Albert Park Feeding - Not All It’s Quacked Up To Be

Albert Park is home to a wide diversity of birdlife that make their home on the lake. The lake and associated parkland is an important breeding and feeding habitat for these . Although currently a popular pastime, feeding bread and food scraps is harmful to the birds. Please read below for more information.

Feeding the birds is harmful How to interact with the birds at Birds naturally feed on a variety of Albert Park vegetation, insects and fish present in the • Use some binoculars while relaxing lake and surrounding parklands. on the lake’s edge. See how many Bread and other food scraps are not a different birds you can spot on Mud n o t edietary s requirement for birds and can Island amongst areas of vegetation. cause them health problems. • Close your eyes - how many different It can also cause them to become bird calls can you hear? dependent on humans feeding them. This • Look out for baby cygnets and can cause a loss of their natural instincts ducklings – visit the park regularly and to forage for food and adults failing to watch them grow! teach juveniles how to find natural foods. Upsetting the natural equilibrium Albert Park bird species may Feeding encourages more birds to include: congregate in an area of the lake. Some • Australian White Ibis Threskiornis birds are naturally territorial, and with an molucca increase in bird species into an area, may • Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia result in aggressive behaviour, • Fulica atra competition for resources and • Dusky Gallinula tenebrosa p a r k displacement of key bird species. • Musk lobata • Great Egret Ardea alba • Great Phalocrocorax carbo • Little Pied Cormorant Phalocrocorax melanoleucos • Little Black Cormorant Phalocrocorax sulcirostris • Black Swan Cygnus atratus • Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa • Hardhead Aythya australis • Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae • Hoary-Headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus Vulnerable to predators such as foxes, cats and dogs Birds can become conditioned to being So what do birds eat naturally? fed by humans, which leads to a decline in Please see overleaf to find out what some their wariness of predators such as dogs, of the more common birds found in Albert cats and foxes. Feeding the birds Park like to eat, along with a description of significantly decreases their chances of what the bird looks like and the sounds survival. they make.…

For more information call the Parks Information Centre on 13 1963 or visit our website at www.parkweb.vic.gov.au Pacific Black Duck The male can grow to 60-73 cm, while the The Pacific Black Duck have a black crown female grows to 47-60 cm. Their main habitats and a white face with two black stripes, one of include swamps, lakes tidal inlets and bays that which is through the eye. The body is a dark have some dense vegetation cover. Caring for the brown colour with purplish-green colours on the Musk are excellent divers and search environment upper wings. underwater for most of their food including They reach a size of between 47-60 cm and aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, fish, frogs Please place all rubbish in are generally found within heavily vegetated and ducklings. Some seeds of aquatic plants one of the bins provided areas such as lakes and swamps. are also eaten.

Please observe all Their voice comprises of harsh quacks and regulations relating to strong ‘laughing’ calls. Australasian Grebe dogs and keep them on a The Pacific Black Duck mainly feeds on seeds The adult is predominantly a dark brown colour lead unless otherwise and aquatic plants supplemented by small with a chestnut stripe extending from the neck stipulated crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic insects. along the back and a silver-grey underbody Food is obtained by ‘dabbling’, plunging its during the breeding season. Its head and neck Please clean up after your head underwater raising its rear end out of the is black, with yellow eyes and a dark bill tipped dog using one of the pooper-scooper Stands water. cream. Juveniles have a black and white located around the park striped face. Eurasion Coot They reach a size of 25-27 cm and can be Please do not feed the The Eurasian Coot is a dark grey-slate colour found in areas of fresh water. birds with a white bill and frontal shield on a black Their voice comprises of shrills and chittering. head. They have lobed toes and red eyes. Food consists or mainly small fish and water Remember all flora and Juveniles have similar plumage which is paler fauna within Albert Park insects. They are often seen eating their own are protected compared to the adults. A hatchling is black in and feeding them to their young, this colour with yellow tips, with a red face and is though to help prevent injury from any sharp No vehicles are permitted cream bill. fish bones they may eat. on the ovals or open Their habitat includes swamps, estuaries and grassed areas at any time open expanses of water. Great Cormorant Their voice is comprised of various shrills with An adult Great Cormorant is black in colour, Camping is not permitted a distinctive loud “kowk” sound. within Albert Park with a white and yellow chin. During their Reserve The Eurasian Coot feeds mainly on vegetable breeding season they have a small patch of matter, supplemented only with a few insects, white on both thighs, which is absent during Golf is only permitted worms and fish. winter. Juveniles are a dusky brown colour and within the Golf Course closely resemble the adults. and Golf Driving Range Black Swan They reach a size of between 70–90 cm and The Black Swan has a large body with a long are generally found within coastal and aquatic slender neck. It is black in colour with white tips habitats. Their voice comprises of croaks, on both wings and a red bill. The female is grunts and hisses. smaller in size and has paler features. Like other they feed on fish, For further Juveniles are grey-brown in colour and have supplemented in fresh water by crustaceans, information contact the white flight feathers tipped black. Cygnets aquatic insects and frogs. They are excellent are pale-grey with a downy swimmers and capture their food in shallow Parks Victoria appearance. underwater dives. Information Centre They reach between 106–142 cm with a Phone: 13 1963 wingspan of 160–200 cm. Their primary habitat is large wide-open expanses of water. Albert Park Office Albert Road Drive South Their voice is a musical trumpeting call. Albert Park VIC 3206 The Black Swan is a vegetarian. Its food Phone: 9695 9000 consists of algae and aquatic plants. They will also occasionally graze on land.

Musk Duck The largest of all Australian ducks, the Musk Duck, has a sooty-brown appearance with fine spots on the head. The male can be identified by the bulbous lobe of skin that hangs down under its bill. This increases in size during the breeding season. The name comes from the musky odour released from the male's tail base. Juveniles are similar in appearance to the adults, with paler plumage, a yellow tip on Please utilise an Australian bird guide for other the bill and no bulbous lobe. bird species. March 2004