The bird fauna of Melbourne: Changes over a century of urban growth and climate change, using a benchmark from Keartland (1900)

2011·8.2 MB·English

by  Richard H, Menkhorst Loyn

Contributions
The bird fauna ofMelbourne: changes over a century ofurban growth
and climate change, using a benchmark from Keartland (1900)
W
Richard H Loyn and Peter Menkhorst
ArthurRylahInstituteforEnvironmentalResearch,POBox137HeidelbergVictoria3084
Email:[email protected]
Abstract
The bird fauna ofMelbourne has changed in manyways since the 19th century, and this paper documents
someofthesechanges usingKeartland’spaperasabenchmarkforthe 19thcentury, alongwithourown ex-
perience for recent decades. Woodland birds declined substantially as woodlands were cleared in the 19th
century,andseveralspeciesbecamelocallyextinct.Farmlandbirdsprospered andthendeclinedasfarmland
wasconvertedtohousing.Someforestbirdscolonisedgardensandparksastreesandshrubsmaturedthrough
the20thcentury. Plantingofnativeshrubshasbenefitedsomespeciessuch asLittleWattlebird,andcomplex
competitiveinteractionsbetweenaggressivehoneyeatersandotherbirdsareinvolvedinshapingthebirdfauna
andtheecosystem.Climatevariabilityhasplayedarole,withdroughtsencouragingwavesofimmigration. In
recentdecadestherehavebeenspectacularwavesofcolonisingspeciesfrominlandAustralia(Galah,Sulphur-
crestedCockatoo,LittleCorellaandCrestedPigeon),theeasternseaboard(RainbowLorikeet)andthewestern
plains(Long-billedCorella),IntroducedEuropeanbirdsdeclinedsubstantiallyduringthe 1997-2010drought.
Conservationofnativevegetationhasbeenthemainfactorcontributingtothehighdiversitystillrepresented
inMelbourne’sbirdfauna.(The VictorianNaturalist128(5)2011,210-231)
Keywords: urbanbirds;historicalchange; decliningbirds;colonisation;climatechange
Introduction
In global terms Melbourne is a new city (first presentlevel ofa little over4 million. Substan-
settled in 1836 and officially declared a city in tialchangesinnativevegetationhaveaccompa-
1847) and it is nowa large city, with a popula- nied this population growth, with consequent
tion ofabout 4 million people spread over ap- changes in habitat for flora and fauna. Climate
proximately880000haofland, ofwhich about variationshavealsocontributedtochange,with
400000 ha have been urbanised. It occupies droughts or dry periods recorded at various
an area offertile land in the temperate part of times, mostrecentlyfrom 1997to2010.
south-eastern Australia (38“45'S, 145“E), and This paper examines some ofthe changes in
spreads fromthe shelteredcoastofPort Phillip bird fauna that have accompanied these events.
Bay to the nearby forested hills and valleys to The primary briefwas to use a specific docu-
the north and east and the volcanic grassland ment (Keartland 1900) as a benchmark for de-
plains to the west (Fig. 1). Rainfall varies from scribing changes from the late 19th century to
>1200mmintheDandenongandYarraRanges what we now know in the early 21st century.
mm
to <400 in the dry volcanic plains to the GeorgeArthur Keartland arrived in Melbourne
west;henceagreatvarietyofhabitatsarerepre- asatwo-year-oldin 1848,andlivedtheretillhis
sentedinthecurrentareaofGreaterMelbourne. death in 1926 (McEvey 1983). He worked as a
Tire Yarra River and several smaller rivers flow compositorfor TheAgenewspaper, andbecame
from the hills to the bay, and the Yarra estu- an avid amateur birder and naturalist from the
arywas the initial focus ofEurasian settlement 1880s, working with the Field Naturalists Club
from 1836. The areawas occupiedbylowden- ofVictoriaandcontributingto theformation of
sities ofAboriginal people ofthe Kuhn nation theAustralasianOrnithologistsUnion (forerun-
formanycenturies. ThecurrentareaofGreater nerto BirdsAustralia, soon to be BirdLife Aus-
Melbourne was estimated to support about tralia). He gained a reputation as a taxidermist
29000peoplein 1851 beforethegold rush,and andegg-collector, and contributedtotwo major
478000 in 1901 (McCartyand Schedvin 1978). inland expeditions. His 1900 paper gave an ex-
Growth continued in the 20th century to ap- cellent description of the birds of the Greater
proximately 3 million in 1970 and then to the Melbourne district in the latter halfofthe 19th
210 TheVictorianNaturalist
Contributions
Fig. 1. Map showing the Greater Melbourne area (green shading) the urbanised parts ofGreater Mel-
bourne(redshading).
century,includingchangesthathadbecomeevi- Victoria (Wheeler 1967; Emison et al. 1987)
denttohimandothersduringthatperiod. and national distributions ofbirds from Atlas
Two main sources have been used for mod- projects(Blakersetal. 1984;Barrettetal.2003).
ern information. One is the Atlas ofVictorian Records from the Victorian Biodiversity At-
Wildlife (soon to be relaunched as the Victo- las have been used as a secondary source, and
rianBiodiversityAtlas).Theotheristhesumof wouldbeworthexamininginmoredetail.
personal observations bythe authors (resident The paper also considers the likely causes
inornearMelbournefrom 1973 to thepresent of observed changes. Information on habitat
(RHL) and from 1963 (PWM)) and their col- use by individual species and the timing of
leagues, including members of the main bird observed changes can be used to distinguish
organisations (Birds Australia, Bird Observa- whetherchangesarelikelytobeduetochanges
tion & Conservation Australia and the Victo- in habitat availability, competition from other
rianOrnithologicalResearchGroup).Somelit- species,orclimaticevents.
eraturealsowasconsultedbutacomprehensive
Methods
literature review was not possible in the time
Information for 1850-1900 from Keartland
available. Such a review would undoubtedly
(1900)
add detail but is not considered likely to alter
the main conclusions from this paper. Some Keartland provided narrative accounts for 185
bird species forwhich he had personal experi-
valuable sources of further data include ac-
countsofbirdsinsuburbangardens(Klootand ence in the greater Melbourne area, drawing
McCulloch 1980),changesovertimeatspecific also on information from fellow naturalists
locations such as Emerald (Twaits 1982), Box from as long ago as the 1850s. These accounts
Hill (Kloot 2000) and Long Forest (Hewish et were perused (after translating some archaic
al. 2006), distributions and habitats of birds nmaomdeesr)nttoimseese(isfutghgeesctoinmgmtehnattspocpouulladtiaopnpslmyaiyn
in Melbourne (Aston and Balmford 1978) or
Voll28 (5) 2011 211
Contributions
have been stable, or to have varied in propor- Results
tion to available habitat). Any deviations were Keartland’s list ofspecies is quite similarto the
highlighted and classified into a number of listthatwouldbemadeinmoderntimes,byan
groups(speciesthatappeartohaveincreasedor observer focusing on bush-birds and not visit-
decreased markedly since that time). Changes ing special habitats for shorebirds or seabirds.
observedbyKeartlandandhiscolleaguesinthe Butclearlytherehavebeensomemajorchanges
latterpart ofthe 19th centurywere also noted. inabundance,andsomespeciesarenowabsent
Formanyspecies, Keartland providedvaluable or extremely rare (notably Australian Bus-
ecological information, while for a few others tard Ardeotis australis, Superb Parrot Polytelis
he frustratingly provided just a description of swainsonii. Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae.
their appearance or behaviour, limiting useful Eastern Grass Owl Tyto longimembris. Brown
commentonanychangeinstatus. Inaveryfew Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus. Crested
cases, some doubt may remain about whether BellbirdOreoicagutturalis.Grey-crownedBab-
the species were correctly identified or actu- bler Pomatostornus temporalis, White-browed
ally recorded in the Melbourne area: attention Babbler Pomatostornus superciliosus. Regent
is drawn to those few cases. Information from Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia and Fuscous
Keartland(1900)alsowascomparedtothelists Honeyeater Lichenostomusfuscus). There also
and notes ofbirds in the BoxHill district from have been gains, but some ofthem maybedue
1895 to 1899 (by Robert Hall, as collated and toincreasedobserveractivityandexpertise(and
summarised by Kloot [2000]). Hall’s observa- focus on shorebirds and seabirds) rather than
tionslendsupporttosomeofthemoreinterest- real changes. Keartland did not deal explicitly
ingobservationsofKeartland. with introduced birds, but he mentioned the
Recentinformation 1973-2011 introduction ofsparrows and it seems that his
Personal experience was used as the main choice not to discuss them further could have
source ofrecent information, based on obser- been due to a philosophical position or edito-
vations bythe authors and colleagues from the rialpolicy. Themain changes inabundanceare
mid-1960sto2011. DuringthistimeRHLlived consideredbelowbyperiodofchange.
in Parkville (1973-75), Gippsland (1975-77), Possible errors or records that need to be
Coldstream (1977-79), Emerald (1979-87) and checked
Viewbank (1987-2011), working out of Hei- Just a fewofKeartland’s records seem discord-
delberg from 1986 and making observations antwithwhatiscurrentlyknownofthespecies,
widely, but especially near his home, close to andfurtherinvestigation is neededto establish
the confluence ofthe Plenty and Yarra Rivers. their accuracy. This implies no disrespect to
PWM
livedinMentonefrom 1963to 1974,and Keartland and his colleagues, who were work-
then in the Heidelberg area for the rest ofthe ing without field guides and other modern
periodapartfromtwoyearsat DiamondCreek toolssuchassophisticatedoptics,butdidmake
(1979-1981).Adistillationofinformationfrom frequentuseofashotgun. Inthispaper,thefol-
fellowbirders was also used, including reports lowingfourcaseswillbedisregarded:
intheperiodicalsofthemajorbirdsocietiesand • Keartland mentions two species of small
ourownresearchcompilations (e.g.Menkhorst penguin (as Little Penguin Eudyptula minor
1976). Data were examined from the Atlas of and Fairy Penguin Eudyptula undina), which
Victorian Wildlife, to give a picture ofreport- arenolongerdifferentiated.
ingratesforeachspeciesoverrecentyears. • Spotted Nightjars Eurostopodus argus inhabit
the arid north-western parts of Victoria,
Changesandtrends and nightjars in Melbourne are much more
Threeprimaryperiodsofchangecouldbeiden- likely to have been White-throated Nightjars
tified from this process: 1850-1900 (as report- Eurostopodusmystacalis.
ed by Keartland 1900 and Hall [Kloot 2000]); • Orange-belliedParrotsNeophemachrysogaster
1900-1970S (comparing their observations areextremelyrare,andfoundmainlyincoastal
with those at the start ofthe modern period) habitats and not in the breeding season (as
and 1970sto2011 (from recentobservations). they breed in Tasmania). Keartland recorded
212 TheVictorianNaturalist
Contributions
them (as‘Blue-bandedGrassParrotEuphema Parrots were based on hearsay rather than
chrysogaster) in large flocks near Melton in personal observation, but they are quite
spring and as scattered pairs throughout the specific, stating that the species was ‘at one
year all round Melbourne. These are more time very common in the vicinity of Keilor
likely to have been Blue-winged Parrots and Heidelberg’, but had ‘quite disappeared
Neophema chrysostoma (not mentioned by oflate years, the only specimens shot being
Keartland). escapedcagepets’.
• Marsh Sandpipers Tringa stagnatilis are
Increasesorfluctuations1850-1900
regular visitors to saline wetlands near the
coast of Port Phillip Bay, where they occur Keartland considered that Australian Magpies
with a range of other migratory shorebirds. had‘becomeverynumeroussincetheyenjoyed
Keartlandrecords‘solitarybirdsofthisspecies the protection ofthe Game Act’. He also said
on the margins ofthe lagoons at Heidelberg’, that a number of Fuscous Honeyeaters had
and mentions no other migratory shorebirds ‘lately arrived’ in the Melton forests and in the
exceptforLatham’sSnipeGallinagohardwickii. past two years (1898-1900) Purple-crowned
HisMarsh Sandpipersaremorelikelytohave Lorikeets Glossopsittaporphyrocephalahad ap-
beenCommonGreenshankTringa nebularia. peared ‘in considerable numbers in our parks
WoodSandpiper Tringaglareola orCommon and gardens’. More surprisingly, he reported
Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos that are much that Cicadabirds Coracina tenuirostris (‘Jar-
more likelyto be seen ‘as solitarybirds’ than dine’s Campephaga Campephagajardinii’) had
areMarsh Sandpipers. Anumberofcommon appeared near Melbourne ‘within the last few
migratory shorebirds that sometimes visit years’.Thelastthreeobservationsmaybeexam-
freshwater wetlands are also candidates plesoferraticirruptionsratherthantrends.
such as the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris Keartland identified no other species that
acuminata but these species are almost
increased over this period, though intro-
invariablyinflocks.
duced species would clearly be in that cat-
The following records deserve further scrutiny egory. He commented on the erratic spring
butareacceptedprovisionallyinthispaper: arrival ofWhite-browed Woodswallows Arta-
• Records of Masked Owl and Eastern Grass mus superciliosus and Masked Woodswallows
Owl may well be correct, and both species A.personatus, considered harbingers of hot
have been seen near Melbourne in recent summers: similar comments could be made in
years; however, both can be confused with modern times. More surprisingly, he reported
Eastern Barn Owl Tytojavanica and itwould a temporary influx of ‘a great many’ Eastern
bereassuringtohavemoreinformationabout Grass Owls in about 1890, during a mouse
the records, especially the reference to ‘large
numbers’ ofEastern Grass Owl. We notethat plague.
Hall also listed both these species in the Box Decreases1850-1900
Hill area (Kloot 2000), and Wheeler (1967) In his introduction, Keartland lamented the
mentionedaminorinvasionofEastern Grass denudation ofnative vegetation within 30 km
Owlinwinter 1905. of Melbourne, and highlighted five bird spe-
• Keartland’s records of Superb Parrot (as cies that had declined markedly since 1850.
‘Barraband’s Parrakeet Polytelis barrabandi) Thesewere ‘Bronzewing Pigeons’ followingthe
and White-browed Babbler are both
destruction ofthe tea-tree (presumably Brush
surprising as these species are now confined Bronzewing Phaps elegans); Little Lorikeet
to dry forests north of the Great Dividing
bRiarndgse.andHouwnelvikeerl,yttohbeeymairsetaqkueint:ethdiesytainpcpteiavre RGleodssoGpusimttaanpdusiBlolaxafnordesRtesgweenrteHuosneedyefaotrefriraes-
to have suffered genuine range contractions, wood; Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haema-
ftisunfortunatethatnodetailswereprovided todus (fromforestsgenerally) and Australasian
about the status of White-browed Babblers, Bittern Botauruspoiciloptilus (whose booming
although earlier papers give specific records notes were ‘listened for in vain, presumably at
for Long Forest and Toolern Vale (Hewish wetlands where they had been heard calling
et al. 2006). Keartland’s records of Superb previously).
Voll28 (5) 2011 213
Contributions
Keartland also mentioned recent decreases numerousnearMelbournebutnowextremely
formanyotherspecies,andconsideredthatthe scarce’)
following 19 specieshaddeclined: • Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus (‘now
. Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera rare near Melbourne, but a few pairs still
(becoming rare as much hunted; disappeared construct their stringybark nests and rear
from immediatevicinityofcitybut afewstill theirbroodsatWhittlesea’);
seenatMeltonand Beveridge); • Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor (‘now
• Brush Bronzewing (becoming rare with loss somewhat rare’);
oftea-treehabitat,but‘occasionallyoddbirds • Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans (‘at one
areshotat MordiallocandCheltenham’); timeverynumerousinwhatisnowknown as
. Australasian Bittern (odd birds occasionally Clifton Hill; ...still numerous at Heidelberg
shotnearlagoonsinvicinityofHeidelberg); andthe PlentyRiver’).
• Black Kite Milvus migrans (previously Some ofthese changes (increases and decreas-
common atslaughteryards); es)mayhaveinvolvedcyclicalchangesinabun-
• Brolga Grus rubicunda (rare near Bulla, dance or erratic irruptions rather than long-
previouslyshotin 1860sat Fairfield Park); term trends, especially with respect to species
• tAhuestsrparliinagn aBnudstsaurdmm(e‘frremqouenntthlsy osenentheduorpienng that are known to be nomadic (e.g. lorikeets
plainsofKeilorandWerribee’); andsomehoneyeaters).
• Yellow-tailedBlack-CockatooCa/yptorfiyncfiMS Increases 1900-1970s
funereus (common along the Yarra in the A few species seem to have increased between
1850s, e.g. at Heidelberg, but subsequently 1900andthe 1970s:
confinedtotheDandenongRanges); • Kelp Gulls Larus dominicanus were first
• Gang-gangCockatoo Callocephalonfimbriatum seen in Victoria in 1954, in Port Phillip Bay
(becomingscarceas muchsought [presumably (Wheeler 1967). By the 1970s low numbers
as specimens or pets], easily shot but had become regular near Port Phillip Heads
occasionallyseen ‘asnearasOakleigh’); (and a fewpairs bred annuallyon Seal Rocks
• Rainbow Lorikeet (at one time very in Western Port). However, the species
numerousnearMelbourne,e.g.inBlueGums remains extremely rare in the metropolitan
of Parliament House, but now very scarce;
area.
not common since March 1874 when they • Fan-tailed Cuckoos Cacomantisflabelliformis
destroyed nearlyall the ripe pears in gardens were describedby Keartland as less common
atDandenong); than Pallid Cuckoos, and generally confined
• Little Lorikeet (very numerous a few years tohillycountry. Bythe 1970sthespecieshad
agonearOakleigh,but nowscarce); becomecommoninarangeofforesthabitats,
• Superb Parrot (said to be at one time very including in the lowlands along the Yarra
commonnearKeilorandHeidelberg,butthen
River.
disappearedexceptforescaped cage-birds); • Bell Miners Manorina melanophrys were
• Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor (‘at one time described by Keartland as mainly inhabiting
very common; these birds are now seldom Gippsland, but they were ‘occasionally met
seen; afewyearsago specimensweresecured with at Ringwood and Bayswater’. Colonies
nearBrighton’); had become established in many parts of
• Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azureus (previously easternMelbourneandthenearbyrangesand
conspicuous along the Yarra and Plenty river valleys by the 1970s (McCulloch and
Rivers,but‘hasbecomeveryrare’); Noelker 1974).
• Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus • Little Wattlebirds Anthochaera chrysoptera
(‘still found in the Morang district although weredescribedbyKeartlandasverynumerous
immensenumbersofthemhavefallenvictim incoastaltea-treefromBrightontoSchnapper
to rabbitpoison’); Point, but seldom seen far inland. In the
• Yellow-rumpedThornbillAcfl«f/i;'zachrysorrhoa 1970sthespecieswasstillmainlycoastal (e.g.
(numerous in garden plots until sparrows atMentonealwaysinthetea-treeandbanksia
wereintroduced); belt), but had begun to expand into various
• Regent Honeyeater (‘at one time very suburbanhabitatsawayfromthecoast,where
214 TheVictorian Naturalist
Contributions
lots ofproteaceous shrubs had been planted, vegetable food, which adds to the delicacyof
forexamplethegroundsofMonashUniversity their flesh’. By 1970 the species was virtually
ClaytonCampus. absent from the Melbourne area, though
• Red Wattlebirds Anthochaera carunculata populations persisted near Laverton (Point
were described by Keartland as ‘still Cook) andontheMorningtonPeninsula.
plentiful at Clayton and Melton, where they • King Quail Excalfactoria chinensis were said
congregated in flocks during winter’, despite to be ‘generally found in damp, swampy
being occasionally killed as game; he also localities’, where their habits were similar to
described them as extremely wary. Clearly, thoseofBrown Quail, Thespeciesmusthave
RedWattlebirdsweresomewhatlocalinthose declined rapidly as it was absent from the
days,whereastheyarenowverycommonand Melbourne areaformost ofthe 20th century,
widespreadinMelbournegardens (Klootand with the few records generally considered
McCulloch 1980), to refer to escaped cage birds. The species
became rare throughout Victoria, with most
Several waterbirds appeared to be quite scarce
records coming from wet heaths in the
in Keartland’s time, at least in part because Grampians, Wilsons Promontory and East
theywerewidelyshot. For example, Australian Gippsland. Bythe 1970s the onlypopulation
Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata were reported known to persist in Victoria was on French
to be frequent atjust two sites, Whittlesea and Island, and that remains the case in 2011
Melton, and their flesh was said to be highly despiteoccasionalrecordselsewhere.
esteemed. Chestnut Teal Anas castanea were • Musk Ducks Biziura lobata were said to
said to be ‘shot at Carrum’ with no mention occur ‘along the coast-line from Brighton
of other locations. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra, to Mornington’, where ‘many of these birds
Australian Wood Duck, Chestnut Teal, Pink- maybe seen resting placidly on the water or
eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus diving to avoid a passing boat’. The species
andBlack-wingedStiltHimantopushimantopus is now scarce along this north-eastern shore
all appear to have increased substantially since of Port Phillip Bay, although many can be
1900, and the first three are now common in seenfurtherwestoffWilliamstown, andhigh
many wetlands in the Melbourne area. Con- numbers gather at the Western Treatment
struction of new freshwater wetlands, as well Plantandadjacentcoasts.
as tighter hunting controls, may have helped • Australasian Gannets Moms serrator were
these species. Keartland mentioned that flocks often said to be seen fishing, by observers in
ofStraw-neckedIbis Jhreskiornisspinicollisvis- excursion steamers in Hobson’s Bay (i.e. Port
ited Melbourne in summer during ‘immense Melbourne). The species is still common in
flightsofgrasshoppers’,butinmoderntimesthe nPoorwtbPrheileldiponBafyi,vewnhaevrigeataiofnewsthruucntdurreesdipnatihres
species can be found more often, and not only
when there are abundant grasshoppers. Keart- southernhalfofthebay,includingthejettyat
Point Wilson. Occasional birds can be seen
landmadenomentionofAustralianWhiteIbis in Hobson’s Bay but the species now makes
sT.ppm.,olauncdcanoorweailtlhcearnsbpeecfieosunodfsqpuoiotneboifltlePnliantaalneda laepspsaurseentolfytdhiediinnneKreapratrltaonfd’PsorttimPeh.illipthanit
near Melbourne, with Australian White Ibis • Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo were
breeding regularly at Healesville and in con- said to ‘frequent the Bay, the Yarra and the
structedwetlandsbelowtheWestgateBridge, lakesinourreserves’inhighnumbers,whereas
Little Black Cormorants Phalacrocorax
Decreases 1900-1970s
Manyspeciesappeartohavedecreasedbetween sulcirostris were only ‘occasionally seen at
Heidelbergand otherplaces alongthe course
Keartland’stimeandtheearly 1970s. Themain ofthe Yarra’. Both species still occur, but in
examplesarelistedbelow: moderntimesGreatCormorantsareunlikely
• Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora were to be seen in high numbers, whereas flocks
described by Keartland as being locally of hundreds ofLittle Black Cormorants can
distributed all year ‘on the grassy margins of often be encountered in the Bay, with lower
creeks ordamp, swampyflats’. He noted that numberslocallyonwetlands.
inwintertheyfed‘largelyoncloverandother
Voll28 (5) 2011 215
Contributions
• Purple Swamphens Porphyriaporphyria were • Plains-wanderers Pedionomus torquatus were
saidto‘frequentallthelagoonsandswampsin described by Keartland, with some detail
thevicinityofthe Yarra, from Princes Bridge about behaviour and nest sites, so evidently
upwards’. By the 1970s the species was no it was not as rare as it is now, though he said
longerfoundasfardownstreamasthePrinces nothing about its distribution. In the 1970s
Bridge, although it remained common on the species was still believed to persist in
most vegetated wetlands at greater distance grasslands west of Melbourne, though there
from the Central Business District (upstream werefewrecentrecords.
along the Yarra River from Ivanhoe and also • Little Button-quail Turnix velox (‘swift flying
alongthecoast). Turnix’) were said to be mainly inhabitants
• Buff-banded Rails Gallirallus philippensis ot ‘the arid plains of northern Australia’,
were described as ‘showy waders, found on but occasionally migrated south ‘in great
themarginofalmosteverysheetofwaternear number, when driven from their home in
Melbourne’. By the 1970s they had become the north by seasons ofprotracted drought’.
lessnumerousormoreshy: fewpeoplewould It is unfortunate that these big influxes
describe them as ‘showy’ in modern times. remain poorlydocumented. Occasionalbirds
However, they remain common though continuedtobereportedinsouthernVictoria,
cryptic on most vegetated wetlands in the but there have been no further reports of
Melbournearea,sothechangemayhavebeen high numbers. There does not seem to be an
inbehaviourratherthannumbers. identification issue, as plausible text is also
• KeartlandstatedthattheopenplainsofKeilor given for other quail species including the
were frequented by Australian Bustards. For onethatisnowmostcommon (StubbleQuail
most ofthe 20th century, bustards could no Coturnixpectoralis).
longerbefoundwithin350kmofMelbourne. • Galahs Eolophus roseicapillus were said to be
Heusedthepasttenseforthisandsomeother non-breedingwintervisitorsin‘largeflocks’to
species (e.g. Banded Lapwing) thatstilloccur the Broadmeadows and Bulla districts in the
there, so it is not clear ifhe was reporting a late 1800s, but bythe 1970s theyhad become
decline during his period ofobservation, but rare near Melbourne and generally less
it is certain that the species subsequentlyhas common in southern than northern Victoria
becomelocallyextinct. (Wheeler 1967). [They have subsequently
• Bush Stone-curlews Burhinusgrallarius were increasedgreatly, seebelow.]
said to be ‘found in pairs in open forest’. • Laughing Kookaburras Dacelo novaeguineae
By the 1970s they had become extremely were describedby Keartland as numerous all
rare in southern Victoria, and absent from round Melbourne, ‘frequenting all the parks
Melbourne. Justafewbirdsmaypersistsouth and gardenswheretheymake havocwith the
ofthe Divide, astherehavebeen more recent goldfishinthelakes’. Theyremainwidespread
records from the Bellarine Peninsula and but have become scarce in inner city parks,
Melbourne suburbs (a lone vagrant on a golf although they may be re-occupying some
coursein2010). (e.g. theFitzroyGardens,wheretheynestina
• Red-necked Avocets Recurvirostra palmtreewherefrondshavebeenexcised).
novaehollandiae were said to ‘frequent the • Brown Treecreepers were apparently
Carrum swamp, and the mouth ofthe Yarra’ common in Keartland’s time: he described
in the late 1800s. They no longer occur at them as ‘one ofthe tamest birds in the forest’.
these sites, but substantial non-breeding Unfortunately, hethen proceeded to describe
flocks occur at artificial wetlands near their behaviour and said nothing about their
Werribee (Western Treatment Plant) and distribution. He used them as a benchmark
Carrum (Eastern Treatment Plant), with low for describing White-throated Treecreepers
numbers occasionally elsewhere. So perhaps Cormobates leucophaea, which he said were
this represents a shift in favoured locations ‘frequentlyfoundinhillycountry’,theobvious
ratherthanadecline. Inthe 1960stherewere implication being that Brown Treecreeper
breeding records from wetlands near Lara, was the morecommon ‘default’ species in the
whereas the species is no longer known to lowlands. The species was also recorded in
breed in theMelbournearea. the late 1800s in the Healesville-Warburton
216 TheVictorianNaturalist
Contributions
area (Anon. 1891) and at Box Hill by Robert habitats further inland (e.g. Twaits 1982
Hall (Kloot 2000). Brown Treecreepers referredtooccasional recordsnearYellingbo
are now rare in the Melbourne area, and andCardinia).
essentially confined to the remaining box- •SpeckledWarblersChthonicolasagittatawere
ironbark forests to the south-west (Brisbane said by Keartland to be ‘generally found in
Ranges, Long Forest andtheir environs), and the open forest’. They are no longer found
theyhave continued to decline in those areas within Melbourne, though some persist in
(Hewishetal. 2006). dry forest to the west (e.g. Long Forest and
• Satin Bowerbirds were said to be ‘still found You Yangs); some may have persisted in dry
in the Morang district although immense forest near Whittlesea and Warrandyte into
numbers ofthem have fallen victim to rabbit the 1970sor 1980s.
poison’. Oddly, Keartland made no mention •Yellow-rumpedThornbillswere describedby
of them damaging fruit crops, although he Keartland as ‘still very common a few miles
laid that charge on many other species. The from Melbourne’, despite the decrease noted
speciescontinuedtodeclineandbythe 1970s in suburban gardens when sparrows were
was rare close to Melbourne, with the closest introduced. In the 1970s they remained
populations being near Hoddles Creek and common in farmland outside Melbourne,
Healesville. and in patches ofremnant farmland within
• Superb Fairy-wrens Malurus cyaneus were Greater Melbourne, but had clearlydeclined
very common in heartland’s time, being greatlyasfarmsgavewaytohousing.
foundin‘nearlyeveryhedgeorpatchofscrub •Singing HoneyeatersLichenostomus virescens
around Melbourne’: he describes a brood were described as being ‘fairly numerous
hatched in Parliament Reserve in 1898. In among the casuarinas at Werribee’. By the
the 1970s the species remained common on 1970s the species was virtually unknown
theouterfringeofMelbourne,alongtheYarra in Melbourne, with the nearest populations
Riverandinsomeofthelargercityparks,but being on the ocean coasts of the Bellarine
couldnotbedescribedasubiquitous. and Mornington Peninsulas. The species
• Southern Emu-wrens Stipiturus malachurus has expanded back into coastal parts of
weredescribedbyKeartlandas‘activeamong Melbournesincethe 1970s.
the short heath and coarse grass at Oakleigh •Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters Acanthagenys
and Bayswater’. They had disappeared from rufogularis were apparently quite common
those locations by the 1970s, but could still wintervisitorstoMelbourneinthelate1800s:
be found in heathy woodland and swampy Keartland wrote that ‘during the winter
watercoursesinthefoothillsoftheDandenong monthstheybecomeverytameandfrequent
Ranges, e.g. near Yellingbo, Gembrook and the most popular reserves in the city’. This
Beaconsfield. no longer happens, though they continue
• Pilotbirds Pycnoptilus floccosus were found to be winter visitors to nearby towns such
in Bayswater according to Keartland, and as Bacchus Marsh (M Hewish pers. comm.)
that was the onlylocation he knewforthem: and there are resident populations on the
he once saw one being eaten by a Southern Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas: the
Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae. Hall also lattermaybenewlyestablished.
recorded them at Box Hill (Kloot 2000). By •White-fronted Chats Epthianura albifrons
the 1970s the species had disappeared from weresaidto favour‘driedswamps andsandy
all such middle suburbs but proved to be heathycountry’. Thesehabitatshavebecome
quite common at higher elevations in the rare in GreaterMelbournewherethe species
Dandenong and Yarra Ranges (where it had is now confined mainly to coastal saltmarsh
probablyalwaysbeen). andtosomewetlandsandassociatedpasture
• Striated Fieldwrens Calamanthusfuliginosus beyondthecityfringe,aswellaslimiteddune
were said to be numerous on sandy heaths habitatsandgolfcoursesnearthecoast.
of the Oakleigh district, where they are no •White-naped Honeyeaters Melithreptus
longer present. From the 1970s, the species lunatus were said to be common among
was confined mainly to coastal saltmarsh, eucalypts in StudleyPark. Thespeciesisnow
with perhaps just a few persisting in grassy rarely seen in inner-city parks although it
Voll28 (5) 2011 217
Contributions
remains common in reserves with remnant ofthe Yarra and Plenty Rivers.’ In the 1970s
eucalypt forest in the outer suburbs (e.g. theyremainedfairlycommonsummervisitors
Warrandyte). buthardlyabundant.
• Noisy Friarbirds declined during Keartlands • Crested Bellbirdswere reported byKeartland
time but a few pairs continued to nest near as ‘occasionally heard in the Melton district’.
Whittlesea. The decline evidently continued They continued to be reported very rarely
and by the 1970s the species was just a rare at Long Forest into the 1970s (Hewish et al.
vagrant to Melbourne, occurring mainly 2006),buthadclearlydeclinedsubstantially.
north of the Divide (e.g. in the Goulburn • Olive-backed Orioles Oriolus sagittatus were
Valley). saidtobe‘commonallaroundMelbourne’,and
• Grey-crowned Babblers were evidently quite ‘verydestructive amongst softfruitespecially
common, as Keartland wrote about their mulberries’. They remain fairly common
arresting’ antics and notes but said nothing summer migrants in large reserves and
about their distribution. By the 1970s they along the Yarra River, and sometimes enter
werevirtuallyabsent,withjustafewpersisting gardensto eatsoft fruitincludingmulberries.
on the Mornington Peninsula, at Canons However, Keartland’s description would be a
Creek in Western Port, Mordialloc and at a gross exaggeration oftheir recent status, and
golf-course near Koo-wee-rup: vagrantswere theyappeartohavedeclinedsubstantially.
alsoreportednearEmerald. • Leaden Flycatchers Myiagra rubecula were
• White-browed Babblers were also described described by Keartland as ‘found in the
butnothingwassaidabouttheirdistribution. Ringwood and Croydon districts’. They no
The species is known to have been resident longer occur there, except as scarce passage
in the Long Forest near Melton to at least migrants, but continue to be summervisitors
the 1940s (Hewish etal. 2006), but no longer to dryforestfurtherfromthesuburbs.
occurs south ofthe Great Divide (Emison et • Restless Flycatchers Myiagra inquieta were
al. 1987). Hewish loc. cit. etal. (2006) report described by Keartland as ‘numerous at
thatKeartland(1892)alsorecordedChestnut- MeltonandITeidelberg’. Bythe1970stheyhad
crowned Babblers Pomatostomus ruficeps at disappeared from Heidelberg but continued
LongForest,anextremelyimplausiblerecord, to be present in dry forest west and north of
but he did not persist with that claim in his Melbourne.
paper of 1900. It seems likely that he used • Jacky Winters Microeca fascinans were
the term ‘chestnut-crowned’ to differentiate described by Keartland with no comment
White-browed Babblers from the lighter- about local status, perhaps suggesting that
crownedGrey-crowned Babblers. they were fairly widespread. The species
• Spotted Quail-thrush Cinclosoma punctatum is now rare near Melbourne, and found
were said to ‘prefer rocky country or dense regularlyonlyin the dryforests to the south-
scrub’, and to be ‘common at Bayswater, near west,notablytheBrisbaneRanges,YouYangs,
theDandenongRanges’. Bythe1970stheyhad LongForest (where Hewish etal. 2006 report
disappeared from Melbourne suburbs, with continuingdeclines)andinsomeopenforests
just a few persisting east of the Dandenong inthefoothillsoftheDandenongRanges.
Ranges (inBunyipStatePark, RLoynunpubl. • Hooded Robins Melanodryas cucullata were
and E McNabb pers. comm.) and on dry described by Keartland as being found ‘at
ridges in and near Kinglake National Park Clayton, Oakleigh, Melton and Bayswater’,
(D Rogers, pers. comm.), as well as in the mainlyin open countryor‘burnt land’. They
BrisbaneRangesfartothesouth-west. nolongeroccurredatthesesitesinthe 1970s,
• CicadabirdsCoracinatenuirostrisarecurrently but persisted in some heathy woodland
scarce summervisitors to the forested ranges further east (near Gembrook and Yellingbo)
east and north ofMelbourne, and there has and in drywoodland furtherwest in the You
been no repeat ofthe influx noted in the late Yangs and Brisbane Ranges. Hewish et al.
19* century. This may be an example ofan (2006) report that they remained common
erraticirruption ratherthanatrend. in LongForestandToolern Valetothe 1960s,
• Rufous Whistlers Pachycephala rufiventris butnolongeroccurthere.
were described as ‘abundant along the banks • Tree Martins must have continued their
218 TheVictorianNaturalist
Contributions
decline,becausebythe1970stheyhadbecome PointCooktoPointWilson. Occasionalbirds
rare in Heidelberg (Warringal Conservation have also been found in reserves within the
Society 1981) where they were still common city,e.g. at BanyuleFlat.
in Keartland’s time. They continue to occur • Common Bronzewings have increased in
inMelbournemainlyaspassagemigrantsand manypartsofMelbournewherethereisopen
breed in a wide range offorest types beyond nativeforest, especiallyalongtheYarra River.
the suburbs. The species has also declined in Theyhavebecomefamiliarandtameinparks
Perth inrecentyears (Abbott2009). from Healesville through Warrandyte and
• BassianThrushesZootheralunulataweresaid Heidelberg to Yarra Bend, whereas in the
tobe‘mostplentifulintheti-treescrubsofthe 1970stheywere extremelyrare in themiddle
Mordiallocdistrictandalongthe Dandenong suburbs. They have benefited from plantings
Creek’. They are now rare visitors to such ofSilver Wattle Acacia dealbata, the seed of
areasandessentiallyconfinedtowetterforest whichformsafavouredfoodsource.
at higher altitude, including the Dandenong • Crested Pigeons were occasionally seen in
Ranges. Occasionalbirds continue to appear Melbourne in the 1970s, and were often
in Melbourne suburbs at lower altitude (e.g. dismissed as possible escapees (e.g. pairs
Heidelberg,andtheRoyalBotanicGardensin were seen in Parkville, perhaps escaped from
SouthYarra). MelbourneZoo). Inthelate 1990sthereports
• Red-browed Finches Neochmia temporalis suddenlyproliferatedandthespeciesisnowa
were described by Keartland as the most verycommonbirdinmostsuburbs,inhabiting
common finch, andhe described‘largeflocks open areas where theyfeed from sports ovals
atHeidelberg,feedingonthegrassseedfound and other open grassland. Groups of up to
on the river flats’. They remain the most a dozen or so are often seen perching on
common nativefinch, andinthe 1970sflocks overheadwires close to suitable openhabitat,
could still be found at Heidelberg although justasSpottedDovesStreptopeliachinensisdo
they rarely exceeded ~15 birds, so it seems inthemoredenselybuilt-upareas.
thatsomedeclinehadoccurred. • Little Penguins Eudyptula minor began
• DiamondFiretailsStagonopleuraguttatawere breeding at St Kilda in 1974, and the
said to be found ‘in open forest at Melton, population increased to its current estimated
Oakleigh and Yan Yean’. By the 1970s they level of 1200 adults (260-1- breeding pairs)
had disappeared from all those sites, but still (http://stkildapenguins.com.au). Previously
occurred inopenforestfurthersouth-westin the species had been considered just a non-
Long Forest, the You Yangs and the Brisbane breedingvisitortothisarea.
Ranges. • AustralasianDartersAnhinganovaehollandiae
were rare near Melbourne in the 1970s.
Increases 1970sto2011
Small breeding populations established
Many species have increased dramatically in around several billabongs on the Yarra River
Melbournesincethe1970s,includingconspicu- floodplain in 1975 (Menkhorst 1976) and
ousspecies such asparrots. Indeed,thereseem havebecomemoreorlesspermanent.
to have been several waves ofcolonisation by • White-bellied Sea-Eagles Haliaeetus
granivorous or nectivorous birds, with at least leucogaster were absent from Melbourne in
one added to the list ofcommon resident spe- the 1970s, when the nearest resident birds
cieseverydecade (GalahEolophus roseicapillus wereonFrenchIslandinWesternPort. Since
in the 1970s, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Caca- then pairs have become established on large
tua galerita in the 1980s, Long-billed Corella water storages in the Melbourne area (and
Cacatua tenuirostris and Little Corella C. san- at Lake Connewarre, south of Geelong).
guinea in the 1980s and 1990s, Rainbow Lori- Transient birds are seen with increasing
keetinthe 1980sandCrestedPigeon Ocyphaps frequencyaround PortPhillip Bay.
lophotes in the late 1990s and 2000s). Several • BlackKites have colonised the Werribee area
otherspeciesincreasedtoalesserextentandall fromthelate1990s,afterbeingvirtuallyabsent
thesechangesaredocumentedfurtherbelow. for more than a century, and several pairs
• Brown Quail have increased in number now breed there. Wheeler (1967) described
south-west of Melbourne, expanding from them asrarevisitorstowesternVictoria,with
Voll28(5) 2011 219