Ausgarden: Australia's Gardening Community

From the first weeks of European settlement, some birds adapted to the devastating changes caused by the colonists and also to the new plants that were growing in the new gardens.

Despite the felling of trees, fires, opening gaps in their woodland habitats, and the spread of domestic cats gone feral, birds like grey fantails and blue wrens were able to adapt and become our first garden dwellers – the mix of shrubs and open ground met their needs. To their advantage, the planting of crops almost certainly boosted their food supply by increasing the numbers of insects, caterpillars, moths and grasshoppers.

Upon first settlement, early explorers had commented on the extreme shyness of the birds. However Europeans hunted them to a far lesser degree than had the traditional Aborigines and consequently they became more tame.

But many other birds became increasingly rare, under severe strain from two activities-

1. The continuing spread of exotics planted to which our birds were not adapted, either for feeding, roosting or nesting. Then came the formal Victorian garden design – so unlike the casual, untidy Australian bush.
2. The intentional release from the late 1850’s of not only rabbits and foxes, but also sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and others. These were brought in by nostalgic and naive Europeans to recreate the familiarity of home and to take care of the increasing numbers of insect pests caused by their agricultural practices.

Together, these factors changed forever the demographics, habits and habitats of birds in the Australian bush and gardens.