Aussie Finch Forum

Glad a solution has been found. Just goes to show I should watch Catalyst more often.
LML

damm those longtails who would want to keep them.....

Had them , sold them ...worse than double bars for interfering in everyones business and big buggers too.

gotta agree, though they do look lovely.... They killed 2pr of orange breasts, a hen cordon and a ruddy cock here.

Well let's not dismiss a species out of hand. They are a beautiful bird and until the 1970s Gouldians and Long Tails appeared to be holding their own together. An aviary is a very artifical environment so any problems there are the fault of the keeper, so if you've got the room best to keep them separate (eg. my Gouldians are Star finch nest parasites!) It was an interesting video and it make me wonder as to the management of the top end landscape. If Gouldian numbers can be boosted (250%) by increasing the number of suitable nesting hollows than would indicate that the number of hollows has decreased since the Goulds had their day? Human involvement is probably to blame. Are fires more frequent now and perhaps killing the termites that make the hollows or making grass a more palatable food for them as well as cattle? Has the land been cleared of suitable trees? Perhaps Mr Combet could suggest a carbon store of hollow trees for his beloved Gouldians.

I'M with you in regart to the biggest problem being human interferance Greg. And have long considered that minor criminals should be sentanced to tree planting or removal of pest weeds or cane toads. Think how this would help to improve the environment. (Off my soapbox now)
LML

They are given community service here (NSW) which in rural areas can be working on strips of land being regenarated by planting , mulching etc . However it seems petty criminals lack intestinal fortitude and cannot handle "hard" work in the "hot" sun therefore it is an option rather than a sentence

Much the same here. Should make it compulsory. e.g. set no of hours to be done.
LML

You know Ive been thinking The Goulds and Long tails have been sharing the same habitat since who knows when haven't they ? So could it be that the do gooders have made things so easy for the Goulds that the Long tails may now be being displaced ?
Have they upset the balance of things so that the Longtails much now be aggressive in order to find somewhere to nest ?
Have they been so gung ho about saving the Goulds that the Longtails numbers are suffering ?
Just something to think about after all every action has a reaction .