Conference 2003
Greening the City:
Bringing Biodiversity Back
into the Urban Environment
Abstract:
Birdscaping
the Suburbs: The Australian "Birds in Backyards" programme and its
potential for use in Wellington
Eric Dorfman (Department of Conservation, Wellington)
Kate Ravich (Birds Australia)
Annabel Riley (Greater Wellington Regional Council)
Although
Sydney is an urban centre of four million people, there are many
green places where, despite substantial loss of biodiversity, some
bird species still thrive. Residential gardens in Sydney are therefore
important repositories for small passerines (perching birds) that
spill over from these areas in search of food and new nest sites.
Birds Australia, the country's primary bird conservation organisation,
has initiated a programme to enhance avian diversity in urban Sydney
by boosting the utility of private residences and schools as bird
habitat. Streams of this programme include primary research on
habitat requirements and distribution of urban birds, education,
planting initiatives, and information available on the Birds
Australia website. The research component of this programme
adds substantially to the steadily growing body of knowledge about
what brings wildlife into gardens.
Translating
these results to a New Zealand city is useful because it encourages
us to think about generalities in rehabilitating urban bird communities.
In many parts of New Zealand, much the native avifauna has disappeared
outside reserves. Thus, offshore and mainland islands are critical
in conserving the birdlife of New Zealand and, as in Sydney, birds
move into suburban areas looking for additional resources. Habitat
quality greatly influences the relative success of these birds and,
as such, people's taste in garden design have direct implications
for conservation. We use an example the suburbs surrounding Karori
Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington, where residential gardens are
expected to provide important resources. Many residents, however,
are resistant to the traditional "bush garden" typically associated
with provision of bird habitat and alternatives are necessary if
gardens are to be useful for native fauna.
In this talk, we consider
basic requirements for birds, such as food, vertical complexity,
water, and shelter from predators. We apply them to different garden
styles, presenting a number of alternative designs and discussing
the relative merits of each for supporting wildlife.
(for
more information, see http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/)
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