[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_custom_heading text="Van Diemen's feathered tribes" font_container="tag:h2|font_size:40|text_align:left" google_fonts="font_family:Abril%20Fatface%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal"][vc_column_text]

MARCH 2016 | A book review by Nell Carr

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_separator color="black" align="align_center" style="dotted" border_width="2"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]

RATHER THAN a comprehensive catalogue of Tasmanian birds, Sarah Lloyd’s latest publication, The Feathered Tribes of Van Diemen’s Land explores scientific facts about the anatomy, means of survival, and social lives of many of our native and introduced bird species.

With the exception of two, the text is lavishly illustrated with Sarah’s photographs.

How often have we fruitlessly peered up into the foliage of trees when we hear an intriguing bird song?

But Sarah and her camera seem to have captured with absolute clarity tiny honey eaters feeding in the high branches of a eucalypt “The Black-headed Honeyeater is often overlooked because it usually forages high in the canopy foliage of eucalypts.”

This is one of three tiny Tas. endemic species 150-200mm in length. The others are the Yellow-throated and  Strong-billed Honeyeaters.

The three species have physical attribute differences in their bills, feet and wings enabling them to forage for invertebrates in different parts of the same tree thereby minimising competition for food.

European farming methods are usually considered to have an adverse effect on native birds.  However, the endemic Native-hen prefers to graze on cropped grass. Local farmers used to hold annual Native-hen shooting parties, partly for sport, partly economic, but numbers have been allowed to increase since it has been given protection.

Early visitors appear to have been uncaring of the dangers to the existence of native birds.  They shot vast numbers of them for collections and research. Apparently, without much compunction, Elizabeth Gould wrote in 1838 of her husband “...he has already shown himself a great enemy of the feathered tribe, having shot a great many beautiful birds.”

On the other hand, Elizabeth Meredith in 1871 pleaded with farmers to rid the country of feral cats, as they posed such a danger to wild life, particularly birds.

Elizabeth also deplored the treatment of the black swans which were captured for their down and, in 1860, her Legislative Councillor husband, Charles, was able to have them protected in the first legislation to protect an endangered species in Tasmania.

The Feathered Tribes of Van Diemen’s Land is the result of detailed research and dedicated observation, and a welcome addition to the growing number of Sarah Lloyd’s publications.

[udesign_icon_font name="fa fa-camera" color="#000000"] Mike Moores