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Australasian
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Scientific Program
Thursday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre
29/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2
8:30-9:00 Welcome & conference opening
Plenary address
9:00-9:30 Catterall The importance of birds in Australian ecosystems
Birds in agricultural Seabirds at sea - foraging
Chair Jones & urban landscapes Carlile ecology
An oily end? Can What you see is not what you
9:30-9:45 Davis lowland forest birds Priddel get: a comparison of the first
persist in the palm oil tracking data for both
plantations of New subspecies of Gould’s petrel
Britain, Papua New with historical observations at
Guinea? sea
Bird utilisation of Foraging ecology of Gould’s
9:45-10:00 Green biodiversity corridors Kim Petrel during breeding season
in a pine plantation
landscape.
Barriers and solutions How reliable is the use of
10:00-10:15 Freimanis to incorporating Sommerfeld First Passage Time analysis to
biodiversity in urban determine areas of restricted
development - A pilot search behaviour in Tasman
project with the boobies?
development industry
Guided by the light: Determining dietary shifts
10:15-10:30 Jones exploring urban Fleming caused by at-sea events
lorikeet roosts using stable isotope analysis
City or the bush? Sea Change for seabirds
10:30-10:45 Davis Habitat usage by an Baird
urban parrot
assemblage.
10:45-11:15 Morning tea
Birds in modified Seabirds: Threats &
Chair Freeman landscapes 1 Wilson Conservation
Lord Howe Gerygone Seabird islands in French
11:15-11:30 Szabo and other lost birds – Waugh Polynesia
the history of avian
extinctions in Australia
How do the landscape BirdLife International’s
11:30-11:45 Freeman context of Bird Important Bird Area (IBA)
revegetation and the programme
ecological attributes of
bird species affect re-
colonisation of
rainforest revegetation
sites? A case study in
the Australian Wet
Tropics Uplands.Thursday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre
29/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2
Eucalyptus wandoo New Zealand’s seabird colony
11:45-12:00 Moore crown decline - How Wilson database: a tool for
does it influence the conservation
foraging resources for
woodland birds?
Modelling interactions Seabird feather bank: a joint
12:00-12:15 Fletcher between fire regime Carlile initiative of the Australasian
and Carpentarian Seabird Group and State
Grasswrens to inform museum institutions within
a fire management Australia
program
Assessment of fir Not junk food for dinner
12:15-12:30 Harrington challenge to the Carey again – Intergenerational
Carpentarian transfer of plastic debris by
Grasswren Short-tailed Shearwaters
Critical habitat Estimating marine debris
12:30-12:45 Robinson features for birds in Hardesty impacts on seabirds
burnt landscapes
12:45-1:45 Lunch
Birds in modified Seabirds and climate
Chair Harrington landscapes 2 Congdon change
The ravenous ravens Climate change and Little
1:45-2:00 Stevenson of Rottnest Island: Dann Penguins: predictions based
nest predation on bush on a long-term demographic
birds by the Australian study
Raven Corvus
coronoides
The Black-throated The influence of sea surface
2:00-2:15 Moloney fFinch southern Manno temperature and rainfall on
subspecies Poephila breeding success of the Fairy
cincta cincta; Declines, Prion (Pachyptila turtur)
threats and
conservation
Surveying the Seabirds in hot water: Linking
2:15-2:30 Adams Southern Alps: Congdon foraging success and
Substantial differences oceanography on the Great
in indices of kea Barrier Reef
(Nestor
notabilis) abundance
across its range may
reflect response to
pest management
Returning the Balance: Sensitivity of tropical seabirds
2:30-2:45 Maguire managing threats to Devney to El Niño Precursors
the Hooded Plover in
Victoria.
Daily movement Colony-specific growth in
2:45-3:00 Velthem patterns and habitat McDuie wedge-tailed shearwaters:
use of the brolga, Grus phenotypic plasticity or
rubicunda, at non- evolutionary divergence?
breeding sites in south
west VictoriaThursday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre
29/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2
3:00-3:30 Afternoon tea
Chair Koetz The secret life of
Ratites
The secret life of wild
3:30-3:45 Castro brown kiwi: studying
behaviour of a cryptic
species by direct
observation
Acoustic monitoring of
3:45-4:00 Digby cryptic species: the
kiwi
Is the southern
4:00-4:15 Bradford cassowary an effective
seed disperser?
The response of two
4:15-4:30 Buosi lowland populations of
Southern Cassowary
(Casuarius casuarius
johnsonii) to Tropical
Cyclone Larry
4:45 Buses
depart
7:00 – 10:00 DinnerFriday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre
30/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2
Plenary address
9-9:30 Endler Great Bowerbirds use Forced Perspective to improve Mating
Success
Chair Joseph Evolution - 1 Battley Migration
Systematics of the Contrasting extreme long-
9:30-9:45 Joseph genera Psittacella and Battley distance migration patterns in
Pezoporus clarifies the the Bar-tailed Godwit
ecological history of
Australo-Papuan parrots
and relationships of
rosella-like parrots
Rapid radiation and Carryover effects and
9:45-10:00 Kearns ancient hybridisation Conklin compensation: late arrival on
challenge attempts to the non-breeding grounds
delimit species in the affects wing moult but not
white-throated departure plumage or
butcherbird species schedules in migrating Bar-
complex (Cracticus) tailed Godwits
Analysis of zones of Modelling avian behaviour
10:00-10:15 McLean intergradation between Dennis within geospatial lifelines:
subspecies of the what can we learn from
variegated fairy-wren patterns of movement?
(Malurus lamberti) in
tropical and subtropical
Australia: a multilocus
perspective
Speciation before our Migratory movements of the
10:15-10:30 Kliendorfer eyes? Using behaviour Landers trans-Pacific migrant, the
to interpret gene flow in Westland Petrel Procellaria
Darwin's tree finches westlandica
Evolution of quail- Preliminary results of
10:30-10:45 Toon thrush from the New Minton geolocator studies add to our
Guinean tropics to knowledge of movements of
Australia’s arid, stony small waders
deserts
10:45-11:15 Morning tea
Climate Change & Arid
Chair Webster Evolution - 2 McKechnie Zone Birds
Assessing the causes of The effects of a warming
11:15-11:30 Webster phenotypic divergence Wolf climate on desert birds – a
across an avian hybrid physiological perspective
zone
Genetic diversity in Behavioural thermoregulation
11:30-11:45 Cowen translocated and source Martin in desert birds: how might
populations of the Noisy patterns of landscape use
Scrub-bird Atrichornis buffer the effects of climate
clamosus change?
A comprehensive Physiological and behavioural
11:45-12:00 Garcia-R molecular phylogeny of Smit responses to temperature
the rails (aves: and humidity in the White-
rallidae): mitochondrial browed Sparrow-weaver
and nuclear DNA trees
for an avian familyFriday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre
30/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2
Comparative life-
history/development
Behavioural responses of
12:00-12:15 Perrin The allometry of parrot Cunningham Kalahari birds to high
BMR; seasonal data for temperatures – implications
the Greater Vasa Parrot, in the face of climate change
Coracopsis vasa, from
Madagascar.
Ontogeny of the avian Modelling the response of
12:15-12:30 Watson immune system: a case Scoble morphological and molecular
study in a long-lived variation to environmental
seabird gradients for conservation
planning in the southern
scrub-robin (Drymodes
brunneopygia)
Maternal sex Does Climate explain recent
12:30-12:45 Hall determination and its Hockey range changes of South
potential effects on African birds
avian conservation
initiatives.
12:45-1:45 Lunch
Long-term
Chair Dann monitoring in partial Devney Song/communication
migrants
Pied Imperial Pigeons Function of solo songs and
1:45-2:00 on Brook Island: forty Dowling song joining in the Red-
Winter five years and counting backed Fairy-wren
– a basis for
environmental
modelling.
Pied Imperial Pigeon Males are from Mars and
2:00-2:15 Hazel breeding colonies: McGuire females can tell! Females, but
lessons from long-term not males, differentiate male
population counts geographic song variants in
the western whipbird
Psophodes nigrogularis
Ecology & movement Standing out from the crowd:
McDonald individually distinct signals in
2:15-2:30 Portelli Filling in the gap: the a cooperative system
complex social
organisation of the
cooperatively-breeding
Hall’s babbler
Mistletoe specialist Habitat fragmentation affects
2:30-2:45 Watson frugivores: latter-day Koetz song dialects in the
“Johnny Appleseeds” or Chowchilla (Orthonyx
self-serving market spaldingii)
gardeners?
Behaviour and
2:45-3:00 Clancy movements of colour-
banded nestling Black-
necked Storks
Ephippiorhynchus
asiaticus australis in
northern New South
Wales
3:00-3:30 Afternoon tea
Friday
30/09/2011 The Boathouse
Posters Posters
Genetic Evaluation of Infrasonic booming in the
3:30-3:45 Guay population connectivity Koetz Southern Cassowary – a new
in Black Swans; discovery;
;
35 Years On: What Learning and dispersal affects
Have We Learned About song syllable sharing in the
Guppy the Breeding Ecology of Dickie Chowchilla
Woodland Birds at
Moruya?
Climate and breeding in Citizen Science – Australia:
Australian birds. Volunteer achievements and
Gibbs Maurer support in Birds Australia’s
Shorebirds 2020 program
The Australian Pest Helminths in New Zealand
3:45-4:00 Dall Animal Strategy Schoener Native Passerines;
The breeding ecology of Using leukocyte profiles in wild
wild North Island Brown birds: the fallacy of the H/L
Castro Watson
Kiwi ratio and its interpretation
A replacement for blood
Kahn sampling?
4:00-4:45 Launch of the Action Plan for Australian Birds - 2010
4:45-6:00 Introducing Bird Life Australia
6:45 Buses
departSaturday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre
1/10/2011 A3.1 A3.2
Plenary address
9-9:30 Webster Dealing with uncertainty: Flexible sexual signalling in a tropical
Australian bird
Mating systems & ecology of Shorebirds -
Chair Burbidge Wrens Milton Conservation on
Migration
Early life environment influences A love of shorebirds:
9:30-9:45 Barron maternally derived yolk Gibbs amazing journeys,
androgens and adult reproductive conservation challenges.
phenotype in a cooperatively
breeding bird
Plumage signalling in the red- Monitoring the loss of
9:45-10:00 Barker backed fairy-wren: do females Murray intertidal mudflats in the
prefer older brighter males? Yellow Sea using remote
sensing
Testosterone in a seasonally and Improving identification
10:00-10:15 Peters sexually dichromatic, Clemens and representativeness of
cooperatively breeding, tropical important shorebird non-
fairy-wren breeding habitat
Timing of breeding in a Yalu Jiang, China, shorebird
10:15-10:30 Hall threatened tropical bird, and Riegen hot spot on the EAAF: but
implications of changing rainfall for how long?
patterns.
Social behaviour and habitat use Migratory connectivity
10:30-10:45 Douglas by two small, cooperatively- Imawura magnifies the impact of
breeding passerines in Karri (Murray) habitat loss on shorebird
forest in southwest Australia populations
10:45-11:15 Morning tea
Community & institutional Shorebird Conservation -
Chair Ravich involvement in conservation Rogers Trends in Australia
Understanding the distribution of Declining shorebird trends
11:15-11:30 Tulloch volunteer bird surveys from an Watson from seven decades of
environmental, social and surveys in Botany Bay,
behavioural perspective – what NSW
makes a twitcher tick?
Is biodiversity education working? Declining shorebird counts
11:30-11:45 Johnson A case study in evaluation Rogers at the Western Treatment
Plant are part of a Victoria-
wide trend
Saturday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre
1/10/2011 A3.1 A3.2
The effectiveness of the Little known = Little at
11:45-12:00 Holmes institutional arrangements for Maurer risk? Australia’s savannah
managing threatened birds shorebirds
Conservation of Avifauna in the Rapid declines in migratory
12:00-12:15 Watson Torres Strait Wilson shorebirds in Moreton Bay,
(Clemens) Australia
Ethno-ornithology and Long-term waterbird
12:15-12:30 Hitchcock Conservation in the Torres Strait Hansen monitoring in Western Port,
Islands Victoria, shows significant
declines in multiple guilds
12:30-12:45
12:45-1:45 Lunch
Diseases & disease
Chair Goodall Translocations Laurance vectors
What are we achieving with bird Avian Malaria- Does it
1:45-2:00 Burbidge translocations? Jones affect the distribution of
birds in the Wet Tropics?
Measuring the success of Eastern Effects of habitat
2:00-2:15 Bakers Bristlebird translocations Laurance fragmentation on avian
disease in tropical
rainforests of northern
eastern Australia –
preliminary analysis
Nutritional diseases in New Coccidia in New Zealand
2:15-2:30 Jensen Zealand seabirds during colony Schoener Native Passerines
translocations
Assessing the capture and So long and thanks for all
2:30-2:45 Burns handling techniques of New Galbraith the parrots: the ecology
Zealand’s avian wildlife and impact of eastern
rosella in New Zealand
2:45-3:15 Afternoon tea
3:15 Conference presentations &
close
3:45 Buses
departAustralasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
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Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
ABSTRACTS
1920
Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
Surveying the Southern Alps: Substantial differences in indices
of kea (Nestor notabilis) abundance across its range may reflect
response to pest management
N.J. Adams1, J. Kemp2, T. Orr-Walker3 and L. Roberts1
1
Unitec, New Zealand; 2Department of Conservation; 3Kea Conservation Trust.
Introduced mammalian predators significantly impact the populations of many native bird species in
New Zealand. We assessed the relative abundance of an endemic parrot, the kea (Nestor notabilis) at
three localities across its range for evidence of benefits of predator control. Kea are thinly distributed
through the dense forest and alpine areas of South Island, New Zealand and obtaining abundance
assessments is challenging. A co-ordinated series of tree-line surveys were conducted by professional
and volunteer ornithologists at sites under different pest management regimes. Data on time to first
call, calling rate, sighting rate, and flock size were averaged over all survey points. Average sighting
and calling rates and encounter rates with flocks were highest at the site with intensive stoat trapping
and a history of repeated aerial 1080 drops, intermediate at the site with no predator control and
lowest at the site with localised stoat and possum control that partly covered the study area.
Preliminary estimates of the numbers of breeding females were correlated with these estimates of
relative abundance. Our data suggest a difference in the densities of birds between the extreme sites
of the order of five to six times and that intensive pest control is effective in increasing kea survival.
The ability to conduct these surveys, necessary to reliably detect differences in abundance at a
landscape scale, was dependant on the collaboration between governmental and non-governmental
conservation agencies and the input of volunteers.
Sea Change for Seabirds
1
Karen Baird
1
Birdlife International, c/- Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Incorporated
400 Leigh Road, RD5, Warworth 0985 New Zealand
Birdlife International’s Global Seabird Programme was established in 1997 amidst mounting concern
that seabirds, particularly albatrosses and the larger petrels, were becoming increasingly threatened
and at a faster rate globally than all other bird species-groups. Seventeen out of 22 albatross species
are threatened with extinction with the main threat coming from mortality in fisheries. The objectives
of the programme are to: address seabird conservation issues at a global level and engage relevant
stakeholders regionally and internationally; to facilitate existing, and promote new initiatives to reduce
the incidental mortality of seabirds by fisheries, particularly in respect of longlining. Also to establish
and support a network of BirdLife partners and others to influence global and regional policies with
respect to seabirds. We examine some of what has been achieved over the last 14 years of this
project, including the Save the Albatross Campaign and the work of the Albatross Task Force,
mitigation research and the tracking database; International Agreements and work with Regional
Fisheries Management Organisations. We also review other programmes, for example the role of
marine Important Bird Areas and island eradications.
Student Prize Candidate
21Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
Measuring the success of Eastern Bristlebird translocations
Jack Baker1, David Bain1, Jean Clarke1 and Kris French1
1 Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Manager, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522
The Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is an endangered endemic passerine of south-
eastern Australia. Translocation was identified in recovery planning to reduce the impacts of the
threats of habitat fragmentation and widespread and frequent fire in NSW. At Jervis Bay during 2003-
2005, 50 birds were translocated from Bherwerre Peninsula to Beecroft Peninsula. In the Illawarra in
2008, 50 birds were translocated from Barren Grounds Nature Reserve to Cataract. For Jervis Bay,
monitoring indicated that after 7 years, (i) there was no detectable impact on the source population
from the removal of birds and (ii) the count at Beecroft Peninsula was 94 birds, with dispersal up to
6.3 km from the release point. In the Illawarra, (i) the source population was estimated to be
recovering at a minimum annual growth rate of 11% and (ii) the maximum count at Cataract was 12
birds after 1.5 years, including evidence of breeding, and after 3 years the maximum dispersal was 7
km from the release point. The translocations demonstrated adherence to five key principles:(i)
Feasibility analysis prior to each project was favourable. (ii) For 17 pre-stated criteria for success, 14
and 10 respectively were met for Jervis Bay and Illawarra. (iii) Financial accountability was achieved
with detailed statements showing budgets of $217k and $119k respectively for Jervis Bay and
Illawarra. (iv) Ecological research was incorporated into both projects (v) The results of each project
are progressively being published. The re-introduction at Jervis Bay has succeeded and we are
optimistic about the Illawarra re-introduction.
Plumage signalling in the red-backed fairy-wren: do females
prefer older brighter males?
Margaret E. Barker1, Michael S. Webster2 and Bradley C. Congdon1
1
School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia; 2The Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Mating systems with extra-pair paternity (resulting from copulations outside the social bond) are
considered reliable systems in which to test female preference for either better-condition and/or older
males, as in the absence of direct benefits, females are thought to engage in extra-pair copulations
primarily to obtain genetic benefits.
In the socially monogamous yet highly promiscuous red-backed fairy-wren, it has been shown that
females prefer the elaborate red and black breeding plumage in males; and that its extent correlates
strongly with extra-pair reproductive success. Conversely, in the congeneric superb fairy-wren, male
extra-pair mating success is associated with early acquisition of breeding plumage rather than with
plumage colour per se.
In a study of colour-banded red-backed fairy-wrens we investigated whether variation in; 1) time
spent in breeding plumage, or 2) colour quality (hue, chroma and brightness) of the carotenoid-based
plumage, provided information on male age and/or condition in the species.
Our findings suggest that time spent in red/black breeding plumage may provide females with an
accurate cue to the age of males, and that plumage brightness may provide an accurate cue to male
condition. With evidence of age-related changes in male ornamentation as a potential source of
variation in male reproductive success in red-backed fairy-wrens, further investigation of these traits
and their influence on female mate choice in this intriguing mating system is warranted.
Student Prize Candidate
22Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
Early life environment influences maternally derived yolk
androgens and adult reproductive phenotype in a cooperatively
breeding bird
D.G. Barron1, W.R. Lindsay1, D.T. Baldassare2, M.S. Webster2 and H. Schwabl1
1
Washington State University; 2Cornell University;
Ecologists generally conduct research in two interrelated but discrete areas: the influence of early life
conditions on offspring quality and the role of adult phenotype on fitness. In this study we reveal a
critical link between these periods in Red-backed Fairy-wrens (Malurus melanocephalus) and suggest
a mechanistic basis for this association. First year males in this species adopt one of three
testosterone dependent reproductive phenotypes; they can either breed in red/black plumage or
brown plumage, or remain as non-breeding brown natal auxiliaries. We tested the hypothesis that first
year phenotype reflects variation in early life conditions by investigating the impact of parent age,
fledge date, natal auxiliary presence, nestling body condition, and number of siblings on adult
phenotype. Red/black breeders fledged earlier, were much less likely to have natal auxiliaries, and
came from territories with more siblings. Furthermore, yolk testosterone levels were higher in the
absence of natal auxiliaries, suggesting associated environmental influences on maternal effects. This
research implies that developmental environment, rather than ‘good genes’, may be driving variation
in first year breeding phenotype and thus adult fitness.
Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in the
Bar-tailed Godwit
P.F. Battley1, R.E. Gill., Jr.,2 T.L. Tibbitts2 and N. Warnock3
1
Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston
North 4442, New Zealand; 2USGS, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, Alaska
99508, USA; 3Audubon Alaska, 441 West Fifth Avenue, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA.
We used satellite-telemetry to compare the migration performance of two subspecies of bar-tailed
godwit Limosa lapponica travelling between non-breeding grounds in New Zealand (subspecies baueri)
and Northwest Australia (subspecies menzbieri) and breeding grounds in Alaska and Eastern Russia,
respectively. Individuals of both subspecies made long, usually non-stop, flights from non-breeding
grounds to coastal staging grounds in the Yellow Sea region of East Asia. After refuelling, baueri flew
over the North Pacific Ocean to the Alaskan breeding grounds. Menzbieri continued over land and sea
northeast to high arctic Russia. After breeding, baueri staged in southwest Alaska then flew non-stop
across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand (including a record flight of 11,680 km) or to islands in the
southwestern Pacific en route to New Zealand and eastern Australia. Menzbieri returned to Australia
via stopovers in the New Siberian Islands, Russia, and back at the Yellow Sea. Overall, the entire
migration of a baueri godwit with a complete migration track totalled 29,280 km and involved 20 days
of major migratory flight. The entire migrations of menzbieri averaged 20,830 km, including 15 days
of major migratory flights. Godwits of both populations exhibit extreme flight performance, and baueri
makes the longest (southbound) and second-longest (northbound) non-stop migratory flights
documented for any bird. Both subspecies essentially make single stops when moving between non-
breeding and breeding sites in opposite hemispheres. This reinforces the critical importance of the
intertidal habitats used by fuelling godwits in Australasia, the Yellow Sea, and Alaska.
Student Prize Candidate
23Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
BirdLife International’s Important Bird Area (IBA) Programme
J. Bird1
1
Marine IBA Coordinator BirdLife International Pacific Secretariat, 10 McGregor Rd, GPO Box 18332,
Suva, Fiji
Email: jez@birdlifepacific.org.fj www.birdlife.org
BirdLife International’s Important Bird Area (IBA) programme has developed and applied standardised
criteria to identify priority terrestrial sites for conservation (especially of birds) worldwide. This
approach is now being extended to the marine realm with a view to making the results available for
effective marine spatial planning. Data on seabird species’ foraging ecologies and at-sea distribution,
and ecological models are being used to identify four types of marine IBA: seaward extensions from
breeding colonies, pelagic sites, non-breeding coastal congregations and migration bottlenecks. As
part of an ongoing process 110 marine IBAs have been identified to date within 23 Pacific Island
Countries, Territories and States (PICTS), but the process is hampered by data availability in the
region. Currently only 2% of the area within marine IBAs in the tropical Pacific lies inside Marine
Protected Area (MPA) boundaries. Challenges for the next phase of this programme are to plug
existing information gaps to improve coverage of the marine IBA network, and to increase the level of
national and international protection that these priority sites receive.
Is the southern cassowary an effective seed disperser?
M.G. Bradford1 and D.A. Westcott1
1
CSIRO, Ecosystem Sciences, Tropical Forest Research Centre, Atherton
The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is perceived to be an important if not keystone seed
disperser in the wet tropical forests of Australia and New Guinea. However, do the actions of the
cassowary result in a seed having a greater probability of survival to germination and establishment
than if it remains undispersed or dispersed by other vectors? Using data collected and published by
CSIRO over a 12 year period, we explore cassowary diet preference, animal movement and dispersal
patterns, the effect of gentle gut processing, and seed predation from clumped droppings. We then
draw conclusions on how each of these dispersal components contributes to the overall effectiveness
of the cassowary as a seed disperser.
Student Prize Candidate
24Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
The response of two lowland populations of Southern Cassowary
(Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) to Tropical Cyclone Larry
P. Buosi1 and S. Burnett2
1
NRA Environmental Consultants; 2University of the Sunshine Coast.
Since 1998 we have been surveying populations of Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius
johnsonii, Cassowary) at Cowley Beach and Tully in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, far north
Queensland. The two areas are managed by the Department of Defence (Defence) as field training
areas and contain substantial areas of intact forest. The Cowley Beach Training Area (CBTA) is an
isolated forest fragment containing small patches of rainforest within a mosaic of low open forest. The
Tully Training Area (TTA) contains one of the largest tracts of lowland rainforest south of the Daintree
and is contiguous with substantial tracts of upland rainforest. The purpose of the survey program is to
monitor Cassowary abundance, population structure and habitat use around the areas more
intensively used by Defence. We use a refined rapid assessment survey technique using data obtained
from scats, footprints, sightings, and more recently, surveillance cameras. Between 1998 and 2010
we have conducted 10 surveys at CBTA and 15 surveys at TTA.
In March 2006 severe Tropical Cyclone Larry crossed the coast near Cowley Beach and caused
substantial damage to forests in the region. Following the cyclone there was particular public concern
regarding the impacts of the cyclone on local Cassowary populations. The data we collected at CBTA
and TTA prior to and following Tropical Cyclone Larry provides a unique opportunity to review and
compare how these two Cassowary populations were affected by the cyclone and discuss some
potential implications for conservation and management.
What are we achieving with bird translocations?
Allan H. Burbidge1, Sarah Comer2, Alan Danks3 and Cam Tiller2
1
WA Department of Environment and Conservation, PO Box 51, Wanneroo, WA 6065; 2 WA
Department of Environment and Conservation, Albany Hwy, Albany WA 6330; 3223 Albany Hwy,
Albany, WA 6330
Translocations have often been used as a recovery tool for threatened populations, but are
increasingly being advocated as an adaptation strategy in the face of climate change. We contrast two
case studies, Noisy Scrub-bird and Barrow Island Black-and-white Fairy-wren, to examine some of the
issues that need to be considered.
Recent translocation of the fairy-wren from Barrow Island to former parts of its range will assist in
fauna reconstruction at the target site, and will increase resilience of the taxon with respect to
localised threats, but is not likely to contribute to resilience in the face of climate change.
A long history of scrub-bird translocations has been instrumental in increasing the size and geographic
range of the population. This expanded population has withstood the impact of two major bushfires.
Establishing new populations in higher rainfall areas within south-west WA could improve the
resilience of the species to predicted climate change. Unfortunately habitat is predicted to become
increasingly dry, and a number of translocations to such areas have not been successful.
In the case of the Noisy Scrub-bird translocations have clearly demonstrated their value, and it is
hoped that the Black and White fairy wren will have similar success. However, increasing resilience to
climate change in the longer term will also require other management interventions to improve
connectivity, management of fire and feral predator control, in order to achieve long term
conservation of these and other threatened species.
Student Prize Candidate
25Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
Assessing the Capture and Handling Techniques of New
Zealand’s Avian Wildlife
T.S. Burns1, B. Gartrell2,3,4, J.F. Cockrem4,5 and K.J. Morgan4,6,7
1
Conservation Biology Masters student in the Ecology Group, Massey University, New Zealand;
2
Director of the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre; 3Senior Lecturer in Avian and Wildlife Health;
4
Institute of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand; 5Associate
Professor in Comparative Physiology; 6Lecturer in Avian and Wildlife Health; 7New Zealand Wildlife
Health Centre.
The capture and handling of wildlife is an indispensable component of intensive conservation
management in New Zealand and is used for monitoring, translocations and research. However in
every capture and handling event, animals have the potential to be injured or have their physiology or
behaviour altered. Therefore effective and safe capture and handling techniques are critical to the
ongoing study of wild animals. This research aims to address the impacts that the handling
protocols of kiwi (Apteryx spp.) may be having on the birds stress levels and the potential these
processes may have to cause muscle damage. This will be done by carrying out an experiment
using layer hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a model system and handling them in the manner
prescribed by the kiwi best practice manual. This research also aims to assess the suitability of
using the Talon netgun as a means of capturing wildlife in New Zealand, by using it to capture both
pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio) and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and comparing them to baseline
samples. In addition the pukeko and mallards captured will be split into control and treatment groups
and the handling protocols of takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) and pateke (Anas chlorotis) will be
investigated using pukeko and mallards respectively. In all cases the impacts on the birds muscle
will be assessed by measuring the changes in level of plasma creatine kinase and aspartate
aminotransferase while the stress response will be determined by changes in the plasma
corticosterone. Results will be presented at the conference.
Not junk food for dinner again – Intergenerational transfer of
plastic debris by Short-tailed Shearwaters
M.J. Carey1
1
Department of Environmental Management and Ecology, La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria,
3690, AUSTRALIA
Pollution of the world’s oceans affects a wide variety of marine organisms and thus raises major
concerns regarding conservation. Ingestion of plastic debris has increased since the 1970s,
particularly among the Procellariiformes, resulting in a range of lethal and sub-lethal side effects.
Plastic loads of adult Short-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) are well known from research in
the northern hemisphere, but the amount in offspring has yet to be quantified. In this study, the
stomach contents of fledgling Short-tailed Shearwaters on Phillip Island, Victoria, were analysed for
plastic particles. All birds sampled contained plastic material, averaging 7.6 particles per bird. The
mean mass of plastic per bird was 113 mg. The most common type of plastic found was user plastic,
followed by industrial pellets. The birds contained a small proportion of other refuse such as
polystyrene and plastic bag. Plastics were primarily light in colour, though red and grey-black
materials were also recorded. Despite a weak trend, no clear influence of ingested plastic on body
condition could be demonstrated, although there was some evidence of physical damage to the
gizzard. Accumulation of plastic objects in the digestive tract over time may indirectly affect the life
cycle of species and their reproductive success, with long-term harm caused to populations. Data
suggests that an assessment of the impact of this type of pollution on seabird welfare is urgently
required.
Student Prize Candidate
26Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
Seabird feather bank: a joint initiative of the Australasian
Seabird Group and State museum institutions within Australia
A. Chiaradia1,3 N. Carlile2,3
1
Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia; 2 Threatened Fauna Ecology,
Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW, Australia, 3 Australasian Seabird Group
http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/australasian-seabird-group.html
The Australasian Seabird Group (ASG) is launching a national seabird feather bank. The concept of the
feather bank is to provide a long-term collection point of seabird feathers that will be available as
vouchers for species occurrence, assessment of moult, tissue sampling for DNA (and other molecular
techniques), stable isotopes and hormone stress analysis.
New techniques using feather analysis are emerging at an incredible pace leading to studies that can
reveal environment conditions during the long seabird migration, changes in diet and climatic impact
on seabird populations. A long-term collection of material would importantly reveal changes over time
for particular species. However, some of these techniques are destructive which may put pressure on
museum collections. In addition, some of these studies may require large samples from one given
period which are usually not available at the museums.
With these new ways to study bird life story through their feathers, the ASG believes that the creation
of the Seabird Feather Bank will benefit future seabird research. For this, we will encourage the
collection of entire wings which are more informative than isolated feathers and yet easy to collect
and store. The provision of rare complete birds, in good condition, would be limited to the individual
needs of the State Museums and be between the individual collector and that institution. Several State
Museums in Australia have already agreed to support the Feather Bank. We hope other museums in
the Australasian region could join in this initiative.
The secret life of wild brown kiwi: studying behaviour of a
cryptic species by direct observation
Susan J. Cunningham1, 2 and Isabel Castro1
1
Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston
North, New Zealand.2 Percy Fitzpatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape
Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
The behaviour of nocturnal species is difficult to study using traditional observational techniques and
data is often collected indirectly using methods like radio-telemetry. Here we present the first study of
wild brown kiwi behaviour by direct observation. We obtained c. 6 hours of video footage of kiwi
(Apteryx mantelli) over 19 months using inexpensive hand-held infrared cameras. Kiwi time-activity
budgets were dominated by foraging (75% of active time) and prey capture rates were significantly
higher in exotic pasture edges than in native forest. Direct social and courtship interactions were
observed rarely. The senses of hearing, olfaction and touch seemed most important to active kiwi and
we observed no behaviours that appeared to be guided by vision. Touch was used for investigating
terrain, negotiating obstacles and in social interactions. Hearing was used in response to sounds made
by observers, conspecifics and other sources. Olfactory search behaviours were used in the direction
of these sounds, and olfaction was also apparently used to assess odours on the ground. We describe
an olfactory search behaviour, we termed bill hover, for the first time. Behavioural repertoire size and
diversity, and prey capture rates all increased in winter when kiwi begin breeding. Microhabitat use
was also more diverse in winter. Female kiwi at our study site had 30% longer bills than males, and
probed into soil substrates on average 30% deeper. No other fine-scale behaviours that might reduce
competition between kiwi sexes were observed.
Student Prize Candidate
27Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
The breeding ecology of wild North Island Brown Kiwi
S.E. Jamieson1,2, I.C. Castro1, T. Jensen2, A. Wilson1, and B. Durrant2
1
Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston
North, NZ; 2 Institute for Conservation Research- Reproductive Physiology Division, San Diego Zoo
Global, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido, California, USA
Poster Presentation:
Kiwi (Apteryx spp.) are infamous for their large eggs. Females lay 1-2 egg clutches with each egg
weighing roughly 20% of their body mass. Other than this detail little is known about their
reproduction. We hope to help fill this knowledge gap by studying the breeding ecology of North
Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). We work on a remote island in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand,
where we have 45 adult kiwi radio tagged. On this poster we will describe our results from the 2010-
2011 and 2011-2012 breeding seasons. Specifically, we will report breeding propensity, clutch size,
egg morphometrics, incubation duration, nightly nest attendance, hatching and fledgling success,
post-hatch care, and chick survival. It is our hope that the information gained during this project can
be used to help with long-term management of North Island Brown Kiwi and the conservation of Kiwi
throughout the country.
The importance of birds in Australian ecosystems
C.P. Catterall1
1
School of Environment and Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University.
Plenary Presentation:
Birds are abundant and diverse in both species and in ecological function. Australia supports over 800
species. A great deal of effort has gone into describing and understanding this diversity, and
understanding recent species’ declines and their causes such as habitat destruction, hunting, and
changes to hydrological and climatic conditions.
Much of this work has focused on birds as passive indicators or recipients affected by human actions,
either negatively or positively, and directly or indirectly. However birds are also involved in ecological
relationships with other organisms, where they have active roles such as seed dispersers, pollinators,
predators and nutrient recyclers. This makes them important agents which can influence both how
ecosystems function now, and how they are likely to change in the future. Ecosystem properties
whose changes may be mediated by birds include vegetation dynamics, plant invasions and
extinctions, and insect abundance. Their relevance to human societies extends from biodiversity
conservation to agriculture and disease.
In this talk I will review these ideas, and then consider areas in which birds play important roles in
Australian ecosystems. I will use specific case studies in remnant, regrowth and restored forest and
woodland to illustrate how selected roles have changed in response to human actions and land uses,
how these altered roles can lead to further cascades of change in the nature of vegetation, how these
changes may be either negative or positive from a human viewpoint, and why there is value in better
understanding the birds’ roles to enable effective management.
Student Prize Candidate
28Australasian Ornithological James Cook University
Birds Australia
Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand
Behaviour and movements of colour-banded nestling Black-
necked Storks Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus australis in
northern New South Wales
Greg. P. Clancy1
1
Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW
Prior to this study only 14 Black-necked Storks had been banded in Australia, with four of these being
recovered dead. Colour-banding of nestling Black-necked Storks was carried out as a component of
research carried out for the author’s PhD on the ecology, conservation and management of the Black-
necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus from 2003-2006 and has continued to the present. Other
methods such as satellite tracking or radio tracking were ruled out on practical and economic grounds.
Methods of accessing nests are described. The bands were powder-coated size 29 stainless steel
bands, which were originally designed for use on Adelie Penguins. Fifteen nestling storks were banded
during this study at six separate nests. Eleven of these banded birds were observed post-fledging
within the natal area and three have been observed away from the natal area. One bird was banded
at Bulahdelah and found dead at Casino 5 months and 16 days after banding and 400 km to the
north. This constitutes the longest movement recorded for the species. The other two recoveries
involved male birds that had travelled 21 kilometres and then 42 kilometres and the other bird 13
kilometres, within the Clarence Valley. The study has provided information on the post-fledging
movement of the species which was poorly known prior to this study.
Improving identification and representativeness of important
shorebird non-breeding habitat
R.S. Clemens1, M.A. Weston2, and A. Herrod3
1
School of Biological Sciences, Environmental Decisions Group, Fuller Lab, University of Queensland,
St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072. Australia; 2School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of
Science and Technology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, 3125 Vic., Australia: 3Birds
Australia National Office, Suite 2-05, Green Building, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, 3053 Vic., Australia.
Conservation managers designate important non-breeding habitat for migratory shorebirds based on
imperfect data and knowledge. Defining important non-breeding habitat for migratory shorebirds aids
shorebird conservation by: placing habitat on the planning radar, defining relevant planning units, and
forming the unit of measure for broader population monitoring studies. We review the growing
evidence that separate habitats used by independent groups of non-breeding shorebirds can be
defined spatially by simply including all habitat used by a local population. Habitats identified in this
way vary in size considerably, and often do not correspond to existing important area boundaries
identified using wetland or geographic features alone. Revising the methods of mapping shorebird
non-breeding habitat can improve conservation decisions, and the sensitivity of population monitoring
efforts.
We then discuss the case for the recent revision in thresholds used to designate important non-
breeding shorebird habitat in Australia, from 20,000 to 2,000 in total abundance, and the threshold in
percentage of a species population from 1.0% to 0.1%. The additional areas identified by lower
criteria resulted in sufficient additional proportions of some shorebird populations to warrant use of
these lower thresholds to identify important habitat at a national level. However, the proportion of a
species population counted within wetlands identified as important through the application of criteria
varied widely between species, and showed greater increase as thresholds were lowered, for species
that were abundant, widespread and well represented at existing thresholds. Therefore, some species
will remain under-represented, partly because of interspecific differences in distribution and
inadequate sampling.
Student Prize Candidate
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