I like to see birds visit our garden, my partner and I have a great bird feeder. My question is it that illegal to feed wild correlas and finches in the NT?
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Nope, it's not illegal AFAIK. However, many discourage feeding birds on various grounds. As long as you don't overfeed them it's probably ok.
A good idea would be to plant native trees, to attract rather than feed them. There are some wonderful quick growing plants that attract the birds, talk to your local nursery about what kind of plants are indeginous to your area.
You will find a lot of information online about the dangers of feeding Parrots and about the spread of viruses transfered from bird to bird at feeding stations.
I can't tell you what to do, but I would urge you to reconsider feeding if you have the wellbeing of the birds in mind.
(this is my opinion, that may or may not represent other people's views)
M-L
Like most things in life, feeding birds is fine in moderation. Yes, there can be severe negative effects on the birds, but only if they are overfed. IMO, it is that kind of feeding that many of the Birdlife statements are aimed at. Yes, it would be better if all birds were able to subsist from native plants only; but considering the amount of damage we're doing to the country that is becoming increasingly difficult. I'm not an expert on pathology, but it seems to me that many problems (eg PBFD) happen in the presence of overfeeding. Sometimes feeding can do a wonderful job of encouraging birds into areas. It doesn't all need to be as awful as Grant's Picnic Ground in Sherbrooke Forest, Araminta.
Gayleclaire, as you can see there's a variety of opinions about artificially feeding birds. I tend to support Araminta's position and don't support artificially feeding birds at all - unless it's the last pair of a species left & they have no indigenous vegetation on which to depend. That's an exaggeration but I hope you get my drift.
Our native birds have become adapted to particular vegetation communities over thousands of years. Because so much damage has been done to the natural environment & so many bird populations have suffered as a result I like to use any opportunities to re-establish as far as possible what's been lost. This means planting not just native species but native species which are indigenous to your area. Of course, often certain indigenous species aren't available so, in order to support a threatened species, it might be appropriate to plant substitutes until the real thing becomes available.
In my experience, many people come to understand the rationale for planting indigenous species but not many are disciplined or patient enough to follow through on their understanding. To some extent I can hardly blame them because we live in an instant society where what grows fastest is what is in highest demand.
The other side of this coin is that because relatively little, if any, undisturbed natural habitat is left in Australia then planting what grows fastest is likely to enhance the survival of some, probably many, threatened bird species. It's a matter of looking at & learning about your local situation to determine the most helpful strategy for the native birds in your area. But generally, I go with the indigenous species argument.
Just look at those things of 'lucky' bamboo that garden centres frequently sell. I feel sick looking at that stuff; it seems like a horticultural version of torture.
The way I see it, if feeding is done in moderation it's a mutualistic relationship. Both parties benefit, the birds with more secure food sources, and the humans get to enjoy the bird's presence. It's only when overfed or fed with improper food sources that the relationship becomes detrimental to the birds on numerous levels (I've forgotten the term for this, possibly amensalism). The line between the two is very, very fine.
Hi there Gayleclaire,
That's one of the main reasons I joined this website - to improve my education. Yes, I agree that feeding wild birds in moderation is a good thing - as long as you maintain cleanliness so as to not spread diseases among them.
The way I look at it is, if you want to attract these beautiful birds to your garden, do as others have suggested and plant the trees and shrubs that will do exactly that. I have a group of Red Browed Finches that visit my garden several times a day foraging. Whilst I have most likely "overfed" them in the past, I am looking to create a bird sanctuary for protecting these little ones and providing food and water for them. I'm hoping this will endure my life time. I believe I would worry too much about them if I had to move. In this sense (creating a bird friendly garden) they will still be able to visit and enjoy this legacy in years to come. I do hope you understand my point. There are plenty of great tips and advice on this website - and of course, great members to help you along the way
Good luck with it all!
Take Care,
TrudyC
Regards
TrudyC
aka RedBrowedFinch