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The article below was in yesterday's Manly Daily. Today I decided to try finding
the offending grey-headed flying foxes down in Avalon. I did find them, in great
numbers actually, and yes, they were quite noisy, but really quite fascinating...
And they do need new foraging and roosting areas to counter for their
diminishing traditional habitat.
Avalon’s noisy bats given the boot by council
01 JUN 10 @ 01:21PM BY DANIELLE NICASTRI
PITTWATER Council has applied to prune trees to discourage noisy bats in an effort to restore a good night’s sleep for residents near Cannes Reserve at Avalon.
Nearby residents have complained of loud squawking and screeching by a growing colony of grey-headed flying foxes that are keeping them awake at night.
Annette Higgins said the bats are driving residents “crazy” and had interrupted her sleep for more than a year.
At a public meeting last month residents listed issues including sleep deprivation, a bad smell, particularly after rain, damage to property from excrement and damage to trees, as well as falling property values.
Because the bats are classed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Act, the council has asked the Environment Department for permission to prune trees.
Between June and August last year, the population was estimated at 150 bats but had grown to 1000 by April this year.
A WIRES expert said an increase in the size of the bat colony was due to them travelling away from rain in Queensland.
Last month numbers had decreased to 600, according to Pittwater Council general manager Mark Ferguson.
“If approved, the application will allow the council to selectively prune and remove vegetation that the bats feed on,” he said.
Here's some information about the species on our Pittwater Council website:
Grey-headed Flying Foxes
Family: Pteropodidae
Scientific name: Pteropus poliocephalus
Flying foxes may appear to be plentiful but their survival is not assured. Their total population has been observed to drop by
one third in just ten years. Since 2001 the Federal, NSW and Victorian governments have listed this species as vulnerable.
This alarming decline is caused by human activities, particularly land clearing for agriculture and urban growth, and
shooting.
one third in just ten years. Since 2001 the Federal, NSW and Victorian governments have listed this species as vulnerable.
This alarming decline is caused by human activities, particularly land clearing for agriculture and urban growth, and
shooting.
Habitat
The flying fox requires foraging resources and roosting sites. It feeds in the canopy on fruit and nectar in rainforests, open
forests, closed and open woodlands, Melaleuca swamps and Banksia woodlands. It also feeds on introduced tree species
in urban areas and in commercial fruit crops. The primary food source is blossom from Eucalyptus, but in some areas it also
utilises a wide range of rainforest fruits. None of the vegetation communities used by flying foxes produce continuous
foraging resources throughout the year, and flying foxes have adopted complex migration traits in response to patchy food
resources.
forests, closed and open woodlands, Melaleuca swamps and Banksia woodlands. It also feeds on introduced tree species
in urban areas and in commercial fruit crops. The primary food source is blossom from Eucalyptus, but in some areas it also
utilises a wide range of rainforest fruits. None of the vegetation communities used by flying foxes produce continuous
foraging resources throughout the year, and flying foxes have adopted complex migration traits in response to patchy food
resources.
Reasons for decline
The Grey-headed Flying Fox is affected by a number of threatening processes, the most serious of which is loss of foraging
and roosting habitat.
and roosting habitat.
Habitat loss
The complexity of the habitat requirements of the Grey-headed Flying Fox, particularly its requirement for multiple,
geographically dispersed populations of food trees, leaves the species vulnerable to population decline as poor land use
decisions and management strategies take place. Annually reliable winter resources are limited in distribution to a narrow
coastal strip in northern New South Wales and Queensland, and primarily occur on freehold land. These coastal areas are
targeted for intensive residential development.
geographically dispersed populations of food trees, leaves the species vulnerable to population decline as poor land use
decisions and management strategies take place. Annually reliable winter resources are limited in distribution to a narrow
coastal strip in northern New South Wales and Queensland, and primarily occur on freehold land. These coastal areas are
targeted for intensive residential development.
Exploitation
The Grey-headed Flying Fox destroys commercial fruit in Queensland and New South Wales. Direct killing of animals on
orchards and harassment and destruction of roosts has almost certainly played a role in the species’ decline. The exact
number of animals destroyed is unknown, but estimates as high as 100,000 annually have been made.
orchards and harassment and destruction of roosts has almost certainly played a role in the species’ decline. The exact
number of animals destroyed is unknown, but estimates as high as 100,000 annually have been made.
Pollutants and pathogens
Some urban-dwelling flying foxes accumulate lethal levels of lead from the environment and are also prone to electrocution.
There are only a few roosting sites for them in Sydney. Most visitors to Sydney,
and its Royal Botanical Gardens would have experienced these bats there. In our
area, besides now Avalon, there's another colony of them living in the
Warriewood wetlands.
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