Latest news with #urbanbirds
New York Times
7 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Clever Cockatoos Have Figured Out How to Drink From Water Fountains
Most birds go for ease when looking for drinking water. But the sulfur-crested cockatoos in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, often prefer to quench their thirst with a challenging puzzle. In the city's western suburbs, some of the birds have figured out how to use public drinking fountains. The mohawked parrots deftly use one foot to twist the handle open while their other claw grips the spout. It's unclear why the cockatoos go to the effort of using drinking fountains when there are plenty of accessible water sources nearby. They don't seem to use them more often during hot weather. One possible explanation is that the task of operating the fountains is simply more fun than sipping water from the local creeks. 'If there is no super urgent need and you're not dying of thirst, then why not do something you enjoy?' said Barbara C. Klump, an author of a study of the birds published on Wednesday in the journal Biology Letters, and a behavioral ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany. It's not the first time cockatoos in this area of Australia have been seen cleverly manipulating urban objects for their own benefit. Dr. Klump and her colleagues have also tracked the birds flipping open garbage bins across greater Sydney, a socially learned behavior that has resulted in an arms race (or maybe a wing race) with human residents. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Bin chickens galore! Why are there so many ibis in Sydney?
Rain slicks the pavement at Sydney's Prince Alfred Park. Commuters hurry under umbrellas, takeaway bags clutched tight. But one group remains unbothered – heads tilted, shoulders hunched, beaks long. It's lunchtime, and the ibis are here to eat. Some call these birds pests. They rule the streets of Sydney with a slow swagger. Hungry for scraps, they know exactly where to find them. The scavengers use their long black beaks to riffle through rubbish bins near Central station, hissing at schoolkids; they loiter at bus stops and nest high in Hyde Park's palm trees – their version of inner-city high-rise living. Dr John Martin, an ibis expert and senior ecologist at Ecosure, says ibis numbers in Sydney are peaking but its unclear how many are wandering the city. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Populations boomed in the 1970s, early 2000s and again about 2010 but a lack of national monitoring means there's no official headcount. Once primarily floodplain dwellers, Australian white ibis – AKA Threskiornis moluccus or 'bin chickens' – began moving to coastal cities in search of reliable food, water and shelter. Their shift to urban areas as inland habitats dry up is a climate-driven wildlife migration. Sydney has proved to be fertile ground for the versatile ibis. They flock to parklands in rainy weather, where worms that wriggle to the surface become a tasty snack. Wet days can make it seem as though the birds are multiplying but Martin says the city's ibis population peaks in spring and declines in autumn as chicks die off or birds migrate away from the greater Sydney region. With pesky people indoors, ibis have free range to scavenge human scraps and natural food sources – and maybe even find love. Despite the native birds being protected under Australian law, ibis continue to polarise public opinion. Their increased populations don't pose ecological risks. While older residents remember a time before they became an Australian city staple, younger generations have grown up seeing them in memes and on children's programs including Bluey, where they're affectionately portrayed. Their 'bin chicken' nickname has cemented their cult status. Still, not everyone is a fan. Ibis have been blamed for mess, noise and nuisance behaviour in schools and parks. Complaints to councils are common. 'It really is human-wildlife conflict,' Martin says. Ibis control is authorised by the New South Wales government and councils can apply for permits if intervention is deemed necessary. Sign up to Five Great Reads Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning after newsletter promotion In 2003 the ABC reported that Bankstown council had hired a professional pest exterminator to shoot the birds after striking a deal with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. But lethal control is now rare and strongly discouraged. 'That's certainly not the approach National Parks supports these days,' Martin says. Early in his career Martin volunteered on ibis monitoring projects where nest and egg destruction were routine methods of control. His PhD examined whether such techniques had any real impact. Today management efforts are more creative: redesigned bins that ibis can't access, habitat modifications and public signs asking people not to feed birds. 'Palm trees are a great example,' Martin says. 'I call it the pineapple effect – if you remove the sideways trunks, you remove nesting platforms.' Martin says the rise of urban ibis is a warning sign, as the birds represent many inland species that rely on healthy wetlands. 'Ibis are waving the flag,' he says. Memory of past droughts and water restrictions may have faded in cities but drought, damming, agriculture and water overuse have left wetlands struggling. A spokesperson for the Canterbury-Bankstown council says a unified metropolitan-wide strategy is needed, including public education about bird feeding and better food waste disposal – all while recognising the bird's native status. 'This is a Sydney-wide problem,' the spokesperson says. Despite their ubiquity, ibis remain surprisingly understudied. Martin encourages citizen scientists to log sightings through the Big City Birds platform. For now, the ibis remains a fixture – and reminds us that nature doesn't end at the edge of the suburbs.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New survey will count urban gulls in Inverness
Gulls are to be counted in Inverness to help Highland Council better understand the size of the population and where they nest and forage. Like other parts of Scotland, there have been complaints about the birds' droppings, noisy calls, dive bombing and raiding rubbish bins. Gulls, like all wild birds, are protected by law but measures can be taken to discourage them from nesting in certain areas. Highland Council has appointed a consultancy to carry out the survey to help it develop future gull management plans. Gyrfalcon swoops into Inverness to scare gulls When do gulls become a problem? The count is taking place during May when gulls are nesting and most active in the city. The survey area covers more than two square miles (5 sq km) of central Inverness. It includes Longman Industrial Estate, Crown Circus and the riverside. An additional 20 buildings, including schools, across the wider city are also to be surveyed. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds Scotland's nature agency, NatureScot, is supporting the council's study. It has strict rules on managing urban gulls where they are deemed to be causing problems. NatureScot said nets, spikes and wires discouraged birds from nesting on roofs. Removing nesting material before the breeding season is also advised. The agency said a licence to kill chicks or adult gulls would only be issued as a very last resort. It said there would have to be a clear health and safety risk for this to happen - such as gulls dive bombing vulnerable people, or droppings affecting food processing. Before the nesting season, a bird of prey was used to scare away gulls from Inverness city centre. Inverness Business Improvement District (Bid) arranged for Angel, a four-year-old gyrfalcon, to fly three times a week between March and April.
