FEATURE


and eggs, which they usually eat whole. They also feed on carrion as well as food waste in domestic rubbish in inhabited areas. The name goanna is believed to be derived from “iguana” with the initial vowel sound dropped because the aborigines found it difficult to pronounce. The goanna population increased with the popularity of the Kentucky Fried Chicken takeaways introduced in Australia. The aborigines had trapped and eaten goannas but now prefer KFC. In addition to the lizards feral cats also predated the nests of the cockatoos.


Ray told John that he thought that the problem might be resolved by placing a smooth flexible sheet of tin at least one metre in height around the trees below the nesting cavities which would act as an effective barrier to either lizards or cats reaching the nest.


Branches also needed to be cut back on surrounding trees so that the lizards or feral cats could not gain access to the nesting cavities that way. This pruning work has to be completed with a bush saw as a chain saw could frighten the birds.


Ray agreed with John that he would


carry out a trial. As part of this trial he would also assess the population of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos in the local area and make a special note of the youngsters at the end of the next breeding season (1993). The results were very encouraging with an increase in the number of these Cockatoos in the area concerned. Since then Ray has carried out a programme of tinning nesting trees (Figure 4) and maintaining them. This is not as straightforward as it sounds. Firstly he lives near Sydney, several hundred kilometres from the areas


Figure 4 - One of the trees fitted with the curved sheet of tin


BIRD SCENE 19


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