Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!cluster!andrewt
From: andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Peregrine Falcon in Pine Forest
Message-ID: <1740@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>
Date: 3 Jan 91 00:49:12 GMT
References: <467@spam.ua.oz>
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: 29

In article <467@spam.ua.oz> wvenable@spam.ua.oz (Bill Venables) writes:
> I was always led to believe that the non-native Pine forests in Australia
> were ecological wastelands.  However the native birds, at least, were quite
> numerous and evidently using the niche quite well; for example Yellow-
> tailed Black Cockatoos and Crimson Rosellas.

It certainly a myth that radiata pine plantations in Australia are sterile.
I've seen at least 30 species of birds in radiata plantations including
some suprises: Lyrebird, Australian Ground Thrush and Wonga Pigeon.
Also a suprising number of mammals enter the plantations including
wombats and an assortment of macropods. I'm been told, though I doubt it,
that Koala have been seen munching on radiata pine.

The problem is that the species which enter radiata plantations are generally
well conserved anyway whereas the specialist species in need of conservation
don't make use of the plantations. I expect the use of plantations by
native species has been increasing in recent years has they shift into the
niches available just as native birds are shifting into urban niches.

> This rather surprised me, since I had always thought
> of Peregrines as birds of rocky ledges and outcrops - but this was dead
> flat country with no hills in sight.  Do Peregrines occur in pine forests
> elsewhere in the world?

In Australia, in the absence of cliffs, peregrines will nest on the ground. 
They will do occur in pine forests near cliffs elsewhere in the world though
open country is more usual.

Andrew