Parrots of the Sydney region: population changes over 100 years

The potential for golf courses to support restoration of biodiversity for BioBanking offsets

“…The same pattern of changed species composition occurred in our study as has been previously observed elsewhere with the encroachment of urbanisation (e.g., Catterall 2004;Parsons and Major 2004), and even within parklands (e.g., Recher 2004). Within urban Sydney, there have been major increases in the flocks of several parrot species (e.g., Cacatua galerita sulphur-crested cockatoo, Cacatua sanguinea little corella; Burgin and Saunders 2007), together with increased numbers of Platalea regia royal spoonbill, Theskiornis molucca white ibis, and Threskiornis spinicollis straw-necked ibis (Burgin and Saunders 2007), including on the Cumberland Plain (Burgin 2008b). These species were also commonly observed within the golf course environs.…”

Do fire and rainfall drive spatial and temporal population shifts in parrots? A case study using urban parrot populations

“…The increase in relative abundance of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and the pooled Corella species in the Sydney urban landscape is concordant with the results of Burgin and Saunders (2007) who reported a higher encounter probability in 2002 than in 1981, using data from an independent source (Cumberland Bird Observers Club database). Whilst Burgin and Saunders (2007) demonstrated increases in the abundance of these two species between two discrete years, our study encompasses a continuous 26 year period.…”

“…In Australia, however, there has been a recent increase in abundance of several species of native Australian parrots in suburban areas of Australian cities (Burgin and Saunders, 2007;Lowry and Lill, 2007;Shukuroglou and McCarthy, 2006;Veerman, 1991). In the city of Sydney, New South Wales, prior to 1920, Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) were considered rare (Burgin and Saunders, 2007) however they are now one of the most frequently recorded species in Sydney (Major and Parsons, 2010). During the period between 1981 and 2002, four other species of parrot increased in abundance in urban Sydney (Burgin and Saunders, 2007).…”

“…In the city of Sydney, New South Wales, prior to 1920, Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) were considered rare (Burgin and Saunders, 2007) however they are now one of the most frequently recorded species in Sydney (Major and Parsons, 2010). During the period between 1981 and 2002, four other species of parrot increased in abundance in urban Sydney (Burgin and Saunders, 2007). Whilst some of these species have always been present in the Sydney region, such as the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), other species such as the long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) and the Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus) were historically known only from arid areas of inland Australia (Higgins, 1999).…”

Rules of the roost: characteristics of nocturnal communal roosts of rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus, Psittacidae) in an urban environment

“…Lorikeets occur in tropical rainforest, sclerophyll forest, mallee woodland, scrub and heathland, riverside scrub (Higgins 1999;Forshaw 1973) and urban areas including all major Australian cities (e.g. Sydney, Perth), where they frequent flowering introduced and native trees in streets, parks and gardens (Burgin and Saunders 2007;Chapman 2005;Fitzsimons et al 2003;Hasebe and Franklin 2004;Veerman 1991). Lorikeets are predominantly nectar, fruit and pollen feeders, but their flexible diet will also extend to flower parts, leaf buds, grain, seeds and insects (Higgins 1999).…”