Kookaburra and other birds face threat

The kookaburra sits in the old gum tree ... or so the song goes.
But with research showing more than 80 species of birds are in decline in Victoria,
environmental groups are beginning to wonder just how long the kookaburra will be
around.

As the not-for-profit Gould League celebrated its centenary in Melbourne on Sunday,
executive officer David Walker said the time for serious thought about the
Australian environment had arrived.
"Generally speaking across Australia, mammals, birds, reptiles, they're all
struggling. You actually wonder where it's going to end," Mr Walker told AAP on
Sunday.
"The woodland birds in Victoria are under severe threat, even the kookaburra.
"The wattle birds, the red-capped robin - birds we thought were pretty common are
now facing serious decline."
Mr Walker said there were several reasons for the serious plight of birds.
"Clearing of habitat, predators, feral animals, land clearing and, of course,
drought and climate change are having a big impact," he said.
"There is more and more evidence coming out that the lack of rain across southern
Australia is related to higher temperatures."
More than 150 Gould League members and young children turned up to the centenary
celebrations, declaring more needed to be done to preserve habitats.
In a sign of their passion for their cause, 99-year-old Glen Gardiner, a league
member since the age of eight, made the trek all the way from Newcastle.
"It's really amazing to see these members rush up and put their arms around one
another," Mr Walker said.
"They have a terrific history together."
While passionate about the environment, members realise that finding the right
balance between mining resources and preserving wildlife isn't always easy,
particularly as Australia's population continues to grow.
"We have got to make the best of the situation so we can encourage people to provide
the best habitats in their backyards in urban areas and also to land owners on farms
so we can get the best outcomes," Mr Walker said.
"At the same time, we have to feed the expanding world population, so Australian
farmers are getting it from both sides."
Mr Walker says education, particularly of the young, is the key.
The Gould League's enduring series of books - Sketches of Australian Birds and The
Bird Lover - continue to play a major role in this respect.
Mr Walker said the books were as popular with primary school children today as they
were when first printed in 1939.
But while the books are a valuable tool, Mr Walker has called on the Federal
government to do more.
"The federal government is not working very much for the environment," he said.
"A computer for every kid at school is a very good thing, but environmental
education is also a pretty important part of our future as well."
The Gould League was established in 1909 to raise awareness of the environment, in
particular to discourage young boys from climbing trees and robbing birds' nests of
eggs.
"The Gould League addressed that problem by introducing a pledge - kids would sign
off by saying they wouldn't take the eggs," Mr Walker said.
"That was a statement I think we need to probably get back to doing.
"We are blessed with a unique ecosystem in Australia, but its fragile nature means
we must all do more to insist that more is done to arrest the decline."