THE culling of birds at a Red Hill landfill site that “threaten” flights out of Perth Airport will start on Monday.
East Metropolitan Regional Council has employed a contractor to shoot the Australian white ibis, referred to as tip turkeys or bin chickens, at the waste management facility.
The council recently sent a letter to nearby residents about the culling so that they would not be alarmed should they hear shots.
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READ NOW“They pose an imminent threat to planes from bird strikes,” environmental operations manager Sandra Evans wrote of the “vast numbers” of the scavenger ibis.
“Please note that all shooting… will be directed away from adjoining properties.
“Ibis that are caught in a net will be shot using an appropriate calibre licensed firearm.
“These rounds are not loud and are the same used to euthanize cats and foxes caught on site.
“However all birds that are ‘free shot’ on site will be shot with firearms that are loud.
“This will scare the birds and we anticipate that the flock will scatter after a couple of shots.
“It is envisaged that the loud firearms will have the desired effect of discouraging the birds from site.”
The council obtained a licence to cull “dangerous fauna” under regulation 4 of the Wildlife Conservation Act.
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