I can't help thinking of all the wildlife and what must be happening to it in Victoria at the moment. Can anyone tell me what the natural instinct is for birds in these conditions. Do they try to outfly it or does the heat make this impossible for them? The whole scene down there is so devastating .
my Nan lives right near the fire, i know people who got affected by the fires and some eastern Rosella came to her bird feeder probably from the fire.
Hi Birdie
There is an interesting (and relevant) image on a Newspaper Website's Photo gallery of the bushfires in Victoria.
It appears to be just a photo of flames and trees, until you zoom in on the image, and there is a Black Cockatoo flying out of the forest, ahead of the fires.
Interestingly, after the disastrous fires in Canberra in 2003, large numbers of Black Cockies moved into Canberra, looking for food, because their huge food resource (pine forests) had been totally wiped out. They started coming right into Canberra, which was previously unusual.
So, I guess the answer is the large, free-flying birds can escape, but the challenge becomes finding reliable food supplies after the fires. Ground feeding birds like Lyrebirds, and smaller bush birds have little chance, I am afraid.
Check this image, Photo taken by Chris Roche of bushfires at Narre Warren North, Harkaway.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/gallery/0,22010,5037340-5006020-34,00.html
You have raised an interesting point. But there is little one can do by way of intervention, unfortunately.
RainbowKookabuirra's comment indicates birds in stress need food and presumably water, more so than normal. So that is some service which people in affected areas can provide.
Regards
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com