Southern form of Star Finch now listed as EXTINCT!

[dano_68]

"The southern form of star finch that once occurred between Townsville and northern NSW" is now listed as extinct!

This is something we have always suspected, but to see it now as official is really gut wrenching!

In all 6 birds species have now been listed as extinct because there has been no sightings in the last 10 years. I really hope this is wrong and the birds are just hiding...but alas, 10 years is a long time.

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A: The subspecies M. c. melvillensis Miro to the cap ( Melanodryas cucullata ) that was located in the Tiwi Islands
B: The subspecies A. t. modestus of the Thick-billed Grasswren ( Amytornis textilis ) near Alice Springs;
C: The subspecies Neochmia r. ruficauda of the Star Finch ( Neochmia ruficauda ) whose distribution was limited to the region between Townsville and northern New South Wales
D: The White-eye White-breasted ( Zosterops albogularis ) of Norfolk Island
E: Subspecies S. g. ashbyi Pied Currawong ( Strepera graculina ) who lived west of the state of Victoria
F: The subspecies C. p. anachoreta of the Spotted Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma punctatum )from Mount Lofty (near Adelaide) ;

Full story here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011 ... 107038.htm

[GregH]

I just read it too on the ABC site and thought this is only confirming what everybody suspected. Extinction in the wild is one thing but let's hope that somewhere it's in an avivultural collection and even if there is nothing pure it has no doubt contributed to the domestic strains that we now enjoy. I know it all comes down to land use changes over the last 200 years. We are a greedy species. It must be hard for Greg Combet knowing what he does about finches to toe the conservative economic line of the all-party mantra of "we have to keep ahead of the aging population by imcreasing the population in order to support it". When do we get to pay the price for our folly?

[desertbirds]

I wouldnt completely write off the Thick Billed Grass Wren,i will keep you posted if any news comes to hand but i do i know there were small populations to the South of Alice not so long ago.Much discussion has also been given to the Night parrot here in recent times.If these two species are still about then the next 12 months would possibly be the best time in recent history for these birds to turn up out of the blue.Wide spread, record rain falls may see these species still hanging on by a thread.Its great to see so many involved with the forum , excited and concerned about maintaining our exotic avian species,the real tradegy is to loose a few of our own along the way.Its a very big desert out here and with the boom and bust cycle of the birds that live here,spotting some of the rarer ones is literally like finding a needle in a haystack.Heres hoping.

[natamambo]

Night parrot still exists hopefully, I saw one near Ayres Rock (in an area with several unconfirmed sightings) in 2002. Regrettably it was scared off by a vehicle and cannot be clearly identified in my photo but it was waay too big to be a budgie.

[dano_68]

Hey maybe you guys should try and contact this mob and let them know you have made sightings. With any luck they may throw some money at those species to try and do some research!

[desertbirds]

Like you Dano , i live in hope that money will be thrown into research,now that some of these birds are listed as extinct thats highly unlikely.Unfortunately chasing extinct birds doesnt win votes and thats about what it boils down to.The fact that very little has been done up until now suggests that very little funding would be available.I will do a bit more research on the Thick Billed and get back to you.Im hoping these birds do show up as many species have double and triple clutched this year.Ive seen a few Crimson Chats here over a 20 year period,this year ive seen several hundred not far from town.Princess parrots have also been sighted on numerous occasions and a field trip to Uluru turned up a few species only recorded once or twice previously in the Territory.There`s still a little hope that they are still there.

[iaos]

My old man just made a second trip in two months up to the territory to see the Princess Parrots (south west?? of Alice Springs). First trip they didn't have permission to go on to the Aboriginal land and didn't see them, second time they got guided in and saw them. Apparently one of the old Aboriginal fellas reckons he knows the call of the Night Parrot and had heard it calling recently.

[desertbirds]

Good on your old man.Yes the Princess parrots have been recorded around Lake Amadeus and to the west of hermansburg.A permit is required to enter both of these areas.The rumour i heard on the night parrot was that an Aboriginal land owner north of Alice has had the birds coming in to his dam at night.When shown a field a guide he pointed out the night parrot,he also pointed out Bourke parrots and budgies and said it wasnt those two that he has refering to.Its just a rumour.

[desertbirds]

The Thick Billed Grass wren was spotted two years ago approximately 10ks inside the Territory border.It was during a drought and apparently they were hanging on by a thread and may not have survived.There were more spotted in SA but there is a bit of debate as to wehter that is a sub-species or the same as what has now been listed as extinct.We are only talking 300 klms south of Alice so some are suggesting its all the same species and they are still going,just not around Alice Springs.

[dano_68]

The Thick Billed Grass wren...There were more spotted in SA but there is a bit of debate as to wehter that is a sub-species or the same as what has now been listed as extinct..

I have updated my original post to show the correct taxonomy. So it is the sub-species that is in danger.