ilkari Conservation Group   est.1990

Olive Dispersal by Native Birds

The following was revealed after consultation with David Bass and the paper: Spennemann, Dirk H.R. and Allen, L. Richard (2000) The Avian Dispersal of Olives Olea europaea: Implications for Australia. EMU Vol. 100, 264-273

The Native birds probably dispersing Olives, Olea europaea  on campus are :

Grey Currawong – probably a major disperser

Australian Magpie

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike ?

Ravens  ? – Australian & Little where they occur.

Pittosporum phyllyrioidies  probably has shared dispersal with Olives on Campus.

There is a large specimen  in the Flora Park with a girth of 1m.  All the dispersal has probably come from this tree.

There has been some work done in this area, both at Flinders and Adelaide.

Perhaps the most appropriate publication that I know of is a 1998 honors

thesis by Leanne Mlodovan from Uni of Adl, titled "Avian dispersal of the

European Olive Olea europaea, especially by the Common Starling Sturnus

vulgaris: ecological implications for weed management". In this research is

was found that six birds are confirmed dispersers of olives, with one other

being probable: *Common Starling; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; *Blackbird;

Magpie; Emu; *Feral Pigeon; *Noisy minor (?). In her study 23 different

species of birds were observed visiting the Olive trees.

(Spenneman and Allen,2000) cited that the native avian vectors responsible for the dispersal of olives in the Adelaide Hills are :

Emu

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Australian Magpie

Avian frugivores feeding on olives but not responsible for their dispersal are :

Crested Pigeon

Galah

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Crimson Rosella

Eastern Rosella

Red-rumped parrot

Golden Whistler

Red Wattlebird

House Sparrow

Silvereye