Possible factors limiting the regional impact of the trapping trial Improving effectiveness of trapping Preference for trapping over shooting Guidelines for treatment of Australian ringnecks Trapping licences Further reading Acknowledgments When a parrot species reaches large numbers within an agricultural environment its impact on that environment can be severe. This has been the case for the Australian ringneck parrot in agricultural shires east of the Darling Scarp in the south-west of Western Australia. This TreeNote describes a two-year trial to gauge the effectiveness of trapping as a means of controlling these birds. The results show that in spite of the removal of more than 60,000 parrots by trapping, no regional scale reduction in parrot numbers or extent of damage was observed. However, the study yielded valuable information on improved trapping methods.
Parrots strip bark and damage stems and growing points in trees.
To date, attempts to control the Australian ringneck have been by shooting and only recently by trapping. Open season shooting does not seem to have been successful in controlling Australian ringneck numbers and the damage they cause on a broad scale. However, some individual farmers have reported local success in controlling these parrots when they have removed 1000 to 2000 by shooting within a season. There has also been some success in limiting parrot damage to some commercial tree plantations by intensive shooting. Both situations have involved a significant input of time and consistent, focused effort by individuals.