As climate change results in more bushfires and we continue to clear-fell old habitat trees, the fate of the laughing kookaburra – our icon of the ages – could be sealed. That once-ubiquitous call will be heard no more.
I deadset think that we need a cultural shift on bird feeding in urban areas, among other shifts in gardening attitudes but I think bird feeding is low hanging fruit. In the UK they do it a lot and there’s decent research (e.g. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-10111-5#Sec2) showing a beneficial effect on biodiversity and health when done with that in mind.
We’re pretty good at regulation, and so could ensure bird feeding products meet certain standards in nutrition, diversity, hygiene, and so on. Particularly as extreme weather increases straining food and shelter sources that already strained by tree clearing and such in urban areas humans intentionally providing food and shelter may buy us a lot of time.
So the idea being I am in the burbs and I put out bird feed to help different species survive where they can’t normally find food?
Yeah sort of, or foods containing specific nutrients that are hard to find, nestboxes and so on. I’m no expert on bird feeding, there is this book: https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/feeding-birds-your-table/ although that’s quite specific to diet.
In the same way people are being encouraged to put up “insect hotels” and plant specific stuff/not have lawns and so on but as that kind of individualistic movement is a bit haphazard (most insect hotels are arguably harmful unless cleaned regularly) a proper state-council drive with information and regulated products.
There’s a family of them near where I live in Canberra. I think I counted 6 but it may have been more. I’m always happy to see native wildlife thriving in the suburbs but then I realise I’ve lived here for years and years and never seen nor heard them here, it’s likely because of their loss of habitat due to the Orroral valley fire during black summer.
I’m also pretty conscious of all the animals listed in the article that they have to compete with - all in abundance here.
