Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!cluster!andrewt
From: andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: falconry
Message-ID: <1224@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>
Date: 30 Sep 90 09:08:18 GMT
References: <3999@gara.une.oz.au> <1990Sep28.194421.11089@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: news@cluster.cs.su.oz.au
Reply-To: andrewt@cluster.cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Organization: Basser Dept of Computer Science, University of Sydney, Australia
Lines: 42

In article <1990Sep28.194421.11089@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> rcb33483@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
(Kehaar) writes:
>Finally a word on the legality of falconry.  The main reason why it is illegal
>in Australia, is because of the huge amount of damage done by the sheep and   
>livestock farmers to the raptor population.  From what I have picked up,
>hunting of raptors illegally down there by farmers is still a big problem. 

I don't think so. The only Australia raptor likely to be shot on suspicion
of taking lambs or calves is the Wedge-Tailed Eagle. Until about 25 years
ago there was huge persecution of them with 100,000s being shot encouraged
by government bounty. Though I was very young, I can still recall the 
gruesome sight of eagle carcasses strung along a farm fence. A study by
the CSIRO found they took very few healthy lambs but many rabbits and
were a net benefit to farms. This was instrumental in the Wedge-Tails becoming
protected and ending the persecution (farmers have considerable respect for
the CSIRO). Today, Wedge-Tails are widespread and, for an eagle, abundant.
There are probably more Wedge-Tails now than before Europeans arrived.

I'd guess more raptors are shot (illegally) for taking farmyard chickens.
The prime candidates would be Brown Goshawk & Brown Falcon which are 
common open country birds and under no threat. It would be worrying if
Grey Goshawks (uncommon birds of the coastal forests) were being shot but
I suspect this rare and their main problem is habitat destruction.

>The population simply can't take the strain of the most insidious raptor-killer
>of them all: the falconry black market.

It wouldn't be a conservation problem for the common Australian raptors (e.g
Brown Falcon). I doubt an accompanying illegal trade would threaten the rarer
species. I'm presuming the elusive inland nomad the Grey Falcon and the
mysterious Red Goshawk of the coastal forests would not interest falconers
(unfortunately egg-collecters still may bother them). Unlike elsewhere
Peregrines still have a healthy population here (as do Ospreys).

I not sure of the history but the reason taking raptors from the wild
wwill stay is that after 200 years of destruction Australians have
become very sensitive about exploitation of their native wildlife.

I'd guess many former falconers still get to satisfy their desires by
rehabilitating and where this is not possible keeping injured raptors.

Andrew