Many native bird species have suffered terribly since European settlement. Here are some that have thrived

When it comes to native Australian fauna, birds have been among the catastrophic losers since European settlement.

Some, such as the paradise parrot, have been wiped from the landscape forever.

However, that's not the whole story.

While many species are threatened or even critically endangered by human-made environmental change, a fortunate few have thrived.

Among the cosmopolitan birds that will populate Australian gardens this spring, there is a cadre of successful natives you will see in increasing numbers each year. These winged winners have adapted to the altered habitat or even benefited from the changes.

Backyard appeal

Nature writer Tanya Loos said "unnatural" spaces — such as suburban backyards – were as appealing to certain native birds as they are to Australian families.

"They happen to be lucky in that they like the habitat we modern Australian humans have created, which is basically what you'd call a park," Ms Loos told ABC Statewide Mornings radio.

"If you think of that traditional lawn-and-trees layout, rather than a complex mix of shrubs and multiple layers, that is just the absolute best for the noisy miner, for example.

The noisy miner's aggressive behaviour towards other native birds has made them an unwelcome visitor to backyards.

Other charismatic species, such as the king parrot and the rainbow lorikeet, Birdlife Australia's bird count champion, have been encouraged by well-meaning residents.

"The king parrot is doing really well in the last analysis of the [Birdlife Australia] Aussie Bird Count," Ms Loos said.

"There was an increase in them especially in capital cities, especially Melbourne. It's because they're so charming, and people are feeding them. I don't recommend feeding wild birds.

Back to the burbs

The survival and revival of some Australian native birds has been aided in no small part by changes to what Australians see as an ideal habitat for themselves.

Photographer Chris Farrell, co-author of Australia's Birdwatching Megaspots with Peter Rowland, said a greater emphasis on growing native trees in urban environments three or four decades ago had helped some of our most successful native birds.

"Since the 1980s many municipal councils have planted native trees throughout the nature strips, highways and all around the parks. It's encouraged a lot of native birds back into suburbia," Mr Farrell said.

Winners and losers

The familiar Australian magpie loves a backyard or park and is one of the big winners.

"They're quite adaptable. Magpies seem to live with humans very well," Ms Loos said.

"It's a combination of being opportunistic and highly intelligent. They have a variety of foods, but most of all, they love the habitat that we've created, which is lawn and trees."

However, some sub-species are doing better than others. The black-backed magpie has displaced the white-backed magpie in some places.

"The white-backed magpie is the least common form and researchers have found that it's actually reducing," Ms Loos said.

"To an extent they do interbreed because they're subspecies, not different species. In Victoria you do get intermediate forms. What may happen is we end up with just black-backed magpie eventually.

"I hope not. I really like the white-backed form."

Apart from clear winners and losers, there are examples where it is complicated.

The peregrine falcon has been taken off the critically endangered list, at least partly because agricultural chemicals which made their eggshells too thin have been banned.

But there are still challenges.

"I think they did some studies about chick survival and cities are a tough place for peregrines," Ms Loos said.

"The pigeons they eat aren't really the best kind of food because of disease.

"It's good that peregrines are less rare than they used to be. But I wouldn't say they're out of the woods yet."

Winged winners

Chris Farrell and Tanya Loos's winged winners since European settlement:

Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus): beautifully coloured and very social, their increasing presence in southern states has not been good news for some other parrots.

Noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala): unrelated to the equally reviled Indian myna. Will aggressively displace other native birds.

Black-backed magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen): Australians love parkland and backyards. So do magpies.

Australian raven (Corvus coronoides): very smart and adaptable, it's little wonder ravens and crows flourish.

Silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae): an abundance of discarded human-made food, including chips, means an abundance of seagulls.

Crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes): they moved into Victoria in large numbers in the 1980s during the drought and never really left.

King parrot (Alisterus scapularis) and other charismatic parrots including the crimson rosella, king parrot, red-rumped parrot: are popular garden visitors. Well-meant feeding has helped their numbers boom.

White ibis (Threskiornis moluccus): all hail the mighty bin chicken! Undaunted by people, the white ibis has been more successful than the comparatively shy straw-necked ibis, which is easily identified by its black wings.

Little corella (Cacatua sanguinea): regarded by some as a menace for crops, corellas and sulphur-crested cockatoos have thrived thanks to modern agriculture which has given them an abundant food source.

Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla): a similar tale to the white cockatoos, with which they often flock. They often forage on the ground, eating seeds, which can make them unpopular with farmers.

Willy wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys): feisty and fearless, this insect eater is at home almost anywhere but likes grassy areas such as urban lawns and parks.

Superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) the female is brown and very well camouflaged, but the male has spectacular blue highlights. Exotic weeds like lantana and blackberry provide perfect shelter.