When Michael Alfa was setting up to photograph wildlife at Woolgoolga’s sewage works near the northern NSW town of Coffs Harbour last year, the avid birdwatcher could hardly believe his senses.
The species, not known for its mimicry, turns out to be picking up songs of other birds too, including the noisy friarbird, eastern rosella and the spiny-cheeked honeyeater, according to world-first research published Wednesday in the journal,The widespread loss of habitat means the regent honeyeater has been reduced to its last 200-400 individuals spread over 300,000 square kilometres ranging from Queensland to Victoria. The birds are apparently changing their birdsong.
“This lack of ability to communicate with their own species is unprecedented in a wild animal,” Dr Stojanovic said. “We can assume that regent honeyeaters are now so rare that some young males never find an older male teacher.” “One possible explanation for this is that, as a result of low population density, a copying error by one individual was learned by other individuals who lacked alternative tutors in the vicinity,” the paper said.
As birdsong originated in Australia, there’s “a sad irony that is the place where it’s starting to be lost”, he said. “As populations decline globally, we’ll find more examples of this happening if people look hard enough.”
p_hannam But property developers, agribusiness and graziers. Do they not have a right to profits?