Turkeys! When did they get introduced to the island? They clearly find it a favorable habitat. Wonder what native critter they have pushed out? Not wallaby, obviously.
Feral turkeys. Quite possibly the only creatures affected are sheep and cattle and to a lesser extent wallaby (who are also here in vast numbers as a result of forest clearing - they're grazers, and forest is thin picking for them. In summer they do eat grasshoppers and the like, but grass and grass seed is what the crops are full of. There are not that many on the island - a few thousand (the island is quite large) We have 3 flocks on the farm, which are mostly being left to breed. This was a flock on a friend's place, not here, where there are at least 4 flocks - ranging 10 - 40 birds. There are feral peacock, pheasants and a few partridge too. There are native ducks, quail and muttonbirds as other 'edible' birds.
Oh and I have no idea when they got here, but they're not wild turkeys a la US. They're really dim domestic birds gone feral. There is even an albino flock
That's making me hungry and I just had lunch!
ReplyDeleteI cannot work out what I'm looking at in the first photo.
ReplyDeleteTurkeys!
DeleteWhen did they get introduced to the island? They clearly find it a favorable habitat. Wonder what native critter they have pushed out? Not wallaby, obviously.
Feral turkeys. Quite possibly the only creatures affected are sheep and cattle and to a lesser extent wallaby (who are also here in vast numbers as a result of forest clearing - they're grazers, and forest is thin picking for them. In summer they do eat grasshoppers and the like, but grass and grass seed is what the crops are full of. There are not that many on the island - a few thousand (the island is quite large) We have 3 flocks on the farm, which are mostly being left to breed. This was a flock on a friend's place, not here, where there are at least 4 flocks - ranging 10 - 40 birds. There are feral peacock, pheasants and a few partridge too. There are native ducks, quail and muttonbirds as other 'edible' birds.
DeleteOh and I have no idea when they got here, but they're not wild turkeys a la US. They're really dim domestic birds gone feral. There is even an albino flock
ReplyDelete