21 November 2006

Observed increase in birdkill

| Jey
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Over the few weeks or so I’ve noticed an increasing number of dead birds on Canberra roads.
Normally, one doesn’t see so much birdkill as they usually seem to make it out of the way before been hit.

Has anyone else noticed this increase in carnage?
Any ideas as to why?
Perhaps the birds have gone a bit dumb in the head due to the lack of food caused by the drought.
Perhaps the bizarre weather has messed up their ‘radars’.

Theories involving in poisoning and Crazy_Chester aside, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

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i want that ded seagull, i saw it too and also i thought – WTF?

Young and stupid birds everywhere. Just the gene pool taking care of business.

It’s been Bird Madness out there the past 2 weeks or so. they come diving out of nowhere, in squadrons, raiding the car. So far the brakes have worked. and the ducks who shovel about in the mud just past the Dairy Flat Road/Moreshead roundabout in the mornings yesterday decided to venture out onto the road. In morning rush hour! Brakes and airhorn got a workout. Idiots. Ducks are such fools.

Thanks for all your answers.
While I don’t know whether or not the majority of the carnage observed was young birdkill, I can say that this time last year I wasn’t driving thus wouldn’t have noticed similar springtime carnage.
So, as some of you have said, it could be a regular spring occurrence.

Jeez, that little bugger managed pretty well.

I got him with the air rifle over on the other side of Northbourne.

Suprising how far they can get.

There was a story in the CT this morning (complete with adorable photo) about a baby rosella that had to be rescued from under a car at the Ainslie Football Club last night. Apparently it was small enough to fit in your palm and had got its wing stuck under the car’s wheel (or got driven on).

“I wouldn’t like to hit a pelican in the car.”

An RAAF F-111 hit several Pelicans at high-speed near Evans Head in about 1977: several shredded Pelicans, a dead pilot and navigator was the outcome of that birdstrike.

I imagine a car travelling at 100km/h wouldn’t look to good either after hitting a Pelican.

Young birds, particularly magpies and galahs, are pretty thick, so they get easily bowled over by cars. Ravens are clever, you don’t see too many roadkilled ravens.

The dry conditions can cause some young birds to starve. The recent bit of rain would have been good for food for lots of things though.

I found a dead wattlebird fledgling on the ground in the park. Nothing apparent wrong with it. Could have starved.

I wouldn’t like to hit a pelican in the car.

A couple of years ago several pelicans were found dead around the place. Someone was supposed to test the dead birds but I never heard anything.

A few weeks ago 2 magpies that were fighting in mid air crashed into the roof of my car while I was driving to work in the morning.

It wasnt until I got home that Mrs Danman told me that they were actually doing quite the opposite of fighting.

How awkward would that be.

Sounds like the new sights I fitted to the Berlina are doing their morbid best…

Apparently penguins are killing themselves off too!

Just ask the twits at fire control that thought one brigade was calling in about a penguin hitting the power line, bringing it down and killing itself in the process… funniest radio conversation I’ve heard in awhile!
They then asked the deputy in charge if the penguin needed medical assistance!

I want some of what they’re on!

blingblingbears1:20 pm 21 Nov 06

hmm make that cells

blingblingbears1:19 pm 21 Nov 06

oh yeah… thanks thumper

i think i killed off a few too many brain celss on the weekend…

The Film and Sound Archives were showing Stormboy and needed a prop.

I saw a dead pelican on the side of Parkes Way this AM. WTF?

blingblingbears12:41 pm 21 Nov 06

hmm i have noticed quite a few dead birds on pavements though, like in front of office buildings… how do we explain those?

I’m with Seepi. I’ve noticed this on my morning strolls – the dead almost always are young birds.

More young birds around in spring?

drought. Trees who cant take the prolonged dry keel over. Environmental effects cause the same in fauna.

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