Their droppings in the birdbaths reveal much about their diet, and how dependent they are on exotic species:
- African Boxthorn berries
- Pepperina tree seeds
- Canary Island Dates
- (Chinese) Privet berries
On other occasions I have espied some native species:
- Kurrajong seeds
- Mistletoe seeds (I think!)
I put out apples for the blackbirds--every day of the year--so they sing sweetly for me; but when the currawongs arrive in large number, the bigger birds get the lion's share--so the blackbirds miss out for a while. Currawongs quite enjoy apple, and can easily fly off with a half of one, keeping it all for themselves. Sometimes they accidentally drop a half apple on my garage roof, which can be quite an amusing event.
African boxthorn are a very important food source for parrots, as well. I think that if people poison them out, as a noxious weed, then they should at least plant something else--say wattleseed--to replace the bird food that goes missing.
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