Aussie Finch Forum

For fear of starting up another "trapping" debate, Nicobar pigeons have for the first time been recorded on mainland Australia. One has been captured and whilst i'm hopeful it will end up in the zoo system (where its genetics would no doubt be a welcome addition to Sir Edwards Hallstrom's bloodline) it does raise an interesting ethical debate - for technically, as they likely came here naturally, they should be allowed to colonise the county of their own volition....

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... first-time

I'm sure its genetics would be just as welcome in the private aviculture system as the zoos.

This certainly adds another several facets to the 'trapping debate' . . whether we like it or not



The trapping of non-indigenous species which have arrived spontaneously . .

Surely they are a threat to our native pigeons or have they become 'natives by default' . .

Zoo or private . .

The list goes on . .

I love it . .

Tiaris wrote: ↑08 May 2017, 06:30 I'm sure its genetics would be just as welcome in the private aviculture system as the zoos.

Whats more appropriate: the dept of agriculture gifts it to a private citizen or another government funded body with a breeding program for the species?

So we've established that it is legal and ethical to trap them . . ??

Now is that only by agents of the state, or could private enterprise become involved?






Just playing 'Devil's Advocate' . . many issues here

Here's the email I sent off to "The Experts" at WA Department of Agriculture...

Hi
We understand a single vagrant Nicobar Pigeon was recently taken from the wild in the Broome area by your office due to Biosecurity concerns. It is our view that this is an illegal take and hence we are interested to understand the legal grounds upon which the decision to take-from-the-wild is based.
There are other vagrant species - this take-from-the-wild potentially sets a concerning precedent.
Regards,
Sam Davis
Vice President - Government liaison
Canary and Cage Bird Federation of Australia Inc.

You all seem to be talking about the one bird that was caught and handed over to the Authorities, in another thread/link on FB it was suggested it was going to be euthanized.
In this link it says that there are a few in the wild in a couple of different area's on the North Kimberley coastline so what do the Authorities do about that.
I'm pretty sure, being in WA with their stringent laws to foreign birds they will most likely be shot or trapped and killed in an humane way.
WA have still got marksman shooting starlings that cross into that State from SA border so i don't think they will be letting these pigeons stay here and multiply with the threat of them carrying Bird Flu from an Asian country. Just my opinion. Craig

SamDavis wrote: ↑08 May 2017, 09:46 Here's the email I sent off to "The Experts" at WA Department of Agriculture...

Hi
We understand a single vagrant Nicobar Pigeon was recently taken from the wild in the Broome area by your office due to Biosecurity concerns. It is our view that this is an illegal take and hence we are interested to understand the legal grounds upon which the decision to take-from-the-wild is based.
There are other vagrant species - this take-from-the-wild potentially sets a concerning precedent.
Regards,
Sam Davis
Vice President - Government liaison
Canary and Cage Bird Federation of Australia Inc.

Best of luck in getting a reply . . at least before the bird is "killed in a humane way"


. . and I guess that destroying it would remove a lot of vexing issues



And . .

Apropos of nothing really . .

IUCN has Nicobars as "near-threatened" and thir population as "declining"

As their population is declining, and they almost certainly got here by cyclone activity. Surely the sensible thing to do is quarantine them and add them to the Zoo population, for the preservation and increase of the species. Or do we only do easy and not sensible?
LML

Quite an interesting post.

The question I ask is why all the hoo ha about a species of bird that has arrived naturally? What threat could it pose to our native species, after all we are the wintering ground for millions of birds which annually grace our shores from Asia that have the potential for carrying diseases. I am sure natural migration has occurred with some of our species that are also native to close by other countries and has been occurring since before the arrival of humans. One case in point is that of the cattle egret which appeared in the 1940's, not seen in Australia until then, now look at it's range, just about Australia wide, classed as a native.

I reckon just let them be and who is to say that they are not already established in a small remote area of this vast land of ours?

Ken.