curlew trackers newsletter no 3 nov 2014
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8/10/2019 Curlew Trackers Newsletter No 3 Nov 2014
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Curlew TrackersNewsletter Date Number 3 15 November 2014
In This Issue
2014 Breeding Season
Counting Calls
Caught on Camera
Project Facebook Page
facebook.com/BushStonecurlews
Curlews On The Webhttp://www.hbw.com/species/bush-thick-knee-burhinus-grallariusSee a species description
with map
Breeding Season is Well Underway!The August start to the breeding season seemed to fizzle out a little, butthrough late September Bush Stone-curlews have been incubating eggs, andthere are now lots of chicks and juvenile birds around.
The nest cameras I have had out seem to show that relatively few nestfailures are due to predation. Disturbance by people is more common.
Some people deliberately try to provoke a reaction from nesting birds.Other people, who probably dont realise the consequences of their actions,approach too closely, often with a dog in tow. This can be a disaster. Eventhough most people are careful or even protective of their local birds, it onlytakes one dog to destroy a nest or kill chicks.
But I have also found that in most places where curlews are nesting,landowners are sympathetic, and when birds nest in public places, residentslook out for them. People often erect signs or barriers to preventpedestrians and contractors from accidentally trampling nests.
Curlews CallsWhen the count is conducted, we will be broadcasting calls and counting the
number of birds that respond. This is a well-established technique for manybirds, and has been proven as a method for counting curlews. Somerefinements are probably needed for using this method in urban areas. In
order to test and refine the technique, ethical clearance is needed. This isnecessary because under some circumstances, repetitive broadcasting ofcalls can disrupt breeding birds. So the method needs to be reviewed and, ifnecessary, improved before it goes into the field. After this happens, I will
be asking some of the volunteers to help test the method. Get in touch if
you are interested. This will require a commitment of a couple of evenings.
Nest CamerasI have had about fifteen cameras onnests so far this season. By the end ofthe season I hope to have filmed twentynests. Its a lot of work, but the results
are fascinating and very enlightening.
If you know where a pair of birds are
nesting, please contact me as soon aspossible. I am finding that many peoplecontact me after the chicks have hatched. Although all breeding records arevery useful, having a record of the process from start to finish is better still.So, help me achieve my goal of twenty nests if you can. Contact me [email protected]
Fox in Chuwar taking curlew eggs.
https://www.facebook.com/BushStonecurlewshttps://www.facebook.com/BushStonecurlewshttp://www.hbw.com/species/bush-thick-knee-burhinus-grallariushttp://www.hbw.com/species/bush-thick-knee-burhinus-grallariushttp://www.hbw.com/species/bush-thick-knee-burhinus-grallariushttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_4/[email protected]://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_4/[email protected]://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_4/[email protected]://www.hbw.com/species/bush-thick-knee-burhinus-grallariushttp://www.hbw.com/species/bush-thick-knee-burhinus-grallariushttp://www.hbw.com/species/bush-thick-knee-burhinus-grallariushttps://www.facebook.com/BushStonecurlewshttps://www.facebook.com/BushStonecurlews -
8/10/2019 Curlew Trackers Newsletter No 3 Nov 2014
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Encyclopaedia of Life
http://eol.org/pages/1049048/overview
Contact Curlews
Scott OKeeffe
These are Really Interesting Birds!The nest cameras are showing us many new things about curlew behaviour.There have been several instances of curlews nesting under buildings againthis season, although I have been unable to get cameras on the nests. Insome places, I have found that the birds are much more active during theday than anticipated.
The animals that turn upand provoke a responsefrom the curlews on theireggs can be surprising. I
have film of curlews givingdistraction or threat
displays to Sugar Gliders,Red-necked Wallabies,
Brush-tailed Possums,
White Ibis, Wood Ducks,
Carpet Pythons andBearded Dragons.
Possibly the strangest thing I have seen is curlews deliberately adding
cigarette butts to their nest sites. This is unusual because curlews dontusually make much of a nest, and mostly rely on what is already on theground. Ive seen this at two nest sites this season. In both cases, therewas a nearby supply of cigarette butts at smoking areas outside buildings.
But the nest sites themselves had no butts until curlews collected them andplaced them around the nest. This has been seen in some other perchingbirds. A possible explanation is that some birds make use of the nicotine in
the butts to control parasites.
Chicks in DrainsThis appears to be a significant cause of chick mortality. This project has
discovered that chicks are often lost in the same drains year after year,since the curlews often nest in more or less the same place each season.
The good news is that Brisbane City Council have expressed some interest inplacingcurlew-proofbunds around drains during the breeding season. Ifyou know of a site where this occurs, you might think about contacting yourcouncil wildlife of natural areas section to see whether they might pick up onthis idea.
A pair of curlews defend the nest from a Bearded Dragon
http://eol.org/pages/1049048/overviewhttp://eol.org/pages/1049048/overviewmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://eol.org/pages/1049048/overviewhttp://eol.org/pages/1049048/overview