List of Titles

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Nectarivory in the Rockwarbler 'Origma solitaria'

- Probets, Carol, Palmer, Grant, Fitzsimons, James

Authors: Probets, Carol , Palmer, Grant , Fitzsimons, James
Date: 2019
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Australian field ornithology Vol. 36, no. (2019), p. 34-35
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Description: The Rockwarbler 'Origma solitaria' is restricted to the sedimentary-rock formations around the Sydney region of New South Wales and, like other species in the Acanthizidae, is mainly insectivorous, although its diet is considered poorly known. Here we report on two observations of nectarivory, a food source not previously reported for this species. They involved Rockwarblers feeding at flowers of Heath-leaved Banksia 'Banksia ericifolia' at two locations.

Rails following snakes: Predator-response behaviour, potential prey, prey-flushing or curiosity?

- Cutten, Dean, Goodyear, Gavin, Tarrant, Tom, Fitzsimons, James, Palmer, Grant

Authors: Cutten, Dean , Goodyear, Gavin , Tarrant, Tom , Fitzsimons, James , Palmer, Grant
Date: 2013
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Australian Field Ornithology Vol. 30, no. 2 (2013), p. 97-102
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Description: Although snakes are both predators and prey of birds in the Rallidae family in other parts of the world, there are few documented observations of interactions between these groups in Australia. Here we describe four separate observations of Buff-banded Rails Gallirallus philippensis following snakes in a deliberate manner. Because of the large size of the different snake species encountered by the Buff-banded Rails during our observations, we consider that it is unlikely that the snakes were viewed as potential prey. The behaviours observed in our accounts, and of flufftails Sarothrura spp. in Africa, suggest that rails are aware of the predatory threat of snakes, and follow them to ensure that they move outside the rails- area of concern. We suggest that this behaviour is likely to be a deliberate response to encountering a potential (or perceived) terrestrial predator, such as a snake, or that the snake-s movements potentially flush prey suitable for Buff-banded Rails.
Description: C1

A review of early Indigenous artefacts incorporating bird materials in the Lower Murray River region, South Australia

- Clarke, Philip

Authors: Clarke, Philip
Date: 2018
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia Vol. 142, no. 1 (2018), p. 27-48
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Description: This paper is a literature review of the use of birds in the Indigenous material culture of the Lower Murray River region in temperate South Australia, as observed in the early years of British colonisation. This record is augmented with additional data from fieldwork in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was found that Aboriginal people in this region made artefacts incorporating avian materials based upon their perceived physical and cultural properties. Analysis of material culture with respect to birds contributes to the understanding of Aboriginal use and perception of the Australian landscape. © 2018 Royal Society of South Australia.

Birds as Totemic beings and creators in the Lower Murray, South Australia

- Clarke, Philip

Authors: Clarke, Philip
Date: 2016
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Ethnobiology Vol. 36, no. 2 (2016), p. 277-293
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Description: This paper is a literature review of the relationships Indigenous peoples in the Lower Murray of temperate South Australia had with the local avifauna as recorded in the early years of European settlement. Birds were prominent as clan ancestors in their creation stories, being credited with the formation of landforms and the establishment of law and custom. Aboriginal origin stories describe bird behavior and detail the relationships between birds, plants, rain, and fire. Ornithological bodies of knowledge that are framed outside of Western science, such as the ethno-ornithological information discussed here, provide an alternative lens with which to view avifaunal biodiversity in a manner that respects local cultural values

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Investigating bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, Australia

- Kuchinke, Diana

Authors: Kuchinke, Diana
Date: 2018
Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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Description: Globally, forest birds are under pressure, from agriculture and urban development fragmenting the landscape. Adding to these pressures, changes in the patterns of global climate drivers give rise to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Victoria, Australia, changing weather conditions are resulting in increases in the frequency and extent of bushfires. Furthermore, prescribed burning is applied to the landscape in attempts to not only ameliorate the impacts from bushfire, but as part of a ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’ protocol. These pressures all impact birds by reducing resources for: food, nesting and protection from predators. This thesis investigated bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, against variables of time-since-fire and fire frequency. Bird responses were modelled in terms of: community, foraging guilds and individual species. As a community, birds showed a resilience to both time since fire and fire frequency. Responses by foraging guilds and individual species highlighted some different responses. The common species from each foraging guild showed responses that broadly represent their guild. This thesis highlighted that an effective tool in adaptive management is to predict the trends of our common forest birds, as surrogates for entire bird communities, not just for fire responses, but for a broader reflection on the health of the landscape. The modelling of one species, the Laughing Kookaburra, showed a response to both time since fire and fire frequency, with a reduced abundance in post-fire new-growth vegetation. As this species is noted as being in decline down the east coast of Australia, it is flagged in this thesis as a species of concern. Further, this thesis investigated alpha and beta responses by the forest birds to prescribed burns of different severities. Results suggest that forest birds show little response to small prescribed burns in the landscape, regardless of severity. This may be a result of Heathy Dry Forests’ rapid regeneration post-fire. However, one species that exhibits site fidelity, the White-throated Treecreeper, left areas impacted by high severity prescribed burns. The White-throated Treecreeper’s response flagged the importance of tree hollows being maintained in the landscape, essential for the species that require hollows for roosting and nesting.
Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Description: Globally, forest birds are under pressure, from agriculture and urban development fragmenting the landscape. Adding to these pressures, changes in the patterns of global climate drivers give rise to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Victoria, Australia, changing weather conditions are resulting in increases in the frequency and extent of bushfires. Furthermore, prescribed burning is applied to the landscape in attempts to not only ameliorate the impacts from bushfire, but as part of a ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’ protocol. These pressures all impact birds by reducing resources for: food, nesting and protection from predators. This thesis investigated bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, against variables of time-since-fire and fire frequency. Bird responses were modelled in terms of: community, foraging guilds and individual species. As a community, birds showed a resilience to both time since fire and fire frequency. Responses by foraging guilds and individual species highlighted some different responses. The common species from each foraging guild showed responses that broadly represent their guild. This thesis highlighted that an effective tool in adaptive management is to predict the trends of our common forest birds, as surrogates for entire bird communities, not just for fire responses, but for a broader reflection on the health of the landscape. The modelling of one species, the Laughing Kookaburra, showed a response to both time since fire and fire frequency, with a reduced abundance in post-fire new-growth vegetation. As this species is noted as being in decline down the east coast of Australia, it is flagged in this thesis as a species of concern. Further, this thesis investigated alpha and beta responses by the forest birds to prescribed burns of different severities. Results suggest that forest birds show little response to small rescribed burns in the landscape, regardless of severity. This may be a result of Heathy Dry Forests’ rapid regeneration post-fire. However, one species that exhibits site fidelity, the White-throated Treecreeper, left areas impacted by high severity prescribed burns. The White-throated Treecreeper’s response flagged the importance of tree hollows being maintained in the landscape, essential for the species that require hollows for roosting and nesting.

The Little Penguin 'Eudyptula minor' on Middle Island, Warrnambool, Victoria: An update on population size and predator management

- Wallis, Robert, King, Kristie, Wallis, Anne

Authors: Wallis, Robert , King, Kristie , Wallis, Anne
Date: 2017
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Victorian naturalist Vol. 134, no. 2 (2017), p. 48-51
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Description: Maremma guardian dogs have been protecting Little Penguins Eudyptula minor from canid predation at Middle Island, Warrnambool, since 2006. Foxes had preyed heavily on the penguins contributing to a population crash - from over 500 arrivals in the 1999-2000 breeding season, to less than 10 some five years later. Our monitoring of arrivals indicates numbers have grown to over 100 penguins. The successful use of guardian dogs to protect native wildlife and the strong community participation and support for the program constitutes what has become known as the 'Warrnambool Method' for wildlife conservation management.

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Movements, Behaviour and Ecology of the Brolga, Antigone rubicunda, at multiple spatial and temporal scales

- Veltheim, Inka

Authors: Veltheim, Inka
Type: Thesis , PhD
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Description: The study of animal movement patterns, within and between habitats, is a key consideration in ecological and evolutionary disciplines. Movement studies address: where, when, why and how animals move and what scales are movements taken at? For example: when and how animals move in response to internal factors, such as the need to breed, or external factors such as weather? Understanding animal movements is crucial in conservation planning and management of species. My thesis aim was to understand brolga (Antigone rubicunda) spatial landscape use across their south-east Australian core range at multiple scales. The information presented in this thesis can be applied for conservation and management of the species. I deployed 23 GPS transmitters on adults (5), juveniles (6) and chicks (12) and used a range of modelling approaches, location data and behavioural data to study their movements. Modelling methods included: behavioural change point analysis, kernel density analysis and Brownian bridge movement models to estimate home ranges; Maxent to build a species distribution model, parametric compositional analysis to study habitat selection; Bayesian and frequentist linear models to investigate relationships between environmental variables and movements, habitat use and behaviour; and NicheMapperTM to understand ecophysiological drivers of movement behaviour. GPS-tracking revealed two seasonal movement strategies within the south-west Victorian brolga range with individuals moving either 100 km or 20 km on average, between non-breeding and breeding areas, depending on capture location. However, I found many exceptions to a strictly seasonal pattern of movement, suggesting brolgas have a flexible and adaptable movement strategy. Brolgas adopted a migratory or resident strategy, indicating that the south-west Victorian population is partially migratory. I investigated whether a dynamic species distribution model (dSDM), built with Maxent using short-term weather variables, could predict seasonal distribution and movements of brolgas at a landscape scale. Using GPS tracking data to validate the dSDM output, I demonstrated that the dSDM was useful for modelling occupancy and seasonal distribution, but did not explicitly capture movements at the scale the movements occurred. However, brolgas moved further and occupied highest suitable habitat available when predicted habitat suitability in south-west Victoria was low, suggesting brolgas track areas with high predicted habitat suitability. Dynamic species distribution models may be useful in identifying suitable habitat when overall habitat suitability within a species’ range is low. At the home range scale, I used the Brownian bridge movement model to estimate breeding home range size and parametric compositional analysis to determine habitat use and selection by brolgas. I expected wetland size, density and number of chicks in a clutch to influence home range sizes, however, found only weak evidence for greater home ranges with increased clutch size. Brolgas used either single or multiple wetlands within their home ranges, and those using multiple wetlands either switched between wetlands or relocated permanently. Within their breeding home ranges brolgas appeared to select against buildings and watercourses but showed no selection for land use type. At the daily scale, I focused on movement behaviour of brolgas between foraging areas in cropped paddocks and wetland roosts. I used a correlative and a mechanistic model to investigate the influence of thermoregulatory constraints and weather on daily movement decisions of brolgas. Movements between the two habitats were not driven by biophysical requirements. The results suggest brolgas tolerate a range of weather conditions before shifting habitats to reduce heat stress and metabolic costs or to maintain water balance. In this thesis, I discuss the ecological and conservation implications of my research findings. Finally, I also provide recommendations for avoiding wind farm impacts on the threatened south-west Victorian brolga population given my findings on daily, seasonal and annual movement patterns. Many studies have investigated wind farm impacts on birds. However, this is one of a few that considers all lifecycle stages, and takes a multi-site and -scale approach to studying bird movements to inform conservation and wind farm planning.

Species pool effects on niche-based island biogeography : insights from the bird communities in Melanesian Archipelagos

- Olson, Ashley

Authors: Olson, Ashley
Date: 2022
Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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Description: A fundamental goal of biogeography is to determine how communities of species assemble. Islands offer an excellent opportunity to study community assembly because they have discrete boundaries, their species compliment can be readily quantified, and biogeographic processes operating at broad spatial scales can be separated from the effects of local interactions. Indeed, islands have contributed extensively to the development of biogeographical theory. Historically, the focus of island biogeography studies has been to predict the species richness of their communities. Yet, species richness provides no information about the ecological differences among the species that comprise a community, and thus cannot explain why different types of species do, or do not, appear in island communities. The niche of any particular species represents all of the abiotic and interspecific interactions that determine the survival of that species in a given location. Thus, a niche-based description of island communities differs from a richness-only description as it can link biogeography to the ecological interactions that ultimately drive successful colonisation and evolution on an island. However, island isolation and island area - the key predictors of species immigration and extinction, respectively - and the influence of the composition of the regional species pool have rarely been investigated for their effect on niche differences among species occupying an island. Understanding how the regional species pool, isolation and area influence niche-based diversity on islands provides an important link between biogeography and the ecological interactions that ultimately determine the composition of island communities. I used data on the island birds across Melanesian archipelagos to explore the role of biogeography in driving the niche-based structure of island communities. Specifically, I studied how the composition of the regional species pool, island isolation and island area influence: i) variation in a key functional trait (body size), ii) occupancy and saturation of niches, and iii) the phylogenetic structure of island communities. To do so, I studied three Melanesian archipelagos; the Bismarck, Solomon and Vanuatu islands, each of which represent a separate biogeographic region with a different degree of isolation from the primary source of avian colonists, mainland New Guinea. As such, the influence of oceanic dispersal barriers on the composition of the avifauna of each archipelago can be clearly distinguished. Using this model system, I demonstrate that the effects of island isolation and island area extend beyond determining the number of species on an island to influencing maximum body size, niche occupancy and the phylogenetic structure of island communities. Further, the research I describe in this thesis demonstrates that the influence of island isolation and area on the ecological and evolutionary differences among species that comprise each island community is mediated by the diversity of the regional species pool. Thus, the species observed in island communities, and the niches they occupy, may not be a product of local ecological interactions. Rather, immigration from the regional species pool may determine the persistence of a species on an island.
Description: Doctor of Philosophy

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Using birds of prey to manage pest bird flocks under lethal and non-lethal conditions – A review

- Wallis, Robert, Coles, Graeme

Authors: Wallis, Robert , Coles, Graeme
Date: 2024
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Raptor journal Vol. 18, no. 1 (2024), p. 59-62
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Description: Raptors have been successfully used to disperse and often control flocks of pest birds. However, the question that has not been resolved is, “If the raptor kills a small number of the target flock, does this improve the efficiency of control?” This mini-review examines the few research reports that have been published that can shed light on this question.

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Fire responses by bird guilds and species in heathy dry forests in central Victoria, Australia

- Kuchinke, Diana, Di Stefano, Julian, Loyn, Richard, Gell, Peter, Palmer, Grant

Authors: Kuchinke, Diana , Di Stefano, Julian , Loyn, Richard , Gell, Peter , Palmer, Grant
Date: 2023
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Forest Ecology and Management Vol. 535, no. (2023), p.
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Description: Predicted increases in fire frequency and extent are being realised across Australia, bringing changes to the fire regime which may influence the availability of essential resources required by birds. However, few studies have examined either the impacts of fire frequency on birds or the impacts from both wildfire and planned burns, com bined. Birds were surveyed eight times across 84 sites in heathy dry forests in central Victoria, south-east Australia, from 2012 to 2014. Fire history records were retrieved from the 1970’s onwards, the time from which accurate planned burn records were kept. We developed mixed models to investigate how birds responded to time-since-fire and fire frequency, analysing total bird abundance, ten foraging guilds and 30 individual species. We found distinct responses by all modelled guilds and species to time-since-fire, along with evidence for responses to fire frequency. The greatest shifts in species’ abundances occurred during the first ten years post fire, with bird species commonly present across the stages greater than ten years since fire. For total bird abundance there was no statistically detectible difference between recently burnt forest (0-6 months) and other age classes. However, some guilds showed a significant drop in abundance in newly burnt vegetation (e.g. bark foragers, damp ground insectivores, those that feed on seeds close to the ground, tall shrub foragers). It is with guild and species’ responses that more differences across vegetation age classes became apparent. Significant increases in abundance were apparent in both the regrowth and new growth vegetation age classes, compared with older habitat (e.g. canopy foragers, damp ground insectivores, tall shrub foragers); open ground foragers were especially common in post-fire regrowth but then significantly declined. Other responses were more complex, with species’ preferences reflecting their foraging ecology. Some birds showed preferences across two age classes: sites that were young post-fire regrowth (6 months–2.5 years since fire) along with sites of old habitat (>35 years since fire), (e.g. Crimson Rosella, Scarlet Robin, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo), while some ground-foraging species became scarce in dense new-growth vegetation that appears 2.5–10 years post fire (e.g. Australian Magpie, Laughing Kookaburra and White-winged Chough). Such species may deserve specific management strategies to maintain populations in forests where substantial areas are burnt by wildfire or planned burns, over short periods of time. The model for total bird abundance showed a significant fire frequency response with birds preferring sites twice burnt within 35 years (e.g. bark and canopy-foraging guilds). Four guilds demonstrated a preference for sites frequently burnt, increasing in abundance as number of burns increased (nectarivores, open-ground foragers, seeds in trees foragers, tall shrub foragers). In contrast, two species appeared to prefer sites that had experienced low fire frequencies, a response not common to their guilds. Laughing Kookaburra (carnivore) and White-winged Chough (forages on open ground among trees) generally declined in abundance with increasing fire frequency. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.

Lower Jinsha Valley bird study

- Wright, Wendy, Federation University, Australia

Authors: Wright, Wendy , Federation University, Australia
Date: 2011-2013
Type: Text , Report
Full Text: false
Description: This study represents a systematic bird survey in part of the Lower Jinsha Valley, in Western China. The intention of the study is to document the bird fauna of the area before it undergoes significant environmental transformation. The study area will be affected by the construction of a series of large hydropower dams along the Jinsha (Yangtze) River. Flooding of the valleys in this area will be to an elevation of 825m and will result in the inundation of substantial areas of farmland and much of the current sparse and poor quality forest habitat in Ningnan County (Sichuan Province) and Qiaojia County (Yunnan Province). Bird searches were conducted at 15 locations (5 in forest, 5 in farmland, 5 in Leucaena plantation) during two survey periods: Winter 2012: Nov-Dec 2012 (six field days: 30/11 – 7/12) (survey period 3) Summer 2013 June 2013 (seven field days 6/6 – 12/6) (survey period 4) Two visits were made to each location during each study period. One visit occurred during the morning and involved a timed transect search plus a list building search. The other visit occurred during the afternoon and involved a list building search only. The timed transect search involved noting birds seen along the 100m transect during a 20min search period. No recorded calls were used to attract birds during the timed transect search, which always occurred prior to the list building search. List building searches were conducted in the interests of maximizing the opportunity to identify species present at each location. Each list building search involved an initial broadcast playback of the call of Collared Owlet (Glaucidium brodiei) followed by identification of birds seen or heard, including birds responding to the call of the owlet. Collared Owlet is a small owl, which sometimes hunts diurnally. It is commonly mobbed by small songbirds (Mackinnon and Phillips, 2010). Where necessary, previously recorded calls of particular bird species were used to encourage birds to respond and therefore confirm identification. In some cases, calling birds were recorded in situ and these calls were immediately played back in order to encourage a response and allow visual identification. All birds clearly identified visually or by their call were recorded, including birds of prey seen flying overhead or in nearby valleys. Birds seen on roadsides during transit between locations were noted separately and are included in the bird list for the survey period, but not included in analyses. The visualisation of the survey data is part of an interoperable web-GIS maintained by the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation(CeRDI) at Federation University Australia (FedUni).

Boola Boola Forest bird study

- Wright, Wendy

Authors: Wright, Wendy
Date: 2006-2008
Type: Text , Report
Full Text: false
Description: This study assessed differences in avian biodiversity across different forest age-classes, including mature stands (> 100 years), in a managed, mixed-species eucalypt forest located in Gippsland, south-eastern Australia. Avian surveys and detailed habitat measurements were initially carried out in 50 two hectare stands ranging in age from 100 years. Extensive wildfire which occurred during the study reduced the number of sites to 28 (seven in each of four age classes) upon which analyses and inferences were made. Mature vegetation (> 100 years) had the greatest richness, abundance and biomass of birds. Key ecological resources, such as tree-hollows for nesting, generally occurred mostly in stands > 60 years. There were quantum increases in all measures of avian biodiversity in mature stands (> 100 years). The visualisation of the survey data is part of an interoperable web-GIS maintained by the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation(CeRDI) at Federation University Australia (FedUni).

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