye
length 12 cm
Common
(Indian) Myna
length 25 cm
(Pest Species)
Superb Fairy-wren
(female and male)
length 14 cm
Australian
Magpie
length 40 cm
For inquiries about birds and domestic gardens, contact:
BIRDS IN BACKYARDS www.birdsinbackyards.net
t (02) 9647 1875
BIRDS AUSTRALIA SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/southern-qld.html
Photo credits: Wojciech Dabrowka and Kevin Vang/Bird Explorers (Brown Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote, Superb Fairy-wrens, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Laughing Kookaburra, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Zebra
Finch). Richard Major/Australian Museum (Australian White Ibis, Australian Magpie, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Magpie-lark, Willie Wagtail, Common Myna, Noisy Miner, Galah, Noisy Friarbird). Ed Pierce (Figbird, Pale-headed
Rosella). Nolan Caldwell (Blue-faced Honeyeater). Kimberley Pryor (Crested Pigeon). Michael Seyfort/Australian Museum (Silvereye). Ian and Jill Brown (Dollarbird, Red-winged Parrot). Ákos Lumnitzer (Common Starling).
Printed on recycled Australian made paper - Revive Silk
Birds in Your Garden
Howto bring back the little ones-.
populationsof many of our small bird
Australia-wide,
speciesare declining,Once common birds such as finches,
fairy-wfens,silvereyesand small honeyeatersare becoming
rare,or in some placesare no longer being seen at all.
Thereare many reasonsfor this, butthe biggestis the
loss of placesfor them to live and successfullyraisetheir
families.
This situationexistsin both ruralfarmlandsand in built up
urban areas,from big citiesto ruraltownships.That means
that we can allcontdbutetowardssavingour small birds
iffespectiveof wherewe live or how big our gardensare. We
iust need to do things a litttedifierentl,v.
NuisanceBirds
Some introducedspecies,such as the Common (lndian)
(pestspecies),HouseSparrowand CommonStarling
I\,4yna
competewith nativespeciesfor nestingspaces,You can
discouragethem from coming into your gardenby not
feedingthem.
Somenativebirds can be problematicand a nuisance
to humansand other animals,like the Australian
White lbis and Noisy lViner
For a good resourcewith informationand factsheets
on these species,see the PestAnimalsand Livingwith
Wildiifepages on the BrisbaneCity Councilwebsite:
wwwbrisbane,qld,gov.au
For more information
To find out more about identifyingthe birds in your area,
creatinggardensand habitatfor birds at home,in school
grounds or any open space,or undertakingbird surveysin
your own gardenor local area,see the Birds in Backyards
websiterff"]r /.bkdsinbackyards.net:
The ChinchillaFieldNaturalists'
Clubandihe LakeBroadwater
NaturalHistoryAssociation
operatein the WesternDowns,
Bolhclubsholdregularmeelingsand outingsand havea highty
knowledgeable
membership
spreadthroughoulihe region.
Theycan be coniaciedviathefollowingaddresses.
ChinchillaFieldNaturatists'
CIubtnc
PO Box36S Chinchilla4413
LakeBroadwater
NaturalHistoryAssoc,
PO Box737 Dalby4405
A field guicleto Australianbirclsis usefulfor identification,
especiallyforthe maps showingwhere birds are likely
to occur.Theseare availableat bookshops,good
newsagents,and the referencesectionofyour local library
Smallchangesfor a big difference. .
Gardendesignand structure:
Simpleopen gardensprovidelittleshelterorfood for birds.
We need lo plant:
. dense shrubsbelow a tree layer,closetogelher so
they form protectivethickets.
. shrubsthal providea rangeof foods: nectar,seeds,
fruit, and habitatfor insects.
. local plantslhat providethe things that the birds in
our localareasneed.
. less grassfor mowing,but ratherplant native
grass€isthat can seed ancjonly need cutting
occasionally.
We shouldl
. avoid using insecticides
. use cofiposted lawn clippingsand leaf litter on
garden beds as mulch.
Providingwater:
Birdsneed fresh water but they are vulnerablewhen they
are drinkingor bathingand need to feet safe
'
.
.
.
place birdbathsbeyondthe reachof cats, and in
dapoledshade.
grow plantscloselo birclbathsso birds can perch
and observethe areafirst.
replacelhe water and cleanthe containerregularly.
ask a neighbourto add waterwhen away,so the
birds don't lose their waier supply.
Provisionof supplementarylood:
It is much healthierforbirds to glean naturalfoodfrom
our gardensthan to be fed directtyby peopte.However,
many peoplereallyenjoyihe coniactthey havelvith bir,ls
that they providefood for lf you want to provideextra
food for birds:
. ensurethe leeding area is kept reallyclean.
. neverfeed meat-eatingbhds as they can become
aggressiveto humansand attackvulnerablebirds,
. only providegood qualitynaturatfoods,e.g. native
seed mix ratherthanbread or sunflowerseed.
For generalinformationon feedingwitcttife,see the Foodfor
Wildlitepage on wwwbrisbane.qld.gov.au
Be a responsiblepet owner.
Keepyour cal insideor within an outsideenclosure.This is
saferforthe cal as well as otherwilcllite,De-sexingprevents
unwantedkittens.Ensuredogs do not harassgrounddwellingbirds.
For more information,see the ResponsiblePet Ownership
page in the Our Servicessectionof
wwwwdrc,qld.gov.au,