Friday 1 November 2019

Richard Flanagan Talks Birds

In Praise of Birds

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
I've just come across a wonderful personal perspective in the Guardian by Booker Prize winning author Richard Flanagan on the rich quirkiness of our native birdlife here in Tasmania. As one would expect, it's wonderfully written but of "inconsolable sadness", detailing the gradual disappearance of a number of species. A pet peeve of mine for a long time has been our inability - or unwillingness - to collectively control our cat population so that they don't threaten our more vulnerable native birds. 
In his article, Flanagan details the birds that frequent the habitat around his shack on Bruny Island, an idyllic escape south of Hobart. It's a great little read and another perspective on the affect we are having on the planet, which I commend to you.

My favourite bird is the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo. Our version here in Tasmania is slightly different from that found on the mainland, most notably (to me at least) is its endearing call, which makes me feel I am truly home when I hear it. It's also slightly bigger I believe than its mainland cousin. We occasionally hear and then see them passing overhead here in West Hobart, but almost every time we're out for a hike or a bike ride we'll hear them somewhere along the way. 

New Holland Honeyeater