Toowoomba's Mallee Ringnecks - escapees or feral natives?

How many species can we collectively record during 2008? Can we better the past two years? Can we reach 250?? Same rules as previous years. Good luck!

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Mick Atzeni
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Toowoomba's Mallee Ringnecks - escapees or feral natives?

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Gayle Lee saw a pair of Mallee (Australian) Ringnecks and photographed one of them feeding in her Toowoomba yard (35 Vacy St) on 12 July 2008.

It raises an interesting dilemma as to whether we count these for the Challenge and for the records.

There have been sporadic sightings of one or two Mallee Ringnecks over many years (since the '80's if memory serves me correctly) in Toowoomba, particularly around NE Toowoomba - I've seen a pair around Mt Lofty/Kensington Heights on two occasions and Steve Burke has told me one used to feed on the spilt grain at the silos opposite the Drayton Cemetery - so the question now is whether there is a viable breeding population here?

If so, then I would contend they should be considered feral natives (like we do Long-billed Corellas) rather than aviary escapees from now on.

I would be grateful to hear of any sightings of this species, past and present in or around the Toowoomba area.

What's the closest you've seen them beyond Toowoomba?

Can anyone do better than west of St George?
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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Mick Atzeni
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Australian Ringnecks - Boyce's Rainforest & Gardens.

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Extract from recent email from caretaker Daryl Mears.

Verrry interesting!!
Port Lincoln Parrot:

This bird was first recorded here in 1989, although I incorrectly identified it as a Twenty-eight Parrot (in 1989 I reported “From March through to October we observed a Twenty-eight Parrot, Barnardius barnardi in the garden about the house. This bird is very similar and often mistaken for the Port Lincoln Parrot. It is generally found further west of the Dividing Range in most parts of open country including mallee. So it is possible the one we saw was a caged bird that escaped.”

In the calendar year of 1991 I recorded, “Amendment – Bird Lists in 22nd & 23rd Reports: In the 22nd Annual Report (Calendar Year 1989) P.12 and the 23rd Annual Report (1990) P.8, the Twenty-eight Parrot was incorrectly recorded as being sighted. The bird seen on both occasions has been identified from my photographs by Mr. R.G. Hobson, Records Officer for the Toowoomba Bird Club as a Port Lincoln Parrot (Barnardius zonarius). This bird is usually confined to the Western part of Australia, therefore, adding more weight to my theory that this bird was a caged bird that escaped.” Also recorded in the same Report on Page 15, “The Port Lincoln Parrot was again here this year in the company of Pale-headed Roselle’s, but later in the year it was seen with three immature birds. On the 26-11-91, I observed one adult and what I assumed to be three immature Port Lincoln Parrots and two Pale-headed Roselle’s. Is it possible the Port Lincoln mated with a Pale-headed?. I don’t know and I will not get into an argument about genetics as I am no authority on the subject. But let’s assume Mr. R.G. Hobson, Records Officer, Toowoomba Bird Club, has a valid explanation. His answer to my question, above, is “Your photographs clearly define an adult male Port Lincoln. As to the other three birds, would you consider the composition to be a female and two immature, rather than three immature?. The female is very like the young of the species and this could offer an explanation to your observations. The Port Lincoln is a popular aviary bird and, over the years, odd reports of their presence in Toowoomba filter through the “Grape Vine”. Yours is the first report, however, of a family of these birds”.

This bird was again sighted in October and November 1993, in Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Oct & Nov 1994, in Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec 1995, (although it was recorded that there was 1 mature and 1 immature in company with Pale-headed’s adding weight to Mr. Hobson’s theory) in Mar, April, May, Jun, Oct & Nov 1996, Feb & Oct 1997, Feb & Nov 1998, June 1999, Nov 2000 and has not been seen since.

I still have not come across the photographs as yet, but if I do I’ll get them to you.
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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