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Qneensland |
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The State of Queensland covers an area of 1,700,000 square kilometres (about 6 times
the area of NZ).
The Red Collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haemotodus rubritorquis), extends into the Gulf
of Carpentaria coast in the north-west of Queensland. The Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus
haemotodus moluccanus) inhabits the Cape York peninsular in the north of the state, and
extends down the east of Queensland into New South Wales. This range covers almost 15
degrees of latitude and includes a vast area devoted to agriculture and horticulture
through tropical, subtropical and temperate climates.
Typical crops in this area are Banana, Mango, Papaw, Lychee, Rambutan, and Longan.
Parallel data from Northern Territory would put the very sweet crops - Rambutan , Lychee,
Longan, Pawpaw and then tree ripened Mangoes - as attractive to flying foxes and many
birds including Rainbow Lorikeets. The only damage mitigation permits issued in the
Northern Queensland area are for Lychees and not for any other crop. Rainbow Lorikeet
damage to other tropical fruit crops in the North was not investigated further as none of
these crops are grown in New Zealand. Zero damage from Rainbow Lorikeets was cited for
Avocado or Sorghum
Crops important in New Zealand which are grown in the Sub Tropical area are Avocado,
Citrus, Macadamia, Kiwifruit, and certain Peach and Nectarine varieties.
Of these, Avocado, Citrus, Macadamia and Kiwifruit all have negligible problems with bird
or flying fox damage.
Damage to Peach and Nectarine crops in this area by flying foxes and birds is normally
low, about 5-10% in most years, the most damage being caused by flying foxes. About one
year in ten in wet conditions the eucalypts fail to flower as happened in 1998. Coastal
growers of these crops lost from 60-80% to flying foxes in that season. Persimmons can
also suffer the same damage if not netted.
Losses of Lychees on unnetted properties averaged 60% from a combination of birds, flying
foxes and fruit piercing moth. Growers are now advised that nets must used for this crop
in most seasons. The Lychee is not grown in New Zealand.
Typical crops grown in the Deciduous area of South Queensland include Apples,
Stonefruit, Grapes and minor crops such as Olives and Dates. Of these only Dates are not a
commercial crop in New Zealand.
One study on apples from the Granite Hills area reports that damage from Crimson Rosellas
and Scaly Breasted Lorikeets extended from 6% up to 38%. In this study Rainbow Lorikeets
were observed only infrequently.
Another estimate by a horticulture officer with long experience in the area put an average
crop damage from birds at 2-3% in most years.
Of this bird damage, Starlings and Silver eyes were quoted as problems to Grape crops, with Crows and Currawongs also a particular worry to growers of table grapes. Of the parrot family, the Scaly Lorikeet, Rosellas, and Galahs gave problems, but Rainbow Lorikeets were not mentioned by growers as a problem.
Competition with other Species
The range of Rainbow Lorikeet in Queensland most of the eastern side of the state down into New South Wales. In this range it co-exists in mutual competition with the following parrots and honeyeaters, all of which overlap in resource requirements either of food (nectar and pollen) or nest sites (suitable nest holes) with it:
Parrots:
Resource
Overlap
4 Species Lorikeet nectar, pollen, nest
sites
1 Species Fig-parrot nectar, nest sites
1 Species Swift Parro nectar, pollen, nest sites
23 Species other Parrot nest sites
Honeyeaters:
2 Species Wattlebird nectar
4 Species Friar Bird nectar
3 Species Miner Bird nectar
43 Species Honeyeater nectar
No references could be found that interspecific competion between Rainbow Lorikeets and any other species for food or nest sites is anything other than normal.
STATE OF QUEENSLAND INFORMATION SOURCES
Queensland Horticultural Institute
Centre For Subtropical Fruit
Maroochy Research Station
Peter Rigden, Extension Officer, phone 00617-5441-2211, fax 00617-5441-2235
Neil Greer, Extension Officer, , phone 00617-5441-2211, fax 00617-5441-2235
Peter Rigdin said in the phone conversation about March 1999:
That major damage to low chill stone fruit (peaches and nectarines suited to
sub-tropical conditions) is from flying foxes, with a bad year last year. Growers say a
bad year happens about one year in ten. Birds are more of a problem to lychees, which must
be netted.
I also faxed an enquiry (enclosed) to Peter Rigden. His report (enclosed), details the problems with bird and bat damage to sub-tropical crops in his area.
On 18 May in response to my question about damage to Kiwifruit, Peter Rigdin said:
That there were now fewer commercial growers due to the lower prices, but that he had
never heard of any complaints of Rainbow Lorikeet damage to Kiwifruit.
In June I called Neil Greer to inquire about a report of $1million damage to Avocado and Lychee crops in Queensland quoted in the Rainbow Lorikeet Technical Information Media Package published by the Department of Conservation about February 1999.
Neil Greer, said in the phone conversation:
That Avocados were not attacked by birds, that the fruit is picked rock hard, that no
self respecting bird would want to chew into a rock, that nothing attacks them in that
state. That they could be left on trees for months and months until they softened but they
tend to fall off before any bird damages them. That the statement about $1 million damage
to Avocados and Lychees did not apply to Avocados, that the report was very strange, that
it was probably a mistake by a senior bureaucrat who knew nothing about horticulture.
That losses to Lychees could be quite traumatic without nets. That he had done a survey in
1992 on Lychees which showed an average loss of 60% to birds, bats and the fruit piercing
moth. That he had worked developing nets for Lychees for a number of years. That permanent
netting costs upwards from $15,000 per hectare, but it doubles yield, and can more than
pay off within the first year, obtaining increases of 1 to 5 tonnes per hectare. One
farmer had an extra 4000 kilos per hectare at an average $5 per kilo. That a big farm
obtained an extra 90,000 kilos.
That little netting was used by Mango growers. The main pests were insect pests, that they
did occasionally get attacked by Rainbow Lorikeets when they were desperate but it was
unusual., but compared to other pests it was minor, very minor.
Queensland Horticultural Institute
Centre For Deciduous Fruit
Applethorpe Research Station
Andy Jordan, Principle Information Officer, phone 00617-4681-1255, fax
00617-4681-1769
Alex Banks, Extension Officer, phone 00617-4681-1255, fax 00617-4681-1769
Chris Adriaansen, Industry Program Manager (Temperate Crops) , phone
00617-4681-1255, fax 00617-4681-1769
On 5 May I faxed an inquiry to Andy Jordan (enclosed), followed by a telephone call.
Andy Jordan said in the phone conversation:
That Rainbow Lorikeets were not much of a problem. That damage from all birds was about
2-3% in an average year. That this year there had been very little damage from birds. That
the major problem which growers face in Queensland is fruit fly, not birds.
I sent a further faxed inquiry (enclosed) to Andy Jordan on 5 March, asking for written confirmation of the phone conversation, with a reminder (enclosed) faxed on 19 March, copying the reply from Peter Rigdin of Maroochy.
On 10 May, having no reply from Andy Jordan, I telephoned Alex Banks who said:
That Andy Jordan was going on long service leave. That Andy’s estimate of 2-3%
total damage from birds was about right. That he couldn’t bring to mind any growers
mentioning a problem with Rainbow Lorikeets. That of the parrot family Scaly Lorikeets,
Rosellas and Galahs were a problem. Starlings and Silver eyes were more of a problem in
apple, wine and table grape crops, and that Crows and Currawongs are a particular worry to
growers of table grapes. That a neighbouring grower has a very bad problem with Currawongs
on muscat grapes. That few growers even of table grapes use any form of netting. That
there is an increasing use of hail netting, and that it being also used to protect against
bird damage. That his supervisor Chris Adriaansen would authorise a written response.
On 11 May I faxed a request (enclosed) for a written report from Chris Adriaansen:
Chris Adriaansen sent a report (enclosed) on 7 June 1999, confirming the reports from Alex
Banks and Peter Rigdin, and giving further data on apples.
Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Dr Chris Kofron, Senior Conservation Officer, Northern Region phone 00617-4052-8998, fax 00617-4052-3080
I called Dr Chris Kofron on 1 June to check if damage in the north of Queensland was
similar to that in the Northern Territory.
He said:
That in the Far North Region, which extends from the Tully river to Mossman, they only
had problems with Rainbow Lorikeets on the lychee crop, and that the only damage
mitigation permits for Rainbow Lorrikeets were for this crop, and no other crop. That
avocados were grown there but the Rainbow Lorikeets posed no problems to avocados. That
they had no problem with Rainbow Lorikeets on sorghum crops. That the large number of
Rainbow Lorikeets in the downtown square in Cairns cause no problems, but rather that they
are very popular with bird watchers and tourists who come to watch them every evening.
That this had become quite a tourist attraction. That there were no complaints from people
in the town about the number of Rainbow Lorikeets for any reason.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Fax to P Rigdin, 5 March 1999
Letter from P Rigdin, 10 March 1999
Fax to A Jordan, 5 March 1999
Fax to A Jordan, 5 March 1999
Fax to A Jordan, 19 March 1999
Fax to C Adriaasen, 11 May 1999
Fax from C Adriaansen, 7 June 1999
OTHER REFERENCES
Forshaw, J.M., Australian Parrots, Lansdowne Press 1981
Pizzey, G., A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, Collins 1982
HANZAB, Handbook of Australian, NZ, and Antarctic Birds Vol 4, Oxford 1999