Spinifex seed - another part of the puzzle

[GregH]

I noticed an ABC Science story today concerning the mast seeding of Triodia and wondered how important this grass is to wild Gouldian diets. I do recall that spear grass is the most important to them but that spinifex is also eaten but it is apparently an unreliable food source but when it does set seed it does so in huge quantities - just as bamboo does. While Gouldians inhabit arid woodlands and grasslands their ancestry seems to have pre-disposed/adapted them to utilize mast seeding plants. Gouldians, in common with the ancestral bamboo-eating parrot-finches, are adapted to fly great distances to find remote spasmodic food sources. Perhaps too like the other parrot finches their numbers also increase in response to the increased food supply. Its heartening to see this type of research done and reported and even better if it can be synthesized into something that preserves and enhances the natural ecosystems of Australia.

[Craig52]

I noticed an ABC Science story today concerning the mast seeding of Triodia and wondered how important this grass is to wild Gouldian diets. I do recall that spear grass is the most important to them but that spinifex is also eaten but it is apparently an unreliable food source but when it does set seed it does so in huge quantities - just as bamboo does. While Gouldians inhabit arid woodlands and grasslands their ancestry seems to have pre-disposed/adapted them to utilize mast seeding plants. Gouldians, in common with the ancestral bamboo-eating parrot-finches, are adapted to fly great distances to find remote spasmodic food sources. Perhaps too like the other parrot finches their numbers also increase in response to the increased food supply. Its heartening to see this type of research done and reported and even better if it can be synthesized into something that preserves and enhances the natural ecosystems of Australia.

I personally don't believe spinifex seed is a major part of the gouldians diet,i have just returned from this years count and gouldians were seen to be eating the much larger size grass seeds of species unknown to me.
We did pocket some small spiniex grass plants and seeds to propergate back home,the seeds are so small that imo gouldians wouldn't bother with them prefering larger seeds.Their beak size is an indication of this compared to painteds who have a long pointed bill for the easy pick up of spinifex seed,especially in cracks and crevices on the ground.
The counting areas outside of Wyndam were mainly speargrass and wild sorgham and not much spinifex at all. Craig