Month: June 2017

Oorts are fragments of chewed up grass (or other similar material) that are spat out by small mammals, especially Bettongs, probably because these remnants are too fibrous to swallow. Ecologists are using them to help measure activity of bettongs at different sites and also to collect DNA from fresh saliva-rich oorts (as a non-invasive sampling … Read more

see www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170530140735.htm Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

Steve Garnett and Les Christidis say “The assumption that species are fixed entities1 underpins every international agreement on biodiversity conservation, all national environmental legislation and the efforts of many individuals and organizations to safeguard plants and animals. Yet for a discipline aiming to impose order on the natural world, taxonomy (the classification of complex organisms) … Read more

(Are the allocas seed pods only called orts after they’ve been eaten from?) Main query– Yesterday I watched Red-browed Firetails systematically feeding in Glossy Black-Cockatoo Allocasuarinas. The finches lean towards the ort, delicately insert their beak, & remove themselves while eating. Does Hanzab list this as a foraging activity / food genus for this species? … Read more

Well out here on Lord Howe Island we have Lord Howe Woodhens and Buff Banded Rails as dominant tip chooks with the odd Purple Swamphen or Blackbird thrown in Hank Bower —–Original Message—– From: Birding-Aus [ To: Birding Aus < birding-aus@birding-aus.org> Subject: [Birding-Aus] How many species of dump chook are there in Australia? Message-ID: < ... Read more