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Living
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Animals
and Birds
The loss of native species has increased dramatically since then and introduced animals and birds, together with habitat destruction, have been major causes. Native animals of all major groups are present in Australia....mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians (frogs and toads), fish and invertebrates (animals without backbones). The way we control our household pets and the ways in which we encourage native species into our gardens can have a considerable impact on the well-being of those native species. With few exceptions, ALL native birds and animals are protected….yes, even snakes! No one is entitled to harm a snake unless it is posing a serious threat and, even then, it should be a last resort. Many bites occur when someone is attempting to kill the animal...see Snake and Spider Bites. In the bush most native animals are rarely seen as they are most active at night. Reptiles are common, particularly skinks, and the sight of a large goanna scaling a tree at full gallop is not soon forgotten. Native Animals "At Risk" In the Blue Mountains there are currently 16 species listed as being either "Vulnerable - V" or "Endangered – E" as defined in the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995. Because of their rarity, these species, are unlikely to be sighted:
Mammals
In the Blue Mountains about 45 native mammal species have been recorded. There are three groups; the monotremes, like the Platypus and Echidna; the marsupials, including kangaroos, possums and koalas; and the placentals, such as the Flying Fox and other bats. The most commonly seen native mammals near bushland are probably possums and bats. Possums .....are cute and cuddly but, when they are partying in your roof in the early hours, it’s difficult to be tolerant and their droppings can present a health hazard. To control them, block off access when they leave at night to forage.
Bats There is probably more folklore associated with bats than with any other animal but, despite the image portrayed in many B-grade horror movies, they don’t attack humans...or, at least Australian ones don’t! There are two groups of bats:
Bat Lissavirus has been identified in Australian bats and it is transmittable to humans by infected animals. Avoid contact with bats and, if bitten or scratched, clean the wound thoroughly and seek medical attention. It’s a serious disease but a vaccine is available.
There are many books available on native birds, mammals, fish and invertebrates. Particularly useful is the world wide web site maintained by the Australian Museum. The Museum also produces a series of "Information Disks" on a variety of natural history topics which are comprehensive but relatively inexpensive. The Australian Museum
A number of other useful references are listed in Main Information Sources. Native Birds Most birds are active during the day and these are the most common types of wildlife seen in the bush and in gardens near bushland areas. The variety of birds that inhabit quite small areas would amaze most people...a basic identification book is a great investment. Encouraging Native Birds Having a variety of birds in the garden is certainly enjoyable and many people like to provide food to encourage even more birds to visit. But is it a good idea? In most cases, it isn’t....and not just because a flock of sulphur crested cockatoos can destroy your house!
By far the best way to encourage birds into the garden is to create as natural an environment as possible:
Birds Australia
Blue Mountains Bird Observers
National Parks and Wildlife Service
The Problem with Magpies! Magpies are the real larrikins of the bush; they are bold, devious and cunning. Attacks during the breeding season in spring can, however, be distressing, particularly for young children. Only relatively few birds attack and, in most cases, the birds don’t make any actual contact. There are some ways to minimize the problem.
If the problem can’t be resolved contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service for advice. Magpies and the Law During their breeding season, some magpies take up aerial bombardment on unsuspecting humans. However, like most Australian native animals and birds, magpies are protected.....It is an offence to harm them. Tree Hollows and Nest Boxes Many birds and other animals use hollows in dead trees or in dead branches as nests. In urban areas, however, the availability of hollows is rare. Suitably designed nesting boxes can encourage native birds into a garden - and even perhaps possums or bats! If you notice them being taken over by pest species the boxes should be removed. Birds and Windows The thud of a bird flying into a window or glass door is an all too familiar one. Sometimes the bird is just stunned but then becomes easy prey to an alert cat. Often, however, the collision is fatal. To minimize the problem try:
Bower Bird Bowers It’s difficult to believe that a grassy tunnel decorated with all sorts of blue-coloured objects (clothes pegs, drinking straws, berries) would be used by a male Satin Bower Bird to woo a female. What’s even more surprising, though, is that it seems to work! Please leave bowers untouched. You might spoil a beautiful relationship......
The Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) is a non-profit organization which operates under license from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. If you find an injured, sick or orphaned animal, WIRES will put you in touch with a trained rescuer. WIRES – Blue Mountains
Reptiles Reptiles include snakes, lizards, skinks, geckos, dragons, goannas and tortoises. They are cold blooded animals and most are active mainly on warm days where they like to rest in a warm place...like a bitumen road! Please watch out for them. Snakes The Blue Mountains bushland is home to 19 snake species, the most common being the Red-bellied Black Snake. Although venomous, this species injects venom inefficiently and there has only been one recorded death from a black snake bite. These snakes are of most risk to children or to the elderly but rarely strike unless provoked. Other dangerous snakes which may be sighted are the Eastern Brown, the Tiger Snake and the Death Adder. All are highly dangerous. Pythons such as the beautiful Diamond Python may also be encountered. These are large, robust snakes which are not venomous - but that doesn’t mean that they can’t bite! Lizards Some lizards, particularly blue-tongued lizards, are easily caught, but please don’t! It will only cause them unnecessary stress and, even if they aren’t poisonous, they can still inflict a painful bite which can easily become infected. But if you do happen to come in contact with a lizard, there is no truth to the tale that contact can cause skin allergies. Tortoises These marvellous creatures are most commonly seen crossing roads
(or failing to cross roads). If you see one, please stop and gently
move it from the road in the direction it was travelling. Amphibians Scientists tell us that frogs are disappearing. Perhaps this is a sign that humans are making a mess of the environment. Please look after frogs on your property - they tend to squeeze into dangerous places, such as window frames. Invertebrates This group includes insects, spiders, worms and snails. Many are important in recycling of organic waste. As a food source for birds, reptiles and other animals, they are an important, and much overlooked part of the ecosystem. Spiders and Ticks Perhaps surprisingly, these belong to the same group of animals. Their bodies are divided into two parts and they have four pairs of legs. Spiders are invaluable in controlling pests such as mosquitoes and, while it’s no fun to walk into the web of a St. Andrew’s Cross Spider, the experience won’t do you any harm! And the web is a miracle of engineering...or was until you walked into it! There are four dangerous spiders in the Blue Mountains area - the Funnel Web, the Red Back, the White-tailed Spider and the Mouse Spider. Learn to identify these and try (please!) to live with the rest...see also Snake and Spider Bites. Ticks can cause weakness, nausea and paralysis. A tick injects its head into the skin leaving its body exposed and feeds on blood. To remove a tick, press tweezers into the skin on either side of the head...this should cause the head to be ejected. Don’t use tweezers to pull the tick out directly - this may increase the amount of toxin released. If necessary, seek medical attention. Ants, Bees and Wasps These belong to the same biological order and have much in common. In particular, they have a high degree of social and co-operative behaviour. Ants have a highly advanced social order. Their nests are mainly underground but their activities usually take place on the ground and in trees. They have a varied diet and have been known to "farm" aphids on plants and feed on the sweet secretions. Leave ants alone wherever you can as they are important recyclers and do little damage. Unlike the European Honeybee, native bees pose no threat to humans. The most common are those in the genus Trigona which are smaller than the honey bee and stingless. Native wasps, too, are "good guys" although it may be difficult to appreciate that fact if you’ve just been stung by a native paper wasp. They will usually only attack if their nests are disturbed. Generally, though, wasps have an important role to play in pollination of flowers and in keeping other insect numbers in check. Cicadas It wouldn’t be summer in the Australian bush without the sound of the cicadas! They are beautiful and colourful insects which are easily caught.......please don’t! A cicada’s life above ground is brief and for the male, noisy, and it needs all the time it has available to find the perfect mate. Cicadas feed on the sap of trees but cause no noticeable damage.
Earthworms and Leeches These two animals are closely related; they have round bodies marked externally into rings or segments. Most soils contain earthworms, although they are more numerous in soils which have a high humus content. There are many native earthworms but those found in gardens are usually introduced species. It’s hard to love a leech....particularly when one has invited itself to lunch on your foot! An acceptable way to remove them is to use salt. This will cause the animal to fall off the body but will not kill it. It’s also possible to flick a leech off the skin when it arches towards its front. Compiling Wildlife Data Conservation of wildlife depends on knowledge of the natural distribution and abundance of animal populations. Banding programmes, for example, help wildlife managers design conservation and recovery plans. If you find a banded animal, contact the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme. You should record the band number, date and location. If the animal is dead, the band should be removed and sent to ABBBS. You can also contribute sightings to the database of NSW Wildlife compiled by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This database is being updated to allow more useful access by individuals and organisations.
Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Pests are species which were deliberately introduced or which have "escaped" from captivity or domestic animals which have been "dumped" by unthinking people. Pest species impact on native wildlife in a number of ways, including:
Please don't encourage pest animals by putting out feed trays. Mammals Pest mammals include foxes, cats, dogs, rabbits, pigs, goats, horses and cattle. Feral Cats…… Feral cats cause serious loss of wildlife, particularly small mammals and birds. However, the extent of the damage is not certain due to the additional impacts of other predators and habitat loss, all of which also affect native species. The impact of cats is listed as a "key threatening process" in the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Federal legislation) and a Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats is being prepared. Control of feral cats is by shooting, trapping, baiting and fencing of native wildlife reserves. …..and Dogs Feral dogs do not only attack native animals in bushland, they can also cause serious damage to livestock, especially sheep, in adjacent pastoral areas. Feral dogs are also known to mate with dingos which are regarded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as native species. Foxes These adaptable animals were originally released in the mid 1800s for recreational hunting. They have been responsible for the decline in the numbers of smaller, ground-dwelling animals. Control is generally by shooting, trapping and poisoning.
Other Pest Mammals The main problem with feral pigs, goats, horses and cattle is damage to natural ecosystems. Pigs, however, also prey on small wildlife and on the eggs of reptiles and birds. Pigs also damage native vegetation near watercourses through their habit of "wallowing" when looking for food. Goats, horses and cattle destroy native vegetation through grazing and cause serious soil compaction and erosion.
Control of pest animals is the responsibility of several Authorities, particularly the National Parks and Wildlife Service and NSW Agriculture. At a national level, the National Feral Animal Control Program aims to reduce the impact of feral animals in cooperation with the States. National Parks and Wildlife Service
NSW Agriculture
National Feral Animal Control Program Pig-Dogging The practice of hunting feral pigs with dogs, or "pig dogging", was banned by the NSW Government in 1997. Pest Birds Exotic birds such as the Starling and the Common (or Indian) Myna have not penetrated deeply into natural bushland. They exclude native species from nesting hollows and compete with them for food. They are the birds most likely to be attracted by feeding tables. The Indian Myna is sometimes confused with the native Noisy Miner, a similar-sized bird with a similar aggressive character. The two are quite distinctive; the Indian Myna is brown in colour while the Noisy Miner is grey. Other exotic bird pests include the common Starling, the European Goldfinch and the Spotted Turtle Dove. Some native birds have increased their range due to human activities such as clearing of native forests. The Galah, the Crested Pigeon and the Little Corella now occur in the Mountains whereas this would have been unusual 50 years ago. These may have contributed to the decline in numbers of other native birds. Pest Insects There are many introduced insect pests, the two most commonly encountered being the European Honeybee and the European Wasp. Honeybees are important in agriculture, however, in many areas they have displaced native bees and interfered in the efficient pollination of some plants. They can sting painfully but this is not usually serious except to those who have an allergy to the toxin. Stings should be removed by scraping with a fingernail - pulling out the sting by the poison sac causes further toxin to be injected. European Wasps are very dangerous. They are similar in appearance to the European Bee but are a little longer and have bright yellow stripes. They nest underground, in wall/ceiling cavities, in chimneys or in logs and trees and are attracted to sweet foods and drinks. It’s not wise to drink from open cans if wasps are in the vicinity. Pest control companies listed in the Yellow Pages will remove bee swarms and destroy European Wasp nests. Some beekeepers will remove bee swarms free of charge. European Wasps These are declared pests under the Plant Diseases Act and property owners must destroy nests. NSW Agriculture
Reporting Pest Animals Non-native animals are not permitted in National Parks. If you notice any, please inform a National Parks’ officer of the location, the time, date, number of animals sighted and, if appropriate, any vehicle registration number. Cats and dogs are great companions and give much pleasure to their human "owners". They can also give much pain to neighbours and to wildlife if they are not controlled. ALL domestic pets are banned from National Parks and Nature Reserves. De-sexing The obvious benefit of de-sexing domestic cats and dogs is the elimination of unwanted offspring which could end up as feral animals. Other advantages include:
Domestic Cats and Wildlife Cats are instinctive hunters and, even if well fed, will kill wildlife. They rarely respect boundaries and will hunt in your neighbour’s property as well as in yours. If allowed, they will also hunt in bushland with the risk that they will become feral. There are only two effective ways to reduce the impact of cats on wildlife:
Confining Your Cat Cats and many native animals are most active at night. Keeping your cat enclosed - perhaps in a laundry or garage - from dusk until after sunrise will reduce its impact on wildlife and will also reduce injury on roads or in fights. Confining cats permanently is also practical. This can either be in the house, where they will sleep most of the time, or in special outdoor enclosures with or without a connection to the house. Cats kept indoors have an average life span of 12 years compared with 3 years for cats allowed to roam. More Bells Please! Belled collars are good in theory but most cats have no trouble in stalking silently despite the bell. Adding three large bells, two under the chin and one opposite, will reduce wildlife kills but won’t eliminate them. Keeping Dogs Council regulations allow for up to three dogs to be kept in urban areas but dogs, even when on a lead, are viewed as predators by wildlife. To avoid unnecessary stress, it’s best if dogs are not walked in bushland. And to avoid stress to humans, please carry a scoop and plastic bag to remove anything your dog may leave behind.......
Other Domestic Animals Less common pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and aviary birds are not covered by specific Council regulations. Council and the RSPCA will become involved if there are complaints of noise, smell, other nuisance or cruelty. The keeping of animals such as horses, pigs, sheep, goats and poultry is usually considered on a case-by-case basis and will depend on the zoning of the property. Council will not normally object to the keeping of a sheep or goat as a "lawnmower" provided adequate arrangements are made for the safety of the animal (e.g. to protect it from attack by dogs) and for secure fencing. Liquid waste (effluent) from animal enclosures has a high concentration of organic matter and nutrients:
Companion Animals The Companion Animals Act 1998 has introduced new regulations for domestic cats and dogs (and other animals). The Act will be administered by local Councils:
Keeping Animals Near Bushland Regulations vary depending on the property zoning and the type of animal. Blue Mountains City Council - Health and Development Group
RSPCA, Blue Mountains District
Native Animals as Pets Some scientists have suggested that long term conservation of some animal species could be assisted by allowing some species to be domesticated. However, this is currently illegal and will probably remain so for the foreseeable future. Horses In areas other than urban zonings, one horse can be kept without any special Council approval. Council must approve a larger number and will consider factors such as nuisance (noise, smells), waste disposal, management practices, fencing and stables. Horses are not allowed to be kept in residentially zoned areas. Pigs There are no specific regulations concerning the keeping of these animals. Council may require that a "Statement of Environmental Effects" be prepared as part of a Development Application. Poultry Council has several recommendations for the keeping of chickens and ducks:
Council officers need to inspect and approve any enclosure larger than 3m x 3m. Releasing Domestic Birds If looking after the budgie (or any other domesticated bird) becomes a chore, it might be tempting to just open the cage door and walk away. But....
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Prune any overhanging branches.
Learning About Native Wildlife
6 College St, Sydney, 2000
02-9320-6000
Artificial food is like "junk food" - it rarely supplies
all the requirements of the birds’ diet and can adversely
affect their health.
