Journal articles on the topic 'Birds Breeding Australia'
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1
Tracey, John P. "Risk-based surveillance of avian influenza in Australia's wild birds." Wildlife Research 37, no. 2 (2010): 134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09152.
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Context. The epidemiology of avian influenza and the ecology of wild birds are inextricably linked. An understanding of both is essential in assessing and managing the risks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Aims. This project investigates the abundance, movements and breeding ecology of Australia’s Anseriformes in relation to the prevalence of low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) and provides risk profiles to improve the efficiency and relevance of wild-bird surveillance. Methods. Generalised linear models and analysis of variance were used to examine the determinants of Anseriformes abundance and movements in Australia, and the observed prevalence of LPAI in Australia (n = 33 139) and overseas (n = 93 344). Risk profiles were developed using poultry density, estimated LPAI prevalence, the abundance of Anseriformes, and the probability of Anseriformes moving from areas of HPAI epizootics. Key results. Analysis of Australian wild-bird surveillance data strongly supports other studies that have found the prevalence of LPAI in wild birds to be much lower (1%) in Australia than that in other countries (4.7%). LPAI prevalence was highly variable among sampling periods and locations and significantly higher in dabbling ducks than in other functional groups. Trends in Anseriformes movements, abundance and breeding are also variable, and correlated with rainfall, which could explain low prevalence and the failure to detect seasonal differences in LPAI in wild birds. Virus prevalence of faecal samples was significantly lower, whereas collecting faecal samples was 3–5 times less expensive and logistically simpler, than that of cloacal samples. Overall priority areas for on-going surveillance are provided for Australia. Conclusions. Previous surveillance has occurred in high-priority areas, with the exception of Mareeba (North Queensland), Brisbane and Darwin, and has provided valuable information on the role of wild birds in maintaining avian influenza viruses. However, several practical considerations need to be addressed for future surveillance. Implications. Long-term surveillance studies in wild birds in priority areas are required, which incorporate information on bird abundance, age, behaviour, breeding and movements, particularly for dabbling ducks. This is important to validate trends of LPAI prevalence, in understanding the main determinants for virus spread and persistence, and in predicting and managing future epizootics of HPAI in Australia.
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Ford, Hugh A. "Are we underestimating the threat to Australia’s migratory land birds?" Pacific Conservation Biology 19, no. 4 (2013): 303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc130303.
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Few migratory land birds in Australia are currently regarded as threatened or near threatened. In contrast, many of Australia’s migratory seabirds and shorebirds are threatened or near threatened, with most of the latter being added over the last two decades. Furthermore, many long-distance migratory land birds that breed in North America and Europe have experienced major declines, probably due to threats in their breeding or wintering grounds or both. I suggest that knowledge of our migratory land birds is limited, and almost non-existent outside their breeding areas. Some are already declining and I predict that others will decline in the near future. The priority now is to increase our knowledge of the locations of major wintering areas in northern Australia of land birds that breed in the south, and to study their ecology and behaviour outside the breeding season. We also have limited knowledge of how migrants in Australia prepare physiologically and behaviourally for migration. If they migrate in large hops, then we need to find and protect departure, refuelling and arrival sites.
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Yom-Tov, Yoram. "The Reproductive Rates of Australian Passerines." Wildlife Research 14, no. 3 (1987): 319. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9870319.
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The relationships between body weight, clutch size, length of breeding season, breeding frequency, incubation and nestling periods were studied in the Australian passerines. The means of the above factors as well as allometric equations were calculated for all Australian passerines and separately for the four major families (Maluridae, Meliphagidae, Muscicapidae and Ploceidae) and six zones of distribution (all Australia; Bassian; Torresian; Torresian and Bassian; Irian; Eyrean). The mean clutch size of Australian passerines is significantly smaller than that of North African passerines. This is because the old invaders to Australia (e.g. the Meliphagidae, Maluridae and Muscicapidae) have significantly smaller clutches than the new invaders (e.g. Ploceidae and Corvidae). A significant difference in clutch size was found between the Irian and Eyrean zones, supporting an early claim by Kikkawa. Negative correlations were found between body weight and clutch size, length of breeding season and breeding frequency. These indicate that small passerines in Australia tend to have larger clutches and longer breeding seasons and to breed more frequently than larger species. Body weight is positively correlated with both incubation and nestling period, as found for other altricial birds. There are no significant differences in incubation length between the zones, but there are differences among the families. The ecological implications and the possible reasons for the above correlations and differences between the groups are discussed.
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Debus, S. J. S., and H. A. Ford. "Responses of Eastern Yellow Robins Eopsaltria australis to translocation into vegetation remnants in a fragmented landscape." Pacific Conservation Biology 18, no. 3 (2012): 194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc130194.
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Many species of Australian robins (Petroicidae) are declining in wooded landscapes across southern Australia, perhaps because they are unable or unwilling to disperse across the matrix between remnants, or because they experience high mortality while doing so. Eastern Yellow Robins Eopsaltria australis have declined in parts of southeastern Australia, and have gone extinct in some woodland remnants. We translocated adult Yellow Robins to remnants from which they had disappeared, and followed their survival and behaviour. Nine Yellow Robins were translocated to a 100 ha remnant in 2001 (seven birds) and 2002 (two birds). One bird disappeared immediately and a second after 2 weeks, but the rest stayed for at least 2 months, with two birds surviving to at least 4 and 5 years. One reintroduced pair bred each year from 2001 to 2005, producing six fledglings. Two colour-banded Yellow Robins also arrived unaided from another remnant 7 km away. Fifteen Yellow Robins were translocated to nine small remnants (<60 ha) in 2005– 06. Seven birds disappeared within 3 days of their release, apparently killed by predators. The remainder survived for up to 7 weeks, but none was found breeding. Translocated Robins moved up to 3 km from their release sites through natural or planted corridors, and up to 1 km through a matrix of scattered trees. Small remnants, which surviving Robins ultimately vacated, had fewer shrubs than sites where they bred. The results suggest that Eastern Yellow Robins can disperse through a landscape with corridors or scattered trees. However, they may suffer predation and reject sites that are too small or of poor habitat quality. Management to retain Eastern Yellow Robins in a fragmented landscape should enlarge remnants, protect scattered trees, plant or regenerate strategic clumps of trees and shrubs in gaps between remnants, and allow shrubs to regenerate within remnants.
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Recher, Harry F., and William E. Davis Jr. "Foraging behaviour of mulga birds in Western Australia. I. Use of resources and temporal effects." Pacific Conservation Biology 24, no. 1 (2018): 74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc17031.
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The foraging behaviour of mulga birds in the Murchison and Gascoyne Bioregions was studied in 1999 following a period of heavy rain and again in 2002 when it was dry. Mulga birds allocated foraging resources in a similar fashion to other bird communities, with species differing in the way that prey were taken, the substrates and plant species on which prey were found, and the heights at which prey were sought. The numbers of birds and bird species in the study areas declined with drier conditions and there was less breeding activity. Nomadic species, including honeyeaters, seed-eaters, and insect-eaters, largely left the area as it became drier and food resources changed. The birds that remained foraged differently when it was drier than when conditions were wetter and food more abundant. These observations illustrate the fragility of the mulga avifauna and its likely sensitivity to long-term climate change with predicted increasing temperatures, more extreme heat events, and reduced winter rainfall. Conservation of mulga birds and associated flora and fauna requires a whole-of-landscape approach and the adoption of land management practices by Australian governments and land managers that will allow species to adapt to climate change and guarantee their right to evolve.
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Chapman, Tamra F., and David C. Paton. "The glossy black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus) spends little time and energy foraging on Kangaroo Island, South Australia." Australian Journal of Zoology 53, no. 3 (2005): 177. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo04059.
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The endangered Kangaroo Island glossy black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus) relies entirely on the seeds of the drooping sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata) for food. The time budget of the glossy black-cockatoos and their foraging behaviour was recorded to provide an indication of whether their food supply was likely to be limiting. The foraging behaviour of non-breeding and breeding cockatoos was also compared to record the strategy they used to collect the additional energy needed to raise young. Glossy black-cockatoos spent a relatively small proportion of their time foraging, suggesting that the food supply was abundant in the habitats used for feeding. Non-breeding birds spent only 26% of their time feeding and breeding birds spent only 36% of their time feeding. The cockatoos spent 0.4% of their time flying, foraged in a mean of only five trees per day and harvested cones in no more than five bouts per tree. This shows that the cockatoos made few movements between drooping sheoaks and within the canopy of the sheoaks when foraging. When breeding, the cockatoos spent significantly more time per day foraging, cropped cones in significantly more bouts per tree and harvested significantly more cones per tree than non-breeding birds. This shows that breeding birds increased their energy intake without greatly increasing movement between trees. The small number of movements made by glossy black-cockatoos when foraging on Kangaroo Island reflects the abundance of food trees and may be a strategy to reduce the risk of predation.
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Antos, Mark J., and Andrew F. Bennett. "How important are different types of temperate woodlands for ground-foraging birds?" Wildlife Research 32, no. 6 (2005): 557. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr04118.
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There is widespread concern about population decline in a number of woodland-dependent birds in southern Australia. Of all declining species, approximately half forage on the ground. This study examined the avifaunal assemblages of temperate woodlands of the Northern Plains, Victoria, to investigate the importance of woodland habitats for ground-foraging species. Four main types of woodland were surveyed (white cypress-pine, black box, grey box and river red gum) and, in total, 89 bird species were detected. All four woodland types differed in habitat structure and, in turn, supported significantly different avifaunal assemblages. Forty of the 89 species (45%) foraged, at least in part, on the ground. Species richness and abundance of ground-foragers differed significantly between woodland types, being highest in white cypress-pine and black box. There was a greater richness of ground-foragers during the breeding than non-breeding season, but abundance did not vary seasonally. Overall, ground-foraging birds comprised a greater proportion of species (>55%) and individuals (>60%) in white cypress-pine and black box woodland than in grey box and river red gum (42–48% of species, <50% individuals). Those ground-foragers regarded as declining also occurred in greatest richness in white cypress-pine woodlands, one of the most depleted habitats in the region. The lowest richness of ‘declining’ ground-foraging species was in river red gum woodland, the most widespread woodland type. Throughout Australia, the proportion of ground-foraging species in bird assemblages tends to be greater in temperate, semi-arid or arid woodlands than in moist forests and rainforests. However, in many regions woodland habitats are severely depleted and their open ground layer is particularly vulnerable to degradation. The extent of suitable habitat for ground-foraging birds in temperate woodlands may be much less than is apparent from current measures of tree cover. Sustainable management of drier (non-riverine) temperate woodlands is required to conserve this important element of the Australian avifauna.
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Tucker, Anton, Ron Johnstone, Richard n. Loyn, Tracey Vinnicombe, Brad Newman, Heather Newman, Heather Veal, Blair Bentley, and Desmond Williams. "Invasive Eurasian Tree Sparrows Passer montanus on Troughton Island in the North Kimberley of Western Australia: A cyclone-induced colonisation attempt?" Australian Field Ornithology 34 (2017): 67–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo34067070.
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Four Eurasian Tree Sparrows Passer montanus were recorded on Troughton Island, north-western Western Australia, on 6–8 August 2016. Reports indicate that these were the remaining birds (or progeny) from a group of 17 birds that arrived after a storm in c. 2011; the population then dwindled despite apparently breeding over the next 5 years. This represents the first documented colonisation by this species of a near-shore location in Australia with little or no likelihood of ship assistance.
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A. Weston, M., F. J. L. Kraaijeveld-Smit, R. McIntosh, G. Sofronidis, and M. A. Elgar. "A male-biased sex-ratio in non-breeding Hooded Plovers on a salt-lake in Western Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 9, no. 4 (2003): 273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc040273.
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The Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis is a threatened, sexually monomorphic wading bird that occurs in two allopatric populations in eastern and western Australia. We used a PCR-based molecular sexing technique to sex captured birds from both populations. We found 69% of adults captured at a salt-lake in Western Australia were male. We tested for a sex-bias in our trapping technique by examining the sex-ratio of eastern birds captured under circumstances analogous to the western capture operation. No sex-bias in the trapping technique was apparent although the sample size was low. This suggests that the male-bias at the lake was real. Any spatial or habitat-related segregation of the sexes must be investigated before we can conclude that the bias is a trait of the western population. If the bias occurs in the population as a whole, then the effective size of the breeding population will be less than that indicated by counts. If the sexes segregate to different sites or habitats, then spatially constrained threatening processes may lead to a skewed sex-ratio.
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Walsh, Adrian, and Chris Chafer. "Taxonomic revision, occurrence, and identification of Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia in North Queensland, Australia." Australian Field Ornithology 39 (2022): 174–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo39174194.
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Between May and July 2021, five individual white egrets observed in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, appeared to have the physical characteristics of the nominate Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia in non-breeding plumage, based on the mensurate bill methodology established by Cake et al. (2016). We review the taxonomic status of the Intermediate Egret complex, including A. intermedia (breeding in Asia), A. plumifera (breeding in Australia) and A. brachyrhyncha (breeding in Africa), using the species ranking criteria of Tobias et al. (2010). We subsequently performed an expanded comparative image-based morphometric analysis of the bills of 110 A. intermedia and A. plumifera from Asian and Australasian locations, including scaled digital photographic comparisons, and several multivariate and univariate analyses, as a test of taxon identification. In addition, we used Donegan’s (2018) universal effect size to determine if the taxa could be separated using only cranial–bill morphometry. The study showed a statistically significant dissimilarity in bill morphometry between the geographic populations, with five of the 55 Australian individuals being similar to A. intermedia. These analyses support our initial suspicion that the five birds at Cairns were A. intermedia, becoming the first recorded occurrence of A. intermedia in North Queensland or the eastern coast of Australia.
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L. Oliver, Damon, Andrew J. Ley, Hugh A. Ford, and Beth Williams. "Habitat of the Regent Honeyeater Xanthomyza phrygia and the value of the Bundarra-Barraba region for the conservation of avifauna." Pacific Conservation Biology 5, no. 3 (1999): 224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc990224.
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Five types of woodland and forest in the Bundarra-Barraba region of northern New South Wales were surveyed for Regent Honeyeaters Xanthomyza phrygia and other birds over two years. Regent Honeyeaters were found in 24 of the 93 transects, at a density of 0.09 birds/ha. Most were found in box-ironbark woodland (34% of 62 sites), with single records from box-gum woodland, box-stringybark woodland and dry plateau complex woodland. No Regent Honeyeaters were found in riparian gallery forest during censuses, but they were found breeding there at other times. All habitats contained a high density of birds, compared to other wooded regions in southern Australia, with riparian gallery forest and box-ironbark woodland being particularly rich in species and numbers. These habitats had greater flowering indices, larger trees and more mistletoes than other habitats. Sites used by Regent Honeyeaters supported significantly more birds and bird species than unoccupied sites. The region supports a total of 193 species, four of which are nationally threatened and seven which are threatened in New South Wales. The richness of the bird community in the region is partly because it retains a higher proportion of native vegetation cover (43%) than many other parts of rural Australia. Protection and rehabilitation of box-ironbark woodland and riparian gallery forest is of high priority in a regional conservation plan. However, all habitats in the Bundarra-Barraba region should be protected from clearing and degradation, because they are also used at times by Regent Honeyeaters and support a wide range of bird species. Wise management should retain many sensitive bird species that have disappeared from or declined in other regions of southeastern Australia.
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Weston, Michael A., Glenn C. Ehmke, and Grainne S. Maguire. "Manage one beach or two? Movements and space-use of the threatened hooded plover (Thinornis rubricollis) in south-eastern Australia." Wildlife Research 36, no. 4 (2009): 289. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr08084.
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An understanding of space use and dispersal of a wildlife species is essential for effective management. We examined the movements of a beach-dwelling, threatened population of hooded plover (Thinornis rubricollis) in southern central Victoria, Australia, by analysing sightings of colour-banded birds (4897 sightings; 194 birds tracked for up to 9 years). Most movements were relatively short (5050 ± 305 m), with 61.4% <1 km and 95.3% <20 km; they lacked directional or sexual bias. The extent of coastline used by individual birds was 47.8 ± 58.0 km. Regional differences in average distances moved by adults were apparent. For adults, movement rates (mean distance per day) were higher during the non-breeding season than during the breeding season. Non-breeding adults generally remained close to their partners (non-breeding, 456.3 ± 163.9 m; breeding, 148.2 ± 45.3 m). Largest flock sizes were recorded during the non-breeding period, and flocking was not uniformly distributed along the coast but appeared to be concentrated in particular locations. The frequency of pair cohesion (i.e. when the distance between partners was zero on a given day) was similar during the breeding (69.6%) and non-breeding seasons (67.7%). Breeding territories (kernel analysis) were 36.7 ± 5.7 ha and overlapped from year to year in all cases (23 pairwise comparisons; 47.9 ± 7.1% overlap). The high fidelity and constancy of territories confirms they warrant ongoing management investment, although the species relies on a matrix of breeding and non-breeding sites. The latter appear to occur in specific parts of the coast and warrant enhanced protection and more research attention. Fragmentation of the breeding population might occur where habitat is rendered unsuitable for > ~50 km.
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Nevard, Timothy D., Martin Haase, George Archibald, Ian Leiper, and Stephen T. Garnett. "The sarolga: conservation implications of genetic and visual evidence for hybridization between the brolga Antigone rubicunda and the Australian sarus crane Antigone antigone gillae." Oryx 54, no. 1 (May 6, 2019): 40–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003060531800073x.
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AbstractTo investigate the extent of suspected hybridization between the brolga Antigone rubicunda and the Australian sarus crane Antigone antigone gillae, first noted in the 1970s, we analysed the genetic diversity of 389 feathers collected from breeding and flocking areas in north Queensland, Australia. We compared these with 15 samples from birds of known identity, or that were phenotypically typical. Bayesian clustering based on 10 microsatellite loci identified nine admixed birds, confirming that Australian cranes hybridize in the wild. Four of these were backcrosses, also confirming that wild Australian crane hybrids are fertile. Genetic analyses identified 10 times more hybrids than our accompanying visual field observations. Our analyses also provide the first definitive evidence that both brolgas and sarus cranes migrate between the Gulf Plains, the principal breeding area for sarus cranes, and major non-breeding locations on the Atherton Tablelands. We suggest that genetic analysis of shed feathers could potentially offer a cost-effective means to provide ongoing monitoring of this migration. The first observations of hybrids coincided with significantly increased opportunities for interaction between the two species when foraging on agricultural crops, which have developed significantly in the Atherton Tablelands flocking area since the 1960s. As the sarus crane is declining in much of its Asian range, challenges to the genetic integrity of the Australian sarus crane populations have international conservation significance.
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Aumann, T. "The Diet of the Brown Goshawk, Accipiter-Fasciatus, in Southeastern Australia." Wildlife Research 15, no. 6 (1988): 587. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9880587.
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The diet of the brown goshawk, Accipiter fasciatus, was studied during 1980-83 near Macclesfield, VIc. Birds made up 63% and mammals 26% of 1769 prey items. Rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, accounted for 95% of mammalian items. Mammals were estimated to contribute more to dietary biomass than birds (54 v.46%). Other animals recorded in the diet were reptiles (Elapidae and Scincidae), insects (mostly Coleoptera and Orthoptera) and crustaceans (Engaeus spp.). Diet composition varied significantly from year to year, from season to season and, during breeding, between territories in close proximity to one another. There were significant differences in the diets of males and females. Males took relatively more birds (52 v.24%), more insects (41 v.21%) and fewer mammals (2 v. 48%). Differences in food between age classes were also significant. Compared to second-year and older birds, first-year birds took relatively fewer mammals (28 v.43%), fewer birds (23 v.49%) and more insects (43 v.0%).
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Saunders, DA, and Rebeira CP de. "Turnover in Breeding Bird Populations on Rottnest I. Western Australia." Wildlife Research 12, no. 3 (1985): 467. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850467.
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The avifauna of Rottnest Island, W.A., has been surveyed four times between 1904 and 1983: by Lawson in 1904, Glauert (1928), Storr between 1953 and 1962, and ourselves between 1981 and 1983. There were three recorded extinctions and 10 immigrations in the 79-year period, but none of the extinctions and only three of the immigrations could be regarded as valid for calculating natural turnover rates. The remainder had been influenced by human activity; therefore the avifauna extinction rate for Rottnest Island was 0, the immigration rate was 0.04% per year for non-marine species of bird and the relative turnover rate for the 79 years was 0.12% per year. These results for Rottnest I. support the view of Abbott (1978, 1980) that for Australian islands, immigrations and extinctions are infrequent and turnover of breeding species is also infrequent. There have been 109 sightings of vagrants recorded for the island between 1905 and 1983; only one of these had individuals present in sufficient numbers during the breeding season to establish a breeding population. The data show that for one Australian island natural extinctions of both passerines and non-passerines are rare. Water does act as a barrier and although birds do cross water and often appear as vagrants, they very rarely do so in sufficient numbers or at the right time to establish breeding populations.
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Saunders, Denis A., Nicole E. White, Rick Dawson, and Peter R. M. Mawson. "Breeding site fidelity, and breeding pair infidelity in the endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris." Nature Conservation 27 (July 3, 2018): 59–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.27.27243.
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The ecology and behaviour of the endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchuslatirostris have been studied in detail at Coomallo Creek in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia from 1969 until the present. Results of research on this breeding population conducted on individually marked birds from 1970 to 1990 were compared with results from analyses of DNA taken from nestlings in the study area from 2003, 2005, and each year from 2009 to 2013. Analyses of DNA confirmed earlier findings about the stability of adult breeding pairs, and that females used the same breeding hollow they used previously, provided the hollow was not occupied when they returned to breed. When moving to another hollow, they chose a hollow in the same vicinity of the previous hollow. Analyses in 22 cases where DNA was obtained from both nestlings of a breeding attempt revealed that in six (27.3%) cases, the second egg was fertilised by a male not paired with the female. These extra-pair copulations were not suspected during the earlier study based on observations of individually marked birds.
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Tarburton, Michael. "Recent increase in knowledge about numbers and flight behaviour in the White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus." Australian Field Ornithology 38 (2021): 124–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo38124130.
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I have reviewed data from Australian and Asian published sources and from my own observations in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland as well as from hundreds of observers who have sent their observations directly to me for the decade 2011–2020. These data show that the average flock size of the White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus in Australia was 33, being nine smaller than the average for the previous decade. In the decade 2011–2020, we have also learnt that many of these birds migrate through southern Thailand to Malaysia, then into Indonesia following the archipelago to Papua New Guinea and then across Torres Strait to Cape York. We have also learnt that at least some of those breeding in northern Japan fly from various parts of Japan westwards to China, then southwards, then back eastwards over the Pacific Ocean passing north of the Philippines until north of New Guinea. Then they fly southwards over New Guinea to reach Cape York. When departing, these birds fly westwards over Australia, then northwards, leaving Australia from Western Australia or the Northern Territory. While in Australia, they are almost constantly on the move and, because they fly for 1–2 hours after dark as well as before sunrise, they can collide with and be killed by the blades of wind turbines. The ongoing loss of nesting hollows in the Needletail’s breeding grounds is still likely to be a major cause of the species’ decline, but wind turbines in Australia may present a new and emerging risk and further research is required to determine whether or not the numbers killed are significant. Experiments in Japan have shown for the first time that this species will nest in man-made nest boxes.
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Box, J., A. Lill, and J. Baldwin. "Seasonal variation in body mass and blood oxygen carrying capacity of the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)." Australian Journal of Zoology 50, no. 3 (2002): 313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo02033.
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The responses of small birds to many seasonal energy challenges include enhancement of aspects of aerobic metabolism, sometimes involving an increase in the rate of oxygen delivery to the metabolising tissues. One such mechanism that enhances oxygen delivery seasonally is an increase in blood oxygen carrying capacity. This response is enhanced in birds because of their rapid erythrocyte turnover rate. Some small birds have also evolved winter fattening, which helps them to meet the energy challenge presented by winter conditions. Such adaptations, while well documented for North Temperate birds, have received little attention in birds inhabiting temperate Australia. Over a two-year period, we examined seasonal changes in mass, an approximate indicator of fattening, and the parameters determining blood oxygen carrying capacity in a population of superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) in outer Melbourne, Australia. Body mass did not vary significantly seasonally, but haematocrit and whole blood haemoglobin were significantly higher in the breeding season than at other times of year and the erythrocyte count was significantly higher in spring than in autumn. We conclude that the failure of the fairy-wrens to increase mass in winter (i.e. show marked winter fattening) was probably due to the comparative mildness of the climate and to the known fitness costs of fat storage. The significant 18% increase in blood oxygen carrying capacity in spring probably helped the birds to meet the additional energy requirements of breeding, particularly the likely increase in flight activity. However, given the magnitude of the increase, other mechanisms must have been involved in meeting breeding costs. The seasonal peak in blood oxygen carrying capacity did not coincide with the time when moulting was most pronounced.
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Fromant, Aymeric, Yonina Eizenberg, Rosalind Jessop, Arnaud Lec’hvien, Johanna Geeson, and John Arnould. "Colony relocation of Greater Crested Terns Thalasseus bergii in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia." Australian Field Ornithology 37 (2020): 166–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo37166171.
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A newly established Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii colony was observed on Kanowna Island, northern Bass Strait, in December 2019 and was monitored through January 2020. A maximum of 532 ± 28 nests was counted,representing ~15–20% of the known northern Bass Strait breeding population. Resightings of 69 leg-banded individuals (from 3 to 24 years of age) demonstrated that founding individuals originated from colonies in Victoria [The Nobbies on Phillip Island (54%), Corner Inlet Barrier Islands (39%), Mud Islands in Port Phillip Bay (6%)] and one individual from South Australia. Breeding began 2 months later than usual for northern Bass Strait, perhaps because the birds only moved to Kanowna Island after failed nesting attempts elsewhere (Corner Inlet and Phillip Island). Individuals were observed to mainly feed their chicks with Barracouta Thyrsites atun and Jack Mackerel Trachurus declivis, contrasting with the usual predominance of Australian Anchovy Engraulis australis in the diet of this species in the Bass Strait region. This relocation may result from local changes in prey availability and/or a combination of potential human disturbance, predation and storm events. The recent 50% decrease in the number of breeding Greater Crested Terns in Victoria suggests substantial changes in the regional environmental conditions, highlighting the importance of understanding the impact of environmental variations on seabird species.
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Smith, GT, and ICR Rowley. "Survival of adult and nestling western lon-billed corellas, Cacatua pastinator, and Major Mitchell cockatoos, C. leadbeateri, in the wheatbelt of western Australia." Wildlife Research 22, no. 2 (1995): 155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9950155.
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The western long-billed corella, Cacatua pastinator, and the Major Mitchell cockatoo, C. leadbeateri, were studied in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia from 1977 to 1983. Nestling and breeding adult birds were individually marked with patagial tags and their survival was calculated from resighting of tagged birds. Mean annual survival of adult male and female western long-billed corellas and Major Mitchell cockatoos were 94.2%, 93.2%, 92.9% and 81.3%, respectively. Survival of immature birds was less than that of adults and only 9% of male and 23% of female western long-billed corellas survived to age of first breeding at three and five years, respectively; 20% of male and 31% of female Major Mitchell cockatoos survived to age of first breeding at two and three years, respectively. The use of patagial tags had no significant effect on the survival of adult birds; the situation with immature birds is less certain, but the data suggest that any effect was small. Dispersal had only a slight negative effect on 'survival' of immature Major Mitchell cockatoos. The lower survival of immature birds was attributed to increased predation while in the locally nomadic immature flocks. Data on survival and productivity suggest that the populations should be stable or slowly increasing and this is in agreement with the data on the populations.
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Lavery, H. J. "Breeding Seasons of Birds in North-Eastern Australia. First Supplement, 1967–74." Emu - Austral Ornithology 86, no. 2 (June 1986): 111–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mu9860111.
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Emison, W. B., C. M. White, V. G. Hurley, and D. J. Brimm. "Factors Influencing the Breeding Distribution of the Peregrine Falcon in Victoria, Australia." Wildlife Research 24, no. 4 (1997): 433. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr96066.
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Since 1950, 199 nesting sites of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) have been found in Victoria. Over half (51%) are on natural cliffs, 37% in trees and 12% on human-made structures and stone quarry faces. Most eyries on natural cliffs occur in the uplands (>200 m elevation) or along the coast. Tree eyries are located in hollows and in stick nests of other birds; most of these are within the distributions of red gums and belahs. Human-made structures (other than quarries) supporting nests include dam walls, silos, electricity pylons and buildings. Factors believed to influence the breeding distribution of peregrine falcons in Victoria are discussed; these include volcanic activity, landform and elevation, water, vegetation, climate, other birds and humans. The influence of human activities on the distribution of nesting peregrine falcons appears to have been positive. However, the future of the population of peregrine falcons nesting in tree hollows is of concern: it is likely that large trees with nest hollows will be destroyed or will fall from decay long before sufficient numbers of replacement trees are available.
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White, T. C. R. "Outbreaks of house mice in Australia: limitation by a key resource." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, no. 5 (2002): 505. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar01132.
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Plagues of mice are generated in cereal-growing areas when mice can sustain breeding at high levels for much longer than usual. They may do this when, after good early rains, they have access to abundant ripening seeds, followed by large quantities of prematurely germinating seeds in seedheads soaked by further rain just prior to harvest. Both ripening and germinating seeds, unlike mature seeds, contain high levels of soluble amino acids that are necessary for successful breeding. Results from work on birds and other animals support this hypothesis.
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LAVERS, JENNIFER L., SIMEON LISOVSKI, and ALEXANDER L. BOND. "Preliminary survival and movement data for a declining population of Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes in Western Australia provides insights into marine threats." Bird Conservation International 29, no. 2 (August 31, 2018): 327–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270918000084.
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SummarySeabirds face diverse threats on their breeding islands and while at sea. Human activities have been linked to the decline of seabird populations, yet over-wintering areas typically receive little or no protection. Adult survival rates, a crucial parameter for population persistence in long-lived species, tend to be spatially or temporally restricted for many seabird species, limiting our understanding of factors driving population trends at some sites. We used bio-loggers to study the migration of Western Australian Flesh-footed Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes carneipes and estimated adult survival over five years. Western Australia is home to around 35% of the world’s breeding Flesh-footed Shearwaters, a population which was up-listed to Vulnerable in 2015. During the austral winter, shearwaters migrated across the central Indian Ocean to their non-breeding grounds off western Sri Lanka. Low site fidelity on breeding islands, mortality of adult birds at sea (e.g. fisheries bycatch), and low annual breeding frequency likely contributed to the low estimated annual adult survival (2011–2015: ϕ = 0.634-0.835).
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Labbé, Aurélie M. T., James N. Dunlop, and Neil R. Loneragan. "Central place foraging and feather regrowth rate in bridled terns (Onychoprion anaethetus): an insight from stable isotopes." Marine and Freshwater Research 64, no. 12 (2013): 1184. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12334.
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In this study, the stable isotope ratios of δ13C and δ15N of bridled terns’ (Onychoprion anaethetus) tail feathers were used to investigate changes in the food sources assimilated by the birds on Penguin Island, Western Australia, during different phases of the breeding season. Samples were taken immediately after they arrived on the island returning from migration (BM), before egg-laying (BEL), after egg-laying (AEL), after hatching (AH) and from fledglings (F). A one-way MANOVA (excluding the BM phase) and two one-way ANOVAs (including all phases), showed that the δ13C and δ15N values differed significantly between the stages of the breeding season, with the greatest differences between the BM and BEL stages. The mean δ13C values were higher and those for δ15N were lower for BM birds than all other stages, indicating that the food source assimilated by the birds, and their foraging locations, changed during the breeding season. These results support the hypothesis of the Central Place Foraging Theory, i.e. that adult breeding birds adjust their foraging strategies when they are bound to a central place to care for their young. Induced feathers were regenerated over ~70 days and their regrowth rates were similar before and after egg-laying.
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Bond, Alexander L., and Jennifer L. Lavers. "Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) in the northeastern Pacific Ocean: summary and synthesis of records from Canada and Alaska." Canadian Field-Naturalist 129, no. 3 (October 22, 2015): 263. http://dx.doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v129i3.1725.
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Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) breed in Australia and New Zealand, but spend the non-breeding season in the north Pacific Ocean. They are rare compared with most non-breeding pelagic seabirds that occur in the northeastern Pacific. Recent surveys at breeding colonies have indicated a significant population decline since the 1970s. We compiled records of Flesh-footed Shearwaters off the Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska from 1937 to 2013. Flesh-footed Shearwaters were recorded from May to October, with most sightings in August and September. Flocks of more than 20 birds have not been recorded since the 1940s, and most sightings have been of single birds, although some key areas (e.g., Goose Island Bank) have not been surveyed in recent years and previous surveys are confounded by fishing activity. Given the significant population declines at breeding colonies, the conservation status of Flesh-footed Shearwaters should be revisited.
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Oliver, Damon L. "Activity budget of the regent honeyeater, Xanthomyza phrygia, in northern New South Wales." Australian Journal of Zoology 49, no. 6 (2001): 695. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo00034.
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One of the suggested reasons for the decline of the endangered regent honeyeater, Xanthomyza phrygia, is a decrease in foraging efficiency and increase in competition for resources due to the loss, fragmentation and degradation of woodlands and other habitats in south-eastern Australia. This study investigated the general behaviour of regent honeyeaters over 26 months during breeding and non-breeding seasons at three distinct locations in northern New South Wales. At the three locations, regent honeyeaters spent, on average, 43–52% of total time foraging, 22–40% resting, 6–10% flying, and 1.8–2.9% involved in aggression. In the Bundarra–Barraba region, regent honeyeaters spent 24% of total time breeding. In 1994 in the Warrumbungle National Park, birds that fed primarily on nectar spent more time in aggressive acts than birds that fed mostly on lerp. In 1995 in the Bundarra–Barraba region, nectar-feeding birds spent significantly less time foraging and more time in aggressive acts than lerp-feeding birds. In 1994, regent honeyeaters at Howes Valley spent less time foraging and in aggression and greater time resting in the afternoon than at other times of the day. In 1996 in the Bundarra–Barraba region, birds spent the greatest amount of time in aggressive acts and the least amount of time resting in the morning compared with other times of the day. Non-breeding regent honeyeaters in the Bundarra–Barraba region spent more time foraging, less time resting and less time in aggression in 1995 than in 1996. Non-breeding birds, on average, chased other birds 12.5 times per hour compared with an average of 20 times for breeding birds. Regent honeyeaters displayed a behavioural repertoire and proportion of time in different activities that is typical of other honeyeaters. Overall, this study showed that regent honeyeaters are not consistently or frequently suffering from a lack of, or problems with access to, food.
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Johnstone, R. E., T. Kirby, and K. Sarti. "The breeding biology of the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso Gould in south-western Australia. II. Breeding behaviour and diet." Pacific Conservation Biology 19, no. 2 (2013): 143. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc130143.
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Little is known of the breeding behaviour of the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso (FRTBC), a large, iconic forest cockatoo, endemic to the south-west corner of Western Australia, currently listed as Vulnerable under the State Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act and under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. In this paper, we provide details of breeding behaviour of FRTBC based on observations throughout the year over 17 years, together with observations of diet and feeding behaviour over the same period. FRTBC are monogamous hollow-nesters. Breeding was recorded in all months, with peaks in autumn-winter (April– June) and spring (August–October), with few records in January and February. Breeding also varied between years, with little breeding in 1999, 2001 and 2008, but many observations in 2006 and 2009. Breeding occurred at times of fruiting of either of the principal feed trees, Jarrah Eucalyptus marginata or Marri Corymbia calophylla, so it does not depend solely on one or the other of these species. Courtship displays were noted at all times of the day, from before dawn at roost sites to dusk. In total, 205 breeding events were recorded, of which 69 (93%) of 72 nests had breeding confirmed on a second visit. Use of particular nest hollows varied considerably, with some used only once and some up to seven times. Only one egg is laid, which the female incubates for 29 to 31 days, before a nestling hatches weighing between 27 and 32 g. The female remains in the hollow during incubation and only leaves for a short period in the evening to be fed by the male, usually at dusk. The chicks are brooded for up to 10 days, after which the female leaves the nest between dawn and dusk. Pairs of birds appear to recognise each other by calls, not responding to calls by others in the area. Chicks only respond when the parent is heard. Chicks are fully feathered at 48 days. Fledgling success was estimated at 60%. Juveniles remain dependent on the adults 18 months to 2 years. Thirty-seven chicks were banded between 1997 and 2011. Juvenile-immature birds moved on average less than 3 km from their natal tree and older birds were observed moving up to 19 km. This suggests that FRTBC are generally sedentary. Immature birds took up to three times as long as their parents to open Jarrah or Marri nuts and eat the seeds. In recent years there has been an interesting change in foraging behaviour of birds in the northern Darling Range (adjacent to the Perth metropolitan area) with the FRTBC discovering and using a new food source, the introduced Cape Lilac Melia azedarach, and this species is of growing importance as food in the Perth region. In combination, the data on breeding biology and diet highlight the importance of identifying recruitment rates and food availability in managing populations of FRTBC.
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Russell, E., and I. Rowley. "The effects of fire on a population of Red-winged Fairy-wrens Malurus elegans in Karri forest in southwestern Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 4, no. 3 (1998): 197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc980197.
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In April 1994, an intense fire burnt part of Smith's Brook Nature Reserve near Manjimup, Western Australia where we had studied an individually marked population of the Red-winged Fairy-wren Malurus elegans in Karri Eucalyptus diversicolor forest since 1980. We estimated the population size in a 25 ha area at the start of the breeding season each year 1980?95, including two years post-fire. In the 32 territories present in 1993, the entire area of 26 was almost completely burnt to a height of 10 m, with few remaining unburnt patches. The mean population size for the 13 years 1981?93 was 119 birds in a mean of 29 groups. In November 1993, 126 birds were present in 32 groups. In November 1994, following the April fire, there were 114 birds in 31 groups, but nesting substrate was very scarce, breeding was delayed, and only 0.18 yearling males per group were produced, compared with 0.52 for the years 1981?93. By November 1995, the population had fallen to 73 birds in 23 groups with nine territories vacant. The time necessary for the population to recover to its prefire level was estimated from long-term demographic data to be at least 10 years, longer than the present cycle of 7?9 years for prescribed burns in the southern (Karri) State Forests of Western Australia.
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Glencross, JS, JL Lavers, and EJ Woehler. "Breeding success of short-tailed shearwaters following extreme environmental conditions." Marine Ecology Progress Series 672 (August 19, 2021): 193–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13791.
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Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency, causing disruption to global ecosystems. Large-scale events, such as marine heatwaves, can impact the abundance of prey species, which consequently influences the behaviour of top-level predators such as seabirds. The short-tailed shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris is a trans-hemispheric migrant with typically a highly synchronous breeding phenology. Here, we document short-tailed shearwater colony occupancy for the period 2011-2020, with a focussed assessment of their breeding success in the 2019/20 season, which followed a marine heatwave that occurred predominantly in the non-breeding areas in the North Pacific Ocean. The return of the birds to their breeding colonies in southeast Australia was delayed by approximately 2 wk in October 2019, and the subsequent breeding season ended with only 34% breeding success, with nest abandonment beginning in the incubation phase. A North Pacific marine heatwave in 2019, associated with a mass mortality event of over 9000 birds (‘wreck’ of beach-washed birds), led to reduced adult body condition and carry-over effects causing egg and chick failures during the subsequent breeding season. Localised weather events (i.e. flooding of burrows due to heavy rainfall) also influenced breeding outcomes of the 2019/20 season. The relationship between wreck events and seabird breeding ecology is an understudied area, partly due to the difficulties around quantifying the scale of wrecks. Our study is one of few that documents poor seabird breeding success following the extreme marine conditions which have persisted in the North Pacific Ocean since 2013.
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RECHER, H. F., R. T. HOLMES, M. SCHULZ, J. SHIELDS, and R. KAVANAGH. "Foraging patterns of breeding birds in eucalypt forest and woodland of southeastern Australia." Austral Ecology 10, no. 4 (December 1985): 399–419. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1985.tb00902.x.
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Johnston, Gregory R., Maxwell H. Waterman, and Clare E. Manning. "Movement and mortality of Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) banded at inland and coastal breeding sites in South Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 21, no. 4 (2015): 271. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc14925.
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Globally, pelican populations have decreased, with three species being of conservation concern. Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) are not regarded as endangered, but have declined across south-eastern Australia. Information on their movements and causes of mortality are required to interpret the importance of these regional declines to the species’ global population. We explored patterns of movement and causes of mortality by analysing recoveries from 14 615 Australian pelicans banded over 37 years between 1969 and 2006. Data from 243 leg band recoveries showed that Australian pelicans move distances of up to 3206 km, and travel across the species’ entire geographic range, within a year of fledging. We found little evidence for the popular notion that these birds move en masse from the coast to inland areas in response to flooding rains. Maximum recorded age of a banded Australian pelican was 15 years. The banding data suggest that the regional pelican declines could reflect long-distance movements rather than an overall population response. However, a concentration of band returns from south-eastern Australia where the declines have been recorded, and the high incidence of human-induced deaths (16.4%) suggest otherwise. Accurate assessment of population trends in long-lived, long-distance nomads such as Australian pelicans requires assessment at a continental scale. Our results emphasise the importance of knowledge about fundamental aspects of a species’ biology for accurate interpretation of regional population declines.
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Brandis, K. J., J. Spencer, B. Wolfenden, and D. Palmer. "Avian-botulism risk in waterbird breeding colonies and implications for environmental water management." Marine and Freshwater Research 71, no. 2 (2020): 179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18446.
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Avian botulism poses a significant risk to waterbird health in Australian wetlands. This paralytic, often fatal, disease occurs when birds ingest a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Our current understanding of avian botulism comes largely from studies in the northern hemisphere, with many of these studies linking outbreaks of avian botulism with poor water quality. The Murray–Darling Basin provides the most important breeding habitat for colonial waterbirds in Australia, but the frequency of large-scale breeding events has declined, and waterbird populations are near record-low numbers. Avian botulism has the capacity to have significant impacts on waterbird recruitment if not managed appropriately. We propose that environmental water-management strategies that aim to maintain water quality through flow delivery to waterbird colonies could mitigate the risk of botulism outbreaks and contribute to waterbird population recovery.
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Ottaway, JR, R. Carrick, and MD Murray. "Reproductive Ecology of Silver Gulls, Larus-Novaehollandiae Stephens, in South-Australia." Wildlife Research 15, no. 5 (1988): 541. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9880541.
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Aspects of the reproductive ecology of silver gulls, Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, were studied in South Australia during 1968-78. Some 15 950 pulli and 597 breeding adults were banded on 15 colonies, using numbered and coloured leg bands designed for identification of free-living individuals without the necessity of recapture. Nine colonies were on marine islands, four were on lacustrine islands, one was on a port breakwater, and one was on causeways in a saltworks complex. Fidelity to colony, mate and nest-site, and timing of breeding are considered in detail. The spatial relationship of adult and immature gulls, on the colony studied in greatest detail, and reproductive longevity of the gulls are also discussed. The gulls nested from June to December inclusive, although the commencement and length of breeding seasons varied between colonies and between years. There was a marked absence of 1-year-old gulls on breeding colonies. Of 3530 pulli banded on the major study colony, Penguin Island (37�30''S., 140�01''E.) at Beachport, in 1968, 950 were known to be alive in the 1970 breeding season. Almost 40% of these 2-year-olds were seen on breeding colonies, and mostly on the natal colony; however, only 0.3% were known to raise pulli, and a further 0.7% to produce eggs. Significant breeding activity therefore did not commence until the end of the third year, or later. The older, previously established breeders on Penguin Island were significantly more successful, and had significantly earlier laying dates, than younger birds. Potential reproductive longevity appears to be at least 11 breeding seasons. In this study, silver gulls showed considerably less fidelity to nest-sites and colonies than has been suggested previously. Significant shifts of nest-site, or change of colony, with or without the previous mate, were not uncommon. Of gulls banded on nests as established breeding aduls, 7-44% of gulls found breeding in subsequent years were at colonies other than the one where banded. In 1970, over 80% of 2-year-old gulls recorded present on any colony were only recorded on the natal one. Of the pulli banded on Penguin Island in 1968 and 1969 and later found actually nesting or breeding, 18% were recorded on other colonies. A small percentage of gulls were seen to have high fidelity to nest-site and to mate over 3 or 4 seasons, but it is suggested that, for some colonies, over 50% of silver gulls which eventually breed may do so at colonies other than natal. Significant spatial separation was found on Penguin Island between areas generally occupied by established breeders, which were known to be at least 4-year-olds, and by the 2-year-olds. The older birds may select and hold the territories most suitable for nesting, where vegetation or topography minimise intraspecific aggression which often leads to high mortality rates of eggs and pulli, and assist protection of eggs and pulli from extreme weather. Non-breeding gulls associating with the colonies occasionally move into the nesting areas, but are aggressively forced away and tend to congregate on the periphery of the colony or on exposed areas not suitable for successful breeding.
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Read, John, and Zoë Bowen. "Population dynamics, diet and aspects of the biology of feral cats and foxes in arid South Australia." Wildlife Research 28, no. 2 (2001): 195. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr99065.
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Average cat and fox densities at Roxby Downs, in northern South Australia, of 0.8 and 0.6 km–2 respectively, determined through spotlight counts over a 10-year period, probably considerably underestimate true densities. Peak rabbit populations coincided with high fox numbers, which probably suppressed cat densities. Cat abundance peaked when fox numbers were low but rabbit numbers were relatively high. When abundant, rabbits were the principal prey of both cats and foxes. Declines in rabbits numbers coincided with dramatic declines in fox numbers. By contrast, declines in cat populations were less marked, presumably because they could more effectively switch to hunting a wide range of native vertebrates. Sand-dwelling lizards, house mice and common small passerines were the most abundant non-rabbit, vertebrate prey taken by cats. We estimate that annual cat predation accounted for approximately 700 reptiles, 150 birds and 50 native mammals per square kilometre, whereas foxes consumed on average 290 reptiles per square kilometre and few native mammals and birds in the Roxby Downs region each year. Male cats and foxes were heavier than females. Feral cats typically weighed less than 4.0 kg, and cats weighing less than 2.5 kg typically preyed on more native vertebrates than did larger cats. Male and female cats were both typically tabby coloured, but a higher proportion of males were ginger in colour. Peak cat breeding coincided with rabbit and bird breeding and increased reptile activity during spring.
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Russell, Eleanor, and Ian Rowley. "Demography and social organisation of the red-winged fairy-wren, Malurus elegans." Australian Journal of Zoology 48, no. 2 (2000): 161. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo99066.
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The red-winged fairy-wren, Malurus elegans, is endemic to the high-rainfall region of south-western Australia. We studied it in Eucalyptus diversicolor (karri) forest near Manjimup, Western Australia from 1980 to 1995. After a detailed study of breeding biology during 1980–86, we monitored dispersal and survival in known groups during 1987–95. M. elegans bred cooperatively, with 83% of groups (mean size 4.1) including one or more non-breeding males or females that helped to rear young and defend the territory. Survival of breeding adults (78%) and helper males (76%) was high. Territories and groups persisted from year to year, even though one or other of the breeding pair was replaced. Most known dispersals were to a group only 1–2 territories distant. Dispersal was female-biased, mostly in their third or fourth year. A behaviour not recorded in other Malurus spp. was that some birds, chiefly females, joined groups as helpers. The feeding rate of nestlings was not related to group size, but in larger groups the share of work done by the breeding female decreased. Helpers did not enhance the survival of breeding females, and had little overall effect on the production of fledglings. Females produced a mean of 2.4 fledglings, 1.8 independent young and 1.1 yearlings per year; survival of fledglings to the start of the following breeding season was44.2% (31–61%). We argue that the high levels of adult and juvenile survival influence many aspects of the social system in M. elegans, such as large groups, the presence of female helpers, occurrence of immigrant helpers and delayed dispersal. We suggest that an important benefit of delayed dispersal and group living is in promoting the survival of young birds, and increasing their chance of acquiring a territory.
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Dunlop, JN. "Social-Behavior and Colony Formation in a Population of Crested Terns, Sterna-Bergii, in Southwestern Australia." Wildlife Research 14, no. 4 (1987): 529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9870529.
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In a breeding population of crested terns near Fremantle, W.A., social behaviour involved complex patterns of social displays and paired behaviour. The social phase was probably truncated over much of the extended breeding season by the presence of incubating conspecifics, and may serve to synchronise laying in their absence. The responses of pre-laying crested terns to incubating conspecifics were studied by means of artificial 'colonies' of polyurethane models. These proved to be most attractive to prebreeding pairs searching for nest sites, and the earliest eggs were invariably laid among the decoys. Pre-breeding terns in the social phase were not attracted to the decoys. It is suggested that loose groups of incubating conspecifics acted as a key stimulus, releasing settlement and laying in birds in an advanced state of reproductive readiness. This key stimulus could change the learned location of colonies but during late summer and early autumn other factors, probably related to food availability, controlled the onset of laying. Small, spatially distinct, nesting groups were less synchronous in their laying than larger colonies. Such small groups are thought to result from discontinuities in reproductive phase between groups of terns, which are not apparent when the number of pre-laying birds is large.
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Ambrose, Stephen J., and Darren P. Murphy. "Synchronous Breeding of Land Birds On Barrow Island, Western Australia, After Cyclonic Summer Rains." Emu - Austral Ornithology 94, no. 1 (March 1994): 55–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mu9940055.
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Ottaway, JR, R. Carrick, and MD Murray. "Dispersal of Silver Gulls, Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, from Breeding Colonies in South Australia." Wildlife Research 12, no. 2 (1985): 279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850279.
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Dispersal of Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, from 10 colonies in South Australia, was studied during 1968-8 1 by means of bands designed for identification of free-living, uncaptured individuals. Dispersal patterns were characteristic of each colony, even for three colonies which were, at most, 10 km apart. Almost all dispersal records came from the area between Adelaide and Melbourne, and within 30 km of the coast. After breeding, the majority of gulls disperse eastwards; however, dispersal from each colony was correlated with a shift of gull population into areas where food was available from human sources such as rubbish dumps. From colonies 80 km south-east of Adelaide, a major human population, the predominant winter dispersal of these gulls was north-west, into the city and suburbs. The maximum direct-line dispersal distances recorded for 95% of the 3133 resighted gulls were <458 km. The greatest direct-line distance recorded was 1430 km. Overall, there was no significant difference in the mean dispersal distances of juveniles and adults, although at distances >480 km significantly more juveniles (<2y) were seen than adults (>2y). This involved only 2.5% of the total number of birds resighted. It is suggested that older, dominant birds maintain high status at preferred feeding places, and juveniles are possibly more erratic in their movements, as they search for food. This would account for the difference in the dispersal ofjuveniles and adults from a particular colony, and also for the significantly higher proportion of juveniles found at extreme distances from their natal colonies.
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Antos, Mark, and William Steele. "A likely breeding record of Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophorus at St Peter Island, Nuyts Archipelago, South Australia." Australian Field Ornithology 38 (2021): 107–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo38107112.
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This note reports observations of birds and other vertebrates during a short stay at St Peter Island, Nuyts Archipelago, South Australia, during November 2019. Of most interest was a sighting of juvenile Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophorus, outside the generally reported range of this species and representing the first breeding record of which we are aware for this species at St Peter Island. This is one of a series of relatively recent sightings in the west of South Australia, which indicates an ongoing range expansion for this species. Further fauna surveys on the Nuyts Archipelago, with documentation of observations, are encouraged.
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Yeap, Lian, Jill M. Shephard, Anna Le Souef, Carly Holyoake, Christine Groom, Rick Dawson, Tony Kirkby, and Kristin Warren. "Satellite tracking of rehabilitated wild Baudin’s cockatoos, Calyptorhynchus baudinii: a feasibility trial to track forest black cockatoos." Pacific Conservation Biology 21, no. 2 (2015): 163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc14917.
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Baudin’s cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus baudinii, is a threatened forest black cockatoo species, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. In this study we fitted tail-mounted satellite transmitters to two female Baudin’s cockatoos that had undergone treatment and rehabilitation at Perth Zoo and Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre to investigate the feasibility of satellite tracking this species. Both birds were released in Kelmscott, Perth, into an area frequently visited by a flock of wild Baudin’s cockatoos. Both telemetry units provided reliable datasets, with one bird moving ~250 km south from the release site. The success of this trial opens the way to address key objectives in the Forest Black Cockatoo Recovery Plan, including: postrelease survival of rehabilitated birds, flock movement, habitat use, and the identification of critical feeding and breeding habitat. Most importantly, it demonstrates that satellite transmitters can be successfully used to locate and track forest black cockatoo species, which are otherwise difficult to monitor.
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van Rooij, Erica P., Lee A. Rollins, Clare E. Holleley, and Simon C. Griffith. "Extra-pair paternity in the long-tailed finchPoephila acuticauda." PeerJ 4 (January 5, 2016): e1550. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1550.
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Although the majority of passerine birds are socially monogamous, true genetic monogamy is rare, with extra-pair paternity (EPP) occurring in almost 90% of surveyed socially monogamous species. We present the first molecular data on the genetic breeding system of the long-tailed finch,Poephila acuticauda, a grass finch endemic to the tropical northern savannah of Australia. Although the species forms socially monogamous pair bonds during the breeding season, we found that extra-pair males sired 12.8% of 391 offspring, in 25.7% of 101 broods. Our findings provide only the second estimate of extra-pair paternity in the estrildid finch family.
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Legge, Sarah, Sarah Legge, Robert Heinsohn, and Robert Heinsohn. "Kingfishers in paradise: the breeding biology of Tanysiptera sylvia at the Iron Range National Park, Cape York." Australian Journal of Zoology 49, no. 1 (2001): 85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo00090.
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We describe the breeding biology and site fidelity of the buff-breasted paradise kingfisher (Tanysiptera sylvia), which migrates each year from New Guinea to breed in north-east Australia. In a three-year study at the Iron Range National Park in Cape York, Australia, we collected data from 91 breeding attempts (49 territories), and banded 77 adults and 101 nestlings (47 broods) to determine site fidelity. Paradise kingfishers arrived at Iron Range when the first major rains fell after the dry season. They nested exclusively in terrestrial termitaria, avoiding mounds that were too small, too close to a neighbouring territory, or mounds where the termites were absent. They were single-brooded, but laid a second clutch if their first attempt failed early. Clutch size was usually three, incubation lasted 25 days, nestlings hatched asynchronously and fledged after 27 days. Of 114 nestlings, 48.2% were male. Each breeding territory produced an average of 1.5 fledglings per year. The main factors influencing nesting success were predation, which ended 33% of all attempts, and brood reduction, which affected 24% of nests. Hatch failure was rare (3.2%). Birds were sexually mature at one year. Nearly half of the breeding adults banded in the first year of the study were still alive two years later, making them at least four years old. The return rates of banded adults varied among years (56–84%), but were similar for the two sexes. Returning birds almost always settled on the same territory with the same partner as the previous year, thus they formed long-term pair-bonds. In all, 7% of breeding pairs were assisted at the nest by an additional male, who was probably not their offspring.
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Ropert-Coudert, Yan, Akiko Kato, and André Chiaradia. "Impact of small-scale environmental perturbations on local marine food resources: a case study of a predator, the little penguin." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276, no. 1676 (September 3, 2009): 4105–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.1399.
Full textAbstract:
Although the impact of environmental changes on the demographic parameters of top predators is well established, the mechanisms by which populations are affected remain poorly understood. Here, we show that a reduction in the thermal stratification of coastal water masses between 2005 and 2006 was associated with reduced foraging and breeding success of little penguins Eudyptula minor , major bio-indicators of the Bass Strait ecosystem in southern Australia. The foraging patterns of the penguins suggest that their prey disperse widely in poorly stratified waters, leading to reduced foraging efficiency and poor breeding success. Mixed water regimes resulting from storms are currently unusual during the breeding period of these birds, but are expected to become more frequent due to climate change.
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Russell, E. M., the late R. J. Brown, and M. N. Brown. "Life history of the white-breasted robin, Eopsaltria georgiana (Petroicidae), in south-western Australia." Australian Journal of Zoology 52, no. 2 (2004): 111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo03049.
Full textAbstract:
The white-breasted robin, Eopsaltria georgiana, is endemic to south-western Australia. We studied breeding, dispersal and survival in known groups from 1978 until 1987, with some groups followed until 1992, in Eucalyptus diversicolor (karri) forest near Manjimup, Western Australia. E. georgiana bred cooperatively, with 66% of groups including one or more birds in addition to the breeding pair (mean group size 3.1); these helpers were predominantly males and assisted the senior male in feeding the female on the nest and the young and defending the territory. The survival of adults was high (males 86%; females 79%). Breeding territories and groups persisted from year to year, although in the non-breeding season, males ranged more widely. Dispersal was female-biased; most females and some males dispersed in their first year. Divorce was rare; breeding males that disappeared were replaced by a helper from within the group if one was present, and females were replaced from outside the group. Eggs were laid between July and December. Clutch size was almost always 2, incubation lasted 16–17 days and nestlings fledged 13–14 days later. Juveniles were dependent on adult provisioning for 6–8 weeks. We found no parasitism by cuckoos. Of 429 nests found, 74% fledged at least one young, and overall nesting success calculated by the Mayfield method was 63%. The median time between initiation of two successive clutches was 54 days, and 52% of females renested after fledging one brood; at least two broods per year were fledged by 44% of females. Groups produced a mean of 2.8 fledglings, 1.3 independent young and 0.7 yearlings per year. The most productive groups were those with two or more helpers on high-quality territories, but we could not separate the effects of helpers and territory quality. E. georgiana has the 'slow' life history typical of many Australian passerines – cooperative breeding, sedentary, resident all year round in an equable habitat that promotes high survival of breeding adults. Their low reproductive rate produces a small crop of yearlings, some of which may stay in the parental home range.
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Stahl, Jean-Claude, and Paul M. Sagar. "Long and Short Trips in Nonbreeding Buller's Albatrosses: Relationships with Colony Attendance and Body Mass." Condor 108, no. 2 (May 1, 2006): 348–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/108.2.348.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Foraging strategies of nonbreeding seabirds attending colonies remain virtually unknown. Here we report the results of a satellite telemetry study of nonbreeding Buller's Albatrosses (Thalassarche bulleri) from the Snares island group south of New Zealand in 2000–2001. Two 6- to 7-year-old prebreeding birds dispersed to Tasmania, Australia, from late May until at least late July. Six older birds (five prebreeding birds, one former breeding adult) all adopted a dual strategy of short trips (mean duration 1.3 days, mean foraging range 129 km) and long trips to southern New Zealand (9.6 days, 871 km) or Tasmania (22.0 days, 1918 km). Time allocation to short trips increased with age and experience (both sexes) and nest-site attendance (males), and decreased during the guard (when the chick is attended) and late postguard (chick left unattended) stages (females). Up to the guard stage, most birds present at their colony on consecutive days foraged overnight (mean foraging range 101 km). Nonbreeding birds used the same foraging areas as breeding adults, but allocated more foraging time to short trips during the corresponding incubation period and early postguard stage, and to long trips during the guard stage. Results suggest that prebreeding birds explore foraging areas sequentially, and increase their time ashore by progressing from making only long trips, to introducing short overnight trips, to modifying the duration of and allocation between long and short trips. Changes in body mass recorded on Solander Island (160 km north of the Snares) show that experienced nonbreeding birds initiate long foraging trips to regain mass lost during short trips, and suggest that less frequent short trips (and hence fewer returns ashore) among inexperienced birds are related to less efficient foraging during long trips.
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McDonald, Paul G., Penny D. Olsen, and D. J. Baker-Gabb. "Territory fidelity, reproductive success and prey choice in the brown falcon, Falco berigora: a flexible bet-hedger?" Australian Journal of Zoology 51, no. 4 (2003): 399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo02059.
Full textAbstract:
The brown falcon, Falco berigora, is one of Australia's most common and widespread raptors, inhabiting a broad array of habitats and most climatic zones across Australia. We monitored a large, marked population (44–49 pairs) over three annual breeding seasons in southern Victoria. Reproductive parameters such as clutch size and the duration of parental care were constant across years. However, there were marked differences in brood size and the proportion of pairs breeding. Both sexes of falcons were found to have high territory and mate fidelity, with only 10% of members of each sex changing territories during the study. Falcons were flexible in their choice of nest sites, using a variety of tree species and even isolated nest trees. Nest sites and territories were regularly distributed throughout the study area, with the density of the population the highest on record for this species. The diet of the population as a whole was very broad, but each pair predominantly specialised on either lagomorphs, small ground prey, small birds, large birds or reptiles. Individuals that changed territory within the study area also switched their diet according to the predominant land-use within the new territory and thus prey availability. We argue that, at the population level, broad dietary breadth, flexibility in choice of nest site, and a conservative, static breeding strategy allows the species to persist in a broad range of environments, possibly through 'bet-hedging'. At the individual level, changeable dietary specialisation, high territory fidelity, strong year-round territorial defence, confining breeding to years when individual conditions were favourable and adjusting brood sizes when required appear to be the main strategies enabling brown falcons to thrive under a variety of conditions.
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Goldsworthy, S. D., M. Giese, R. P. Gales, N. Brothers, and J. Hamill. "Effects of the Iron Baron oil spill on little penguins (Eudyptula minor). II. Post-release survival of rehabilitated oiled birds." Wildlife Research 27, no. 6 (2000): 573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr99076.
Full textAbstract:
The post-release survival of rehabilitated oiled little penguins (Eudyptula minor) was monitored over 20 months following the Iron Baron oil spill (10 July 1995) in northern Tasmania, Australia. During rehabilitation, over 1800 little penguins were individually banded and detailed records kept of factors including their degree of oiling, sex, capture and release mass and capture and release condition. Post-release survival of rehabilitated oiled little penguins was assessed through regular trapping of birds over two breeding sites (Ninth Island and Low Head). The minimum estimate of post-release survival was 59% for penguins from Ninth Island and 44% for penguins from Low Head. Rehabilitated oiled little penguins had significantly lower survival than non-oiled birds at both sites. The main factor affecting post-release survival was the extent of oiling, which itself had a significant influence on the capture mass and condition of birds. Combined, these factors had the greatest power to predict post-release survival. Other factors that significantly affected post-release survival included release mass and condition, and the sex of the bird. The duration of rehabilitation and whether birds were translocated (200–410 km) from their capture site prior to release did not significantly affect survival. The results of this study indicate how aspects of oiling, the condition of birds and rehabilitation affect post-release survival. As such, they will help improve the success of wildlife rehabilitation in future spills, and highlight the importance of individually marking rehabilitated oiled wildlife and post-release monitoring in assessing the success of rehabilitation programs.
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Fromant, Aymeric, Charles-André Bost, Paco Bustamante, Alice Carravieri, Yves Cherel, Karine Delord, Yonina H. Eizenberg, Colin M. Miskelly, and John P. Y. Arnould. "Temporal and spatial differences in the post-breeding behaviour of a ubiquitous Southern Hemisphere seabird, the common diving petrel." Royal Society Open Science 7, no. 11 (November 2020): 200670. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.200670.
Full textAbstract:
The non-breeding period plays a major role in seabird survival and population dynamics. However, our understanding of the migratory behaviour, moulting and feeding strategies of non-breeding seabirds is still very limited, especially for small-sized species. The present study investigated the post-breeding behaviour of three distant populations (Kerguelen Archipelago, southeastern Australia, New Zealand) of the common diving petrel (CDP) ( Pelecanoides urinatrix ), an abundant, widely distributed zooplanktivorous seabird breeding throughout the southern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. The timing, geographical destination and activity pattern of birds were quantified through geolocator deployments during the post-breeding migration, while moult pattern of body feathers was investigated using stable isotope analysis. Despite the high energetic cost of flapping flight, all the individuals quickly travelled long distances (greater than approx. 2500 km) after the end of the breeding season, targeting oceanic frontal systems. The three populations, however, clearly diverged spatially (migration pathways and destinations), and temporally (timing and duration) in their post-breeding movements, as well as in their period of moult. Philopatry to distantly separated breeding grounds, different breeding phenologies and distinct post-breeding destinations suggest that the CDP populations have a high potential for isolation, and hence, speciation. These results contribute to improving knowledge of ecological divergence and evolution between populations, and inform the challenges of conserving migratory species.
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Simpfendorfer, C. "Biology of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) caught by the Queensland Shark Meshing Program off Townsville, Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 43, no. 1 (1992): 33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf9920033.
Full textAbstract:
The biology of 835 specimens of Galeocerdo cuvier caught between 1964 and 1986 off Townsville, Australia, was examined. The sharks were caught in a protective meshing programme using both large mesh gill-nets and set lines. The size at birth was estimated to be 80-90 cm total length, and females matured at approximately 287 cm total length. Litter sizes ranged from 6 to 56. Breeding and pupping both appear to occur in summer, with females not breeding every year. Mature females possibly migrate inshore during late spring and summer to give birth. The sex ratio of juveniles and adults favoured females, with few adult males being caught. Ontogenic changes in the diet were observed, with juveniles feeding predominantly on teleosts, sea snakes and birds and adults mostly consuming teleosts, sea snakes, turtles and crabs. There was no apparent decrease in the population size of G. cuvier in the Townsville area as a result of the long-term catching of sharks by the protective meshing programme.