As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Friday, 9 November 2018

Pigeons and rodents on the menu for hungry raptors


OCTOBER 10 2018 - 2:00PM
You may want to look to the skies before letting your pet rabbit or guinea pig out of its hutch for a stroll around the backyard.
A surprising number of Powerful Owls, Black Kites, Wedge-tailed Eagles, and other birds of prey (known as raptors), have been recorded in urban spaces by participants in BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Backyard Bird Count over the past four years.
BirdLife Australia is anticipating a rise in reports of raptors in this year’s Aussie Bird Count -  from October 22-28 - due to the impact of the drought driving birds from the parched countryside into our cities and suburbs.
Over the past four years 27 out of Australia’s 34 raptor species have been spotted in capital cities. 
BirdLife Australia is encouraging all Australians to “look up” when they are doing their bird counts because you never know what you might see. 
“We expect it to be a really interesting year for bird watchers in urban areas with the drought driving raptors and other inland birds into our cities and towns in search of food,”  BirdLife Australia’s chief bird nerd Sean Dooley said. 
“We have already had reports of higher than usual numbers of raptors such as Barn Owls and Black-shouldered Kites moving towards the coast this winter. 

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