Hello

I sent an email to Birds QLD and The Museum asking for their thoughts on the effects of the possible upgrade on Lorikeets. I thought you may be interested in their response. For anyone placing in a response to QLD Rail the reply by QLD Museum would be interesting.

I would like to know what you thing? We are planning to submit feedback to QLD Transport however the closing date is Monday 9th August 2010. If I receive feedback in time we will be bale to place in a response.

My thoughts are that we can’t stop progress but we should try for the best possible out come. I would prefer to see the tress or most of the trees preserved. If we continue to cut down trees we will never developed trees with the holes that the native wild life rely on for nesting.

Birds QLD:

There are quite a few lorikeet roosts around Brisbane and I think the main factor common to most of them is that they are near places where there is strong artificial lighting which lasts all night. I have not heard of any research to show what this means and would be very interested to hear of any results from the Government’s EIS.

But basically I don’t think they would suffer much from the loss. Certainly not compared to the loss for any birds and animals which use the tree’s hollows for nesting and roosting. That is assuming the gums are a fair age which is what the lorikeets seem to prefer. We are losing too many mature trees (100 years old +) in so many areas around South East Queensland.

The other factor to watch is whether it is only lorikeets roosting or if there are Common Mynas there as well. These are an introduced pest and can be quite annoying when they build up in numbers as found in Townsville and Cairn’s main streets. They are a threat to native wildlife and do seem to have roost preferences similar to Lorikeets.

QLD Museum:

Many species of bird use large isolated trees for nocturnal roosts.
Large isolated trees (i.e. emergent or separated from surrounding canopy) provide a margin of safety from nocturnal predators like Carpet or Amethystine Pythons (in the tropics). The large remnant trees in the urban and suburban landscape provide excellent roosts. Not only does an approaching predator have to climb a difficult trunk it also has to cross roads etc. Nocturnal flying predators (such as Powerful Owls) also find it difficult to ambush sleeping birds because they must cross an expanse of open space. The use of these roost trees varies with season the heaviest use coinciding with the non-breeding season.

Lorikeets are adaptable birds and they would probably have no difficulty settling in other suitable trees nearby. If you wanted to minimise disturbance restrict tree removal to the peak of their breeding season (probably late August through to Christmas). The trees may be of more significance to local wildlife if they contain hollows and if a choice must be made trees with hollows should probably be kept over those without.