They have been sighted with bird cages twice, both times on a Sunday.
Gina Svolos, president of the Wolli Creek Preservation Societ, says: “Apart from the cruelty of catching and selling native birds, it is illegal to catch native birds in National Parks let alone sell them.
“This disgraceful and illegal act has been reported to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Ranger. We are so lucky to have the Wolli Regional Park as a refuge for birds. It is one of the few remaining green spaces in Sydney where our native birds can still flourish. It is up to us to protect them.”
People may be familiar with the Silvereye. It is a small bird with a conspicuous ring of white feathers around the eye, often called a white-eye. It is generally seen in pairs or small flocks in gardens and bushland.
Although one of Australia’s smallest birds, the Silvereye is capable of travelling great distances during migration. Sometimes Silvereyes from the most southerly regions of Tasmania, travel all the way up to Southern Queensland.
The Wolli Creek Valley is an important refuge for these birds on their travels.
Residents and people walking in the Valley are urged to keep an eye open for any suspicious activities and report them to NPWS on 9337 5511.
For information about the Wolli Creek Preservation Society, email
info@wollicreek.org.au or visit wollicreek.org.au.
Crime to sell native birds
WOLLI Creek Valley residents were shocked to read a report on facebook that “two men were sighted on Bray Avenue, Earlwood, selling Silvereyes (small native birds) in cages”.