The distributions of the two species of grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus of eastern Australia and
M.fuliginosus of southern Australia. overlap in a zone of 0.68 X 10*6 km2 in south-eastern Australia,
the zone including parts of South Australia. Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The species'
boundaries determining the overlap zone are mapped and the geographic trends in density within it are
determined for each of the two species. Whereas the western boundary of M. giganteus has moved
inland this century, possibly as a response to an increased number ofwatering points, there is no strong
indication that M. fuliginosus has extended its range significantly. The recent discovery of the latter
species in Queensland over an area of 100 000 km2, reported here for the first time, need reflect nothing
more than the difficulty of differentiating the two species in the field.
Crop contents of pigeons were studied near Griffith, NSW. For 740 crested pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes) in pastoral country, food was 85.5% seeds, 13.5% green leaf and 0.7% insects and other animals, by volume. The most important were seeds of introduced weeds and pasture plants. In drought the pigeons survived mainly on seeds of the introduced weed Paterson's Curse (Echium lycopsis) and during high rainfall they fed mainly on the abundant herbage. On roadsides, during a 6-month period, spilled wheat was 46.9% of food and the rest was introduced weed seed.Common bronzewings (Phaps chalcoptera) ate mainly seeds, 98.8% of food; 79% of food was from cultivated plants and introduced weeds. The most important single source was waste wheat seed, but in late winter and spring, native seeds were important. Both species are secure for the present; further development of agriculture might favour the crested pigeon and affect adversely the bronzewing.
Mortality of maned duck and grey teal due to hunting at Barrenbox Swamp in New South Wales in 1982
was estimated from band returns. Birds were marked a short while before the open season commenced.
The mortality rates were 33.0% in maned duck and 10.9% in grey teal on opening morning, and 41.0%
and 14.3% for the season. The validity of the estimates is discussed. Barrenbox Swamp is a popular
hunting site and a permanent wetland. Hunting mortality at the level recorded for maned duck in this
study could be detrimental to waterfowl during droughts, when populations concentrate on such
permanent waters.
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