Birds behaving badly
Noisy MinerPhoto: R Major © Australian Museum
It is difficult not to notice birds when they are directly interacting with humans. There are a number of bird species that have adapted well to human habitats and are creating problems, either to humans or to other animals.
Why do some birds behave badly?
Favourable aspects of the human habitat can trigger either changes in behaviour or increases in the abundance of the problem species. Sometimes the problems these birds cause are only of nuisance value to humans, such as very noisy species (e.g. the Common Koel). Other problems can be more serious, such as significant damage to property (e.g. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos), gardens and/or commercial crops or the disruption and/or displacement of other species (e.g. Noisy Miners).