A number of Councils south of Perth are facing substantial problems with flocks of Little Corella. This problem is not isolated to South Perth, but is an Australia-wide issue.
When present in large numbers Little Corellas;
- Strip trees of their leaves to provide a better view, ruining the tree’s health.
- Prevent other native species from using trees for nesting and roosting.
- Dig up newly planted and existing crops.
- Dig up sports ovals leaving dangerous holes.
- Damage properties, chewing on wires, guttering and stripping out seals.
- Destroy street-light fittings.
- Damage lighting towers and cabling.
- Create excessive noise disrupting people and their pets
- Expose people to zoonotic disease.
- Deposit whitewash damaging cars and roofs.
- Pose damaging bird strike risk to aircraft in the vicinity of airfields
- Cause councils, residents, businesses, industries, and primary producers to incur substantial financial costs.
“There is a need for an overarching integrated Little Corella management strategy which should be based on a sound ecological principle, landscape-based approach and taking socio-economic factors into consideration”.
Avisure’s Principal Environmental Scientist Ronel Jit and Evicom Director Fred Ferfolja had the opportunity to present on the integrated approach to Little Corella management in Mandurah, Western Australia on 10th of August 2022.
Ronel Jit has almost 20 years of experience in ornithology, ecology, biosecurity, ecological threat abatement plans and human wildlife conflict resolution. With Avisure he has worked with councils and industry bodies in Australia on Little Corellas and other overabundant native species management for the last twelve years.
Fred Ferfolja has more than 10 years’ experience in wildlife management and control. This includes a strong knowledge and experience on pest and overabundant native species management in Western Australia. With Evicom, Fred has worked with councils and industry bodies across Western Australia. Fred also specialises on integrated use of environmentally friendly bird fertility control agents.
The meeting was organised by Evicom in conjunction with the City of Mandurah in Mandurah, Western Australia with participating nearby Councils and the Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group. The participants had the opportunity to discuss the issues, current effort, and challenges to manage Little Corella in their council areas.
The key findings were that the councils have a number of problems with Little Corella which is directly correlated with the increasing abundance and expansion of Little Corellas in the region.
The councils invested significant resources in non-standardised, ad-hoc and isolated management of the issue. The approach is very much from species-based pest management point-of-view and not integrated management approaches that take environmental, landscape and social factors into account.
The focus is on controlling birds and not on conditions and resources which has resulted in the proliferation of the species.
To date there has not been significant collaboration between the councils and affected industry. The approaches lack short, medium to long-term goals through a guidance document.
The key message delivered and appreciated by all parties was that there is no immediate solution for the issues and conditions leading to proliferation of Little Corellas and other species which have become problematic. There is a need for an overarching integrated Little Corella management strategy which should be based on sound ecological principles, landscape-based approach and taking socio-economic factors into consideration. The strategy must be set on realistic and achievable short, medium and long-term goals with standardised Council-based integrated Little Corella Management Plans emerging from the strategy.
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