It would seem to me that small bird species do pretty well indeed all-considered in highly altered environments full of predators and feral species.

Even where common mynas abound, such as throughout the humanised landscapes of the Wet Tropics in North Queensland, the smaller native species still thrive.

Where the native but aggressive and population-boosted noisy miners and pied currawongs occur, most of the small natives birds coexist.

Superb fairy-wrens abound down the highly developed east coast, along with variegated and red-backed fairy-wrens.

As for cats, rats and dogs, our urban and rural areas are chockers with them, alongside a wide assortment of native birds.

All this leads me to think that where some bird species have disappeared from developed areas, there might be others causes, which are both a little bit difficult to determine, or perhaps so obvious that we look straight past them – such as the mass destruction of suitable habitat by the biggest feral of them all – US!

"...biggest feral of them all - US!"

Oh yeah!

Sorry this is not Australian, but has pertinence for all of us.

The saddest picture.....

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/the-many-faces-of-illegal-logging-2/

Agreed, Ludwig and Poirot, however it is also true that feral cats and dogs are eliminating vast numbers of those species that manage to co-exist with humans. If we want to protect native animals, then we have to use all means available and give laws both teeth and officers to police them. It doesn't really help to point out some areas where birds survive. On the Sunshine Coast hinterland over the last fifteen years I've noticed a sharp decline in overall bird numbers, although species diversity remains almost the same. We've also lost wallabies, dragon lizards, large skinks, Eastern brown snakes, echidnas, tawny frogmouth - not seen for a decade, ibis, fruit bats... the list is long and depressing.

Seems in at least some cases the native animals manage to adapt though. For example I was quite impressed to see crows figure how to get the upper hand on cane-toads. We also have a problem with certain native birds getting out of hand, especially those ^#%($&@ white cockatoos. Even the tree-hugging greenies in my area have been getting permits to shoor the wretched things !! Does anyone perchance know a way to exterminate indian mynahs ?? I've avoided four-legged mousetraps to date but unless I can figure some other way to get at those nasty little beasts, I may need to visit the local pound and bring home a few big savage Sylvesters.

Instead of blowing zillions of Dollars on so-called research to eradicate pests they could simply offer a bounty. It would be way more effective & it could also involve national Service.
Young & bored city kids could have some outdoor experience & at the same time benefit those who benefit them

That's been tried, Individual, with the result that people were breeding the pests such as rabbits, in their back yards and claiming the bounty.

ybgirp,
Nowadays that could easily checked on with GPS linked control to ensure a reasonable level of integrity. Just because it was exploited before should be no deterrent not to do it again. After all, just look what's at stake. Shonks will be dealt with appropriately.
It would be a golden opportunity for young people to acquire an appreciation of the natural habitats & wildlife. It would certainly put more than just a few on the right track. There are always benefits when young people get an opportunity to venture out of their comfort zone.
National Service would be an ideal starting point. For larger vermin responsible gun use could be taught, native flora could be replanted, the list of positives is endless.

Ha... the thought of local youths racing through the countryside taking pot shots at feral cats and dogs, foxes and rats is chilling. It's an attractive idea, getting kids to appreciate the little nature that's left, but I'm not an optimist. Most people really don't give a tinker's cuss about endangered species, and our governments reflect that apathy.

Most people really don't give a tinker's cuss about endangered species, and our governments reflect that apathy.
ybgirp,
I think you have a good point but not good enough because young people are literally desperate for the return of sense, they just don't know how to show it

ybgirp,
Seeing that this topic is terminally ill I'll try to inject some more life. One of the great tragics up here in the tropics are the Cane Toads. You know one those experiments by "experts".
I was thinking of hitting the toads by having groups going out & armed with Dettol antiseptic spray bottles. You kill a Cane Toad stone dead in a second by spraying it with Dettol. This is not only very quick & very effectively reduces their numbers, it has the added benefit that due to the odour of the Dettol other animals will steer clear of the carcasses & not feed on them & then die in agony. As far as larger pests such as wild pigs go, we could have the gun freaks go out in tandem with the Army or Army Reserves. To pay for it we use the money that's wasted on research instead & unemployment benefit agents.

individual

When I lived in Brisbane we had major cane-toad problems, however after the crows wised up to flipping the things over and pecking the guts out, suddenly no more toads. Dunno where the majority of crows went after getting toad numbers under control but there are no gatherings like a Hitchcock movie, presumably they have found new territories. Dunno whether the crow solution only occurs in a restricted area or not, but if so, it wouldn't be difficult to relocate a bunch of 'switched on' crows. That concept has been used elsewhere in the world, so why not here ??

so why not here ??
praxidice,
Probably politically incorrect or perhaps the Greenies couldn't get their fingers into the money pot. Maybe the Crows couldn't get a permit from the Labor Government. Who knows. We've tried a few Toad expeditions but some miserable sods were too stingy to buy a bottle of Dettol, you know those really committed & patriotic Public Servants we get up here every two years. They couldn't extract funding so they lost interest.

individual - committed & patriotic Public Servants

Surely you jest :) :) :)

The vast majority of public servants I've encountered would experience considerable difficulty fitting in time for anything remotely productive with their onerous schedule of flexi-time breaks, smokos, meetings etc. I don't know that any in this part of the world could actually be described as committed although maybe they should be (to a morgue, because they generally don't look like they have moved in recent history)

I've never had occasion to use Dettol, always been plenty of crows around, but do you find you need to wear safety glasses in case the beasts spit ?? I've had a few people warn me about that, apparently its not something victims are keen to experience twice.

Toads don't spit, but if seriously vexed they stretch their shoulder muscles and squirt venom from the sacs situated there. This is very sticky and toxic and can cause blindness, apparently. I live 150km north of Brisbane in the sticks and we have periodic invasions of toads that the crows ignore, preferring instead to steal from the hens. I go out with a sack at night - they sit still when spotlit by a torch - and toss them in, then if there are more than half a dozen, put them in a bucket of water with the lid on and they drown overnight. If there's only a few, I hold them upside down over a brick so that when I smash their heads in, the poison doesn't spray over me, then it's easy to skin them and use a pair of strong scissors to chop them into pieces that the hens love. It's very quick so the toads don't suffer.
I'm pretty sure our dragon lizards disappeared after a plague of toads a few years ago. Toads get in the ornamental pond and drown the goldfish. After the tadpoles hatch, sometimes there are literally thousands of thumbnail sized toads hopping up the paths from the dam, easy prey for large birds, but sadly even the tiny ones are toxic.

We put the torch beam on them & spray them from about 6 feet, they mostly do one hop or two & then remain still for good. I actually did an experiment some 20 years ago. I knocked one toad over the head & sprayed the other with Dettol. Next day the Dettol one was sitting there like a Buddha & the other had disappeared. I think I effectively prevented any further breeding for those two & not a single Dollar wasted on research.

I chopped the head off a large toad a few years ago and buried it about 10 cm deep. In the morning it was sitting up like Jacky beside the hole, perfectly alive although headless. It had dug its way out but having no head wasn't sure where to go from there. This is not a fable, it really happened. It seems they keep most of their brains in their spine.