Hi, I am caring for three baby blackbirds. There nest was attacked by a currawong, in which one baby was killed. The parent's abandoned the nest. They have some feather's, but are still quite pink. I couldn't get them to eat so I took them to the vet, only to be told they would be euthanized.I couldn't let that happen. I have since gotten them to eat. I am feeding them insectivore rearing mix. I'm using a syringe and tube. My question is how often should I be feeding them, I read every two hours. And also does from 6am to 11pm sound right? I would love any advice anyone could give me. Thank you...
Hi Buddy
Gotta love some vets huh?
Most people don't get that Australia isn't the same now as it was two hundred years ago.
Lots of new species have been introduced.
Not their fault.
Like Indian Mynahs, Blackbirds are here to stay.
If people really wanted to protect native birds and wildlife the Government would ban cats outright and keep up a constant Fox eradication program.
Right, feeding.
Every two hours sounds about right, and normally when a baby chick wants food it will keep chirping until it gets some.
When it's had enough it will simply refuse to eat anymore.
Do they wake up at 0600 or is that when you get up?
Do they start to look like they want to sleep at 2300 or is that when you go to bed?
If the chicks are in a covered cage or container I would have thought they'd sleep in till later, say 0800 or so.
I've been reliably informed that one should put baby birds to bed by 2100 (9pm) at the very latest. Something to do with their normal hormone cycle and sleep patten.
In the world outside most day birds settle down to sleep as the sun sets. they won't fly around at night.
But inside a house, with artificial lighting the chicks might not want to go to sleep. Putting them in a quiet room, in a covered container or cage, with the lights off, will settle them down for sleep.
Once our Noisy Miner went to sleep we didn't hear a peep out of him until 0700 at the earliest.
Cheers: Vin.
Hi Vin, Thank you for response. Much appreciated. I totally agree with you. If it wasn't for a lady in the waiting room at the vet, they would never have told me the birds would be euthanized. The lady said to the vet nurse "I know what you will do to them" and I said what. The lady said tell her, the vet nurse said because there not native we have to euthanize them. I couldn't believe it, I grabbed the bird's and came home. They wouldn't even give me any advice, I have been going to that vet for my dog, for many years. I won't be going back again in a hurry. The birds are eating very well. I'm hopeing everything goes well thanks.
Congratulations. You're raising pests.
I understand it's difficult to see a struggling little life and not want to help...
But I also have to wonder if wanting to nurture these birds in particular is more to feel better about yourself than any other reason?
Try not to take it out on the vets. They're just trying to be sensible and rational.
I know I won't have convinced you of anything, you'll just say I'm as bad as the vet nurse etc etc, so feel free to air that opinion in reply. (BTW - I also agree with the comment about outdoor cats + that blackbirds and mynahs are here to stay - but I don't know that actively supporting their populations is warranted either). Sorry for sounding harsh, but I can't let people rant without playing devil's advocate... I'm sure you mean well and think you're doing the right thing, but you're not.
Scott.
Hi buddyblue & Vin.
For most of us it's difficult to put to death deliberately any living creature. The sight or thought of a living thing being killed makes most of us feel sad, horrible, ill, traumatised. So I can see where you're coming from in relation to the baby blackbirds. And you're right. It's not the blackbirds' fault that they're here.
However, I wonder if there's a need to think a little more broadly than the individual blackbirds, broaden our vision to the idea of species & their right to life & survival. To the idea of biodiversity & how we as Homo sapiens depend on biodiversity for our existence.
The introduction of many exotic species to Australia has been a critical factor in the extinction of many animal species. Cat & fox predation of our mammals is a stark case in point & I've posted previously about the parlous existence in the Mt Lofty Ranges of the native Bassian thrush which is on the verge of extinction there partly because the blackbird has dominated the thrush's ecological niche. I for one would hate to think that if I didn't have a blackbird eradication programme on my property I'd be contributing to the actual extinction of the Bassian thrush in the Mt Lofty Ranges.
Perhaps this issue boils down to a question of values. Which do we (particularly those of us who live in the Mt Lofty Ranges) value more highly: the exotic blackbird which, as a species, is doing quite nicely, I understand, in its countries of origin? Or the Bassian thrush which is native to Australia?
I'd be most interested to hear your thoughts on this because it's not altogether a black & white issue. Some animal & plant species arrive naturally in Australia. For example, sea rocket is a cosmopolitan plant which probably arrived on Australia's shores without human help but which provides food for the nearly extinct orange bellied parrot.
Please let me know what you think.
Scott, I went on the forum to ask advice about baby blackbirds. I don't recall asking about what is morally right or wrong. What authority do you have to determine good and evil? How dare you! You don't know anything about me, so what right do you have to make a judgement, that I'm only doing this to make myself feel better. So congratulations to you Scott for having nothing better to do, Than be opinionated,unhelpful,rude and nasty. Must go the blackbirds are hungry....
Buddy, this has nothing to do with morals other than your own. Please reread both Scott and Woko's posts and you will see this it has to do with preserving indigenous birds in preference to introduced pests especially those pests which are having a direct impact on Australian native birds. Would you help at a cute bunch of baby rats or mice? These are also pests who are having a direct impact on your home as much as the blackbirds are having on the home of the Bassian thrush among other native birds.
Also, for your information, the RSPCA and other vets (plus for some species even the general public) have the same obligation by law to euthanize pest species like the blackbird, indian mynah, rabbit and fox (among many others) no matter how cute or defenceless they appear.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
qyn55, Your message doesn't make any sense to me, other than the fact you are also a very bored over opinionated human. Let me ask you this would you help a box of little kittens dumped on the side of the road? Cats are a huge killer of native wildlife in Australia. Let's face it you yourself are probably an introduced species, like the majority of things in Australia. Any wonder the world is the way it is, so much hatered!!!
Buddy, there is no hatred on my part towards any living creature and yes I would remove a box of kittens from harm as I have done before. I would then take then to the RSPCA where they would be assessed. If too young (as in not weaned) or considered to be feral they would be euthanized. Otherwise, hopefully, they would get the opportunity to be adopted by responsible owners who would not allow them to roam but that would not be before they were desexed. Likewise, I would also take the blackbirds you have found to the same place and let them be euthanized.
I sincerely hope your baby blackbirds do not survive but that they do not suffer in the process. If that is a problem for you then it remains your problem and luckily being a a human with choices I choose to no longer discuss this matter with you.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
qyn55, just one more thing to add, the blackbirds are doing great. I'II make sure to take a photo and post it on the forum, the day I release them back to nature. Or if anyone is interested I'd be more than happy to post progress photo's, let me know!!
Thanks for trying Alison, Scott and Woko. Discussions like that mostly end in people insulting others. I have been there many times on this forum, regarding the issue of "feeding or not feeding" native birds.Let it rest, it'll end badly, trust me. Anyway, you all know, I have both,Blackbirds and Bassian Thrush. But getting some more insight, thanks to you Woko, I will now try to find Blackbird nests, and destroy the eggs before they hatch. (best way to do it!) M-L
M-L
I get the endagered native birds thing, don't think I don't.
But it's not in me not to help any animal in distress.
Buddy came here looking for advice on how to feed the blackbirds he rescued, so I'm happy to offer what help I can.
Other people can play God with creatures lives.
Or Shiva, as the case may be.
Buddy..if you go to this UK wildlife forum you'll be able to register and ask any question you want about blackbirds.
I would have sent you a PM but this antiquated forum board doesn't seem to allow it.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/british-birds/86173-feeding-blackbirds-and-starlings.html
Cheers: Vin
Well done Vin,insulting anybody is only showing me the lack of your intelligence. You are proving our point, by quoting a "UK forum", because, that is exactly where the blackbirds belong, to Europe, not to Australia!!! Are you done, finished, out?? End of the discussion!!!!!
M-L
Thankyou Vin, I really appreciate the link to the other forum....
I fail to see how I insulted anyone.
I made a statement pointing out that other people can play God with creatures lives.
That was a generalisation.
But if anyone here wishes to take it as an insult, please feel free.
Lot of agnst there.To judge by the number of exclamation marks. One is normally considered sufficent.
Any person of intelligence would be aware of that I suspect.
There was a time I could play the internet forum one-upmanship game all day long but it bores me now.
Much like fanatics of any creed or reason.
Buddy came here seeking help. I supplied him with same.
Apart from chastise him, what help did the rest of you offer?
Vin, most people who visit this site know it is provided by [link=http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/]Birds Australia[/link] whose aim is the conservation of Australian native birds certainly not introduced bird species especially those which are having a direct and significant impact on the conservation of native species which are already under threat.
So, why would anyone with that view in mind be obliged to help someone who wishes to perpetuate the survival of an introduced species. A few people tried to explain that reasoning to the OP however it was not welcome. So be it.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
buddyblue & Vin, I'm still be interested in your thoughts on the preservation of Australian birds whose existence as species might be threatened by introduced birds.
--
I'm delighted to report that so far this spring I've not seen one young blackbird around our place. It's like keeping the road toll down.
Well done Woko! ( have you noticed my change of attitude regarding blackbirds?) I don't have any nests on my property, but quite a few blackbirds come into my garden, they must have nests on the land next door. I can't go in there, the man has a gun, he doesn't want me there. Not much I can do! I have seen the Bassian Thrush with lots of little worms,she had young . One baby flew into my window last year and was killed, very tragic. (I have stopped cleaning my windows since, to make them less shiny, hope it works!)
M-L
And well done to you, too, Araminta.
The price of keeping blackbird numbers down is eternal vigilance. So far this spring I've only detected two nests one of which was deteriorating so I assume it was built a year or 2 ago.
Sorry to hear about the young Bassian thrush & your window. It's amazing how much work we can save ourselves by caring for nature!
I always thought that the noisy miners were a worse pest then blackbirds?
Nathan:
Noisy Miners (grey/yellow) are not pests.
Common / Indian Mynas (brown/yellow) are... Some people confuse these 2.
Noisy Miners are potentially irritating - as they are noisy / mob other birds etc!.. But they are native birds in Oz.
Common / Indian Mynas are irritating, introduced birds.
Cheers,
Scott.
I don't have either of them in Perth,luckily,but I would've thought both were pests
I have a slightly different perspective. Noisy miners numbers often increase when humans change habitats to favor them. E.g, by clearing understorey & destroying trees to create a more open woodland havitat. This suits the noisy miner down to the ground (or up to the branches). This suggests that by re-creating the original habitat the noisy miner will no longer be a pest. Does anyone know if this has been done with this result?
Just found my first blackbird nest at home (stumbled across it, wasn't looking for it). Destroyed the 3 eggs. Feel like a big meanie, but they were still just yolk, and I know it's for the best.
It's interesting re-reading this post and the young wattlebird post at present... Certainly topics that will always raise the heat!
My initial reply here was more harsh than it should have been. As a vet, I took the comments re vets personally. Comments like "some vets, huh" and "won't be going back there in a hurry" are just irritating and ignorant when you think that, no matter which vet clinic / zoo / wildlife centre they could have been taken to, the answer / option offered would have been the same regardless. That should tell people something surely! I also know that most (if not all) young birds, raised at home by untrained people, will die in a slower manner than would have been provided by the vet. No photo updates on this thread, so I assume that was the case here...
Anyway, as someone who has to euthanise baby / injured blackbirds/ starlings etc fairly regularly, I can understand that it is hard to look at a struggling individual and make the hard choice. We also have healthy fledglings brought into us that should probably have been left where they were (granted cats and roads can be game-changers on this front - again, I suspect you did the right thing with the wattlebirds Nathan and your intentions were admirable).
Anyway, we'll all never agree on these sorts of issues, but that's the update from me :)
Cheers,
Scott.
Blackbirds are nesting in my yard, never thought to destroy the eggs, are they any good scrambled?
Noticed the juvenile black birds chasing the plumed and new hollands away. (I chase the black bird away).
Better still, Correa (in my opinion), destroy their nests before the eggs are laid. This seems to be discouraging them at my place. No young ones at all this breeding season.
I realize this is an old post...but I'm glad I read it. Being new to Oz...I didn't know the Common Blackbird was an invasive species. I will be destroying the nest (and the eggs) I found in my garden today.
Glad that I was able to read the reasoned positions of those who seem to know birds and issues asscoiated with Australian fauna. Thanks to woko, scotttas and araminta. Much appreciated.
Well done, kentsateprof, & thanks for doing your bit to help Australia's bird life. It needs all the help it can get in the face of the war on the environment currently under way in this great nation of ours.
Thanks woko. I used it as a chance to teach my boys (ages 4 and 6) about native fauna and the struggles they face with competition of unnatrual rivals. We were able to deconstruct the nest in a respectful way and placed the eggs in an area of the yard that Magpies and Ravens frequent. Didn't take long for the eggs to get snatched up and put back into the ecosystem. Honestly, it didn't make me feel great destroying eggs that don't know they are pests, but it is important and Black birds are doing fine in their own habitat.
Just been reading these old posts.
We all know that the biggest threat to the Bassian Thrush and all wildlife is the human race. Might I suggest that the non indigenous humans who are killing the blackbirds in their gardens think about the impact their houses, roads, work places, shopping centres etc. have on the natural habitat and food supply of the Bassian Thrush! Maybe a human cull might be a more effective approach!!!!
Thank you to buddyblue (the original poster) for caring about these innocent birds. Blackbirds are beautiful birds and make excellent parents. They are just fighting to survive in an ever decreasing and hostile environment like most wildlife.
an ever decreasing hostile environment?
i think this Turdus (as well as Common Mynas) might well disagree.
Blackbirds thrive and reach highest population densities at precisely sites of human disturbance... they love weeds, especially exotics. in fact they appear to create their own habitat as they spread, spreading seeds of their food plants such as privet, blackberries, cotoneaster, box thorn, solanums etc (most of which were incidentally introduced to this country by humans).
blackbirds in fact appear to have a propensity to survive not only human habitat modification but even direct human persecution.
In Tas early in the 20th century they culled something like (-look away now-) 80,000 birds as agricultural pests and the overall population of blackbirds there increased during the study period and they thrive there today (they have even greater breeding success in australia and new zealand due to a moderate climate). in nz they've dispersed to offshore subantarctic islands.
In parts of europe the blackbird has been hunted by the millions over the centuries as a food source and as 'sport'. in france (-look away now-) more than a million blackbirds continue to be shot each year... yet the species is rated 'least concern' by the IUCN and the total european blackbird population is estimated at up to 160 million, it can withstand very heavy hunting pressure.
Hi sarahlovesallbirds. I can appreciate your love of the Common Blackbird. They have beautiful calls & are interesting to watch as they scratch around in litter looking for food. Unfortunately, in the Mt Lofty Ranges in SA they do take up the ecological space which naturally belongs to the Bassian Thrush, an endangered species here which has very similar behaviour to the Blackbird. Therefore, accepting the Common Blackbird as part of our wildlife scene is disadvantaging the Bassian Thrush & depriving a number of other native bird species of their food. Hence, where I live I have a control programme for the Common Blackbird whereby I destroy their nests (if I can locate them) before breeding occurs. So far there has been a gradual decline in the Blackbird numbers here but as yet no Bassian Thrushes have appeared, probably because neighbouring landowners between my place & the nearest Bassian Thrush habitat are yet to adopt Blackbird control.
Many people are attracted to the Common Blackbird by its beautiful call. However, if they are keen on beautiful bird calls then they could do even better, in my opinion, by attracting the native Grey Shrike-thrushes, Golden Whistlers & Rufous Whistlers by protecting & restoring native vegetation.
Accepting that the Common Blackbird as part of Australia's wildlife is one approach to biodiversity protection. However, accepting introduced birds as part of Australia's biodiversity is almost certainly dooming a number of native species to extinction which is hardly in the interest of biodiversity protection & restoration, I would have thought. Rather, control of introduced species such as the Common Blackbird needs to be part of an overall approach to biodiversity restoration which can include, of course, natural habitat protection & restoration. Part of this is driven by the ability of the Common Blackbird to spread the seeds of introduced plants into natural bushland & forests as mentioned above by zosterops. This then compromises the quality of natural habitats which I can see you are keen to protect.
Your, presumably, tongue in cheek approach to the human race as a method of controlling threats to wildlife may have merit in some quarters. However, given the survival instinct & the laws of the land it's unlikely to gain much support at this stage. However, I strongly suspect that Homo sapiens is currently undertaking its own long term control measures on itself with its attack on biodiversity & penchant for accelerated climate change.
I still fail to see blackbirds as a big enough threat to the Bassian thrush to justify destroying their nests.
Humans still pose the biggest threat to the thrush: Much of the Bassian Thrush's best habitat has been cleared for agriculture. That which remains on the mainland is threatened by the damming of creeks, which results in the desiccation of the litter layer downstream. Grazing by cattle also poses a threat. Prescribed burning in spring sometimes destroys their habitat along the creek-lines.
Humans' attempts to reduce the numbers of blackbirds could be having a negative impact on the thrushes. Blackbirds are prey for domestic cats, foxes and predatory birds. In Australia pied currawongs, little ravens, cats and rodents have been identified as predators of blackbird eggs and chicks. Australian magpies and New Zealand falcons have also been observed eating adult blackbirds. By killing the blackbirds you are possibly increasing the risk of the Bassian thrush being the prey!
As you can probably gather I'm not proud to be a human. I do my best to save an animal whenever I can and I continue to applaud buddyblue for trying to save some baby blackbirds. You have already mentioned that the thrushes haven't returned despite your efforts to rid the area of blackbirds. Your actions are not going to be effective in saving the thrush, not because your neighbours aren't doing the same but because the problem is much deeper rooted. the poor blackbird has become a scapegoat in all this.
are there any peer-reviewed studies on the likelihood and degree of competition between blackbirds and Bassians? other than speculation revolving around their both being ground-frequenting thrushes? I'd be interested in seeing some data.
Regardless of its merits in terms of helping the Bassian, i think any blackbird culls would be ineffectual in long-established populations (unless perhaps some biological control was developed/introduced), and would only be possible on the fringes of the range where they are not yet common (they re-nest immediately and are especially adapted to heavy predation, in fact most nesting attempts fail from natural causes).
Possible Bassian Thrush impacts aside the blackbirds are certainly changing the ecology of many areas resulting in a practically quasi-eurasian landscape throughout much of the southeast, spreading the likes of ligustrums, pyracantha, hedera, ilex, prunus spp. etc into native bush, makes me wonder what the australian environmental weed situation would be like if blackbirds were never introduced. they are spreading some solanums outside their natural ranges and are at least partly responsible for the massive and remarkable range expansion of pittosporum undulatum into entirely new regions, completely modifying the ecosystems with monocultures of a tree reaching up to 15m and possesses allelopathic properties combined with heavy shading and alters the fire regime. I also heard reports of impacts on some threatened terrestrial Orchidaceae which were disturbed by the blackbird's soil-moving capabilites.
My, what a can of worms - which, no doubt, the Blackbirds are eyeing off as I type. Sarahlovesallbirds, I have no quarrel with your view about the extensive nature of the problem of bush clearance & humans changing landscapes. Perhaps what is required is a determined, integrated approach to bushland protection & restoration.
Your thoughts on pride in the human race are interesting. As a species we haven't exactly covered ourselves in glory when it comes to protecting that which sustains us. There seems to be an inner self destruction mechanism at work. Whether this is stronger than the survival instinct remains to be seen.
I have just found this topic as early yesterday morning my cat brought a blackbird hatchling inside to me and I've been searching the internet looking how to help best. I called the RSPCA, who told me to take it to the vet (it was 6am on a Sunday, Fauna Rescue weren't answering their phones yet!). I took it into the vet, where the desk girl said there was nothing they could do for it, but I could leave it there. I opted against that, I thought he would probably die because he's been cold, in shock, and had punctures from the cat. A young vet happened to come out and confirmed that he would probably die because the cat punctures get infected easily; however if I wanted to try and give it a chance she mixed me a little bottle of antibiotics and gave me an amount of insectivore rearing mix. I think it's important to note here the hatchling (totally naked, must have just hatched) was unidentified at this stage. I fed it through the day, and half of today when I finally got a call back from the extremely nice lady from Fauna Rescue in South Aust (we are in Blackwood). The bird since did a big turnaround and is very vital and healthy! I think it will probably make it.
She did an ID of the bird over the phone, and ID'd it as a blackbird. She said obvisouly that they don't accept the birds for rearing, and it is against the law for me to release it. HOWEVER she explained that if I continue to raise it (of course I am), I should handle it a great deal, as tamed blackbirds make excellent pets and bond very well with their human and can be housetrained so as to not be stuck in a cage. As they have no other birds to mimic and learn from in this situation, their breeding and social instincts are affected (basically they think they're people). I've always been fairly against keeping birds in captivity, but this seems like a good solution to me if I can keep it in the house with an open cage as more of a refuge for it, rather than a prison.
Well done buddyblue, don't doubt your instinct to shelter a helpless creature.
Hi rj.limb. Thanks for taking the time to read this thread. It certainly stirred some passions in some quarters. And I admire your protection of the helpless Common Blackbird hatchling in the sense that we seem to live in a culture where, at least in some quarters, those who can't fend for themselves in a cut throat environment are demonised as leaners.
However, from my own point of view it would have been more helpful to have thought about the demise of many native bird species, not just individual birds but whole species, in the Mt Lofty Ranges where you live. There is no room for the Common Blackbird if we're to prevent further extinctions so I'm disappointed to learn that your cage will be an open one. A closed one would be much better so that the bird can be completely contained rather than at risk of escaping into the outside environment where it might produce young.
On another point, I trust that you are seriously contemplating keeping your cat contained in a cat enclosure so that it doesn't prey on the wildlife of Blackwood, a suburb of Adelaide where huge damage has been done to the natural environment by not only cats but also the clearance of native vegetation & the importation of exotic plants.
Hi Woko, Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your viewpoint.
As far as my cat goes, you need not worry too much. She is so old and lazy, I'm home most of the day with small children and she seldom gets up to do anything. She is well fed, and in this particular instance I beleive she'd done nothing more than find it on the ground and bring it inside to me. She wears a bell and also has a very deformed tail which leads her to not have great balance, which inhibits her drive to hunt anything.
What if I propose to keep his open cage indoors, and when it is outdoors it will be a closed aviary? I'm sure I can find one for not too much on Gumtree. We have a double doored entrance lobby, which should help any escape. I do intend on spending much time humanising him, especially as the wildlife rescue society said they are very trainable and bond strongly with their human. I am very much anti full-captivity, where an individual doesn't have room to move.
Would this be a solution that would be satisfactory do you think? Do you have a further suggestion that might be acceptable to both parties?
I understand your viewpoint, and largely agree with you, but when it comes down to the life of an individual I cannot 'play god'. In fact, that's how we ended up with our cat in the first place!
Nice one, rj.limb. I guess I would have a song in my heart if you're able to ensure that your Common Blackbird is as secure as possible, whatever method you use. Keeping the bird inside is sounds a good solution but I'm always concerned about the possibility of escapees of which there are many in the environment.
I'm reluctant to bring religion into the matter! While the "playing god" with an individual bird issue is something some have brought up in other threads, I wonder if "playing god" with species is also relevant.
I strongly sense you are someone who strives to reach a compromise where possible & good on you for that. However, I'm really concerned that our natural environment is being compromised out of existence. Each 50% of Nature that we lose to compromise means a further reduction in that which sustains us. Such are the conundrums presented by our impact on Earth.
Well done to anyone raising blackbirds!!! I am doing the same. They are in my garage and I check on them every day. To all who think this is a bad thing, DON'T BOTHER COMMENTINGWould you like to be treated in a harmfull way?
Jamieh, I trust you're writing from Europe or Asia where the Common Blackbird is a native species.
If you are in Australia I believe that raising Common Blackbird is an ill-considered action and runs contrary to the actions of our government's biosecurity policies
ps please refrain from shouting (the use of capitals) as that is just plain ignorant
Peter
Nope, only in Qld and WA is the common blackbird a noxious species.
It is legal to keep them as pets in the other states (in fact as they are unprotected species it may be legal to catch them in your backyard and keep them)
some pied/leucistic and albino mutations are kept by hobbyists.
I'm not sure what the definition of "noxious" is, but the fact is that the blackbird is an introduced species that competes somewhat vigorously and successfully against some native species. I am a bit sad to see the blackbird becoming more common at my own properties, at the expense of other birds like thrushes.
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
noxious is defined as 'harmful or very unpleasant' by the oxford dictionary, soakes.
it is subjective
in this context we are using it to refer to species officially declared prohibited by Australian legislation (as the blackbird is in some states)
Also, the blackbird is itself a thrush.
I guess what I was subtly getting at was I do not see the need to introduce the concept of "noxiousness" when we know that the bird is exotic. The blackbird is also a thrush. Again, how is this relevant to the points being made? I do not care what the government defines as being prohibited; they will always be decades behind what is known by science in any case.
I try to remove exotic plants from my place - whether they are noxious or not. Why shouldn't I apply the same standards to animals?
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Do you live entirely off indigenous produce, soakes?
or does your entire life depend on exotic plants...
Now you're just getting silly.
There's nothing wrong with trying to preserve nature. If you think there is, let us know, by all means.
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
I certainly support you in eradicating feral plants & animals from your properties, soakes. There's little enough left of high quality bushland in Australia.
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