Leadership in bird conservation

The recent Mallee Birds Summit is a great example of this organisation’s passion and commitment to our purpose: saving threatened and endangered birds. It was conceived, organised, hosted and led by BirdLife Australia in response to bushfires that have left birds such as the Mallee Emu-wren just another fire away from extinction.

This innovative summit brought together decision-makers from government, the community, universities and conservation organisations to champion a collaborative multi-species and cross-border recovery effort.

Of course, good recovery plans depend on sound research. As BirdLife Australia heads into the second half of 2014, we are thinking big with a strategy to scale up our citizen science research programs and the number of volunteers.

The creation of a Bird Conservation Portal will give our volunteers the 21st century research tools they deserve. It will synthesise many disparate bird conservation and knowledge resources into one place, including the State of Australia’s Birds and the encyclopaedic Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds (HANZAB).

Our portal will also include easy-to-use bird research tools, which will enable Atlassers, Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBA) monitors, black-cockatoo counters (and many others) to enter their data in one place. We are also encouraging more people to participate in our bird surveys by working with eBird-Eremea (a great tool for birders) and, later this year, by running a nationwide bird count.

Birds are an indicator of biodiversity and our environment. A key element of the portal is the creation of the Australian Bird Index, modelled on similar indices in Europe, to track the state of birds, species by species and year by year.

BirdLife Australia thanks you for your generous support. We simply couldn’t do all this work without you.

Gerard Early I President, BirdLife Australia

ISSUE 3 | JULY 2014

JULY 2014 1

Regent Honeyeaters return to release site Dean Ingwersen

The captive-release recovery program for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater, coordinated by BirdLife Australia, has received a recent boost with some exciting sightings in recent months. Since 2008, a total of 109 birds have been bred in captivity and released into the wild in Chiltern–Mt Pilot National Park in north-eastern Victoria. This is part of a long-term trial to evaluate the effectiveness of releasing Regent Honeyeaters back into the wild. During each release we’ve seen fantastic survival rates, there have been numerous cases of attempted and successful breeding, and late last year we started to get some dispersal records with birds found up to 50 kilometres away from the release site.

This year has seen more notable achievements. Early in the year a local resident reported several Regent Honeyeaters visiting a trough on her property to drink, and investigations confirmed that there were two captive-bred birds released in 2013 and an un-banded immature — indicating some level of breeding in the area over summer. Since then, several wild birds have been seen in Chiltern, and at least one other 2013-released bird.

One of the biggest highlights of the program has been the sighting of a bird released in 2010, imaginatively named Orange-Yellow thanks to the colour bands on its legs. Orange-Yellow was seen in the Chiltern–Mt Pilot National Park in 2013, and recently it was observed back in the Park. This bird was just over seven months old when released, and is now the first bird confirmed to have survived four years in the wild. In total we have now seen 14 (13%) of all released birds back in or around the release site at least one year after they were set free, which is a very high proportion in only a few years.

All of these results are driven by monitoring undertaken by volunteers and community members, and we are indebted to them for this assistance. We have another release set for 2015 and are currently working through securing funding and permits, and waiting in anticipation to see how well the birds breed in captivity, which in turn governs how many we will release. This work is conducted in conjunction with multiple partners, including the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (Victoria), Taronga Zoo and Parks Victoria.

Photo by Dean Ingwersen

WILDBIRD PROTECTORSREGULAR GIVING NEWSLETTER OF BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA

2 WILDBIRD PROTECTORS - ISSUE 3

Conquering the impossible: eight years of recovering the Hooded Plover Grainne Maguire

When I first started working at BirdLife Australia on the ‘Beach-nesting Birds’ project I felt we would be attempting to conquer the impossible. Promoting coexistence between recreationists and beach-nesting birds seemed a pipedream, particularly with birds that nest on the beach or dunes, whose camouflaged eggs are directly underfoot. It seemed terrifying to think that we had to (a) find volunteers who would monitor the birds and find these well-camouflaged nests; (b) find people to protect the nests with signage and fencing (which aren’t easy to carry for miles along a beach); and (c) get the beach-using public to care about the birds and to alter the way they have been using beaches for decades.

The entire suite of threats facing Hooded Plovers seemed overwhelming. In spring and summer there are swimmers, walkers, families, surfers, dog walkers, people fishing. These people might inadvertently step on well-camouflaged nests or newly hatched chicks. Dogs might chase and kill the chicks over their five flightless weeks before fledging. Then there is disturbance, the hidden killer! The cryptic nature of the Hooded Plovers means that parents will distance themselves from their nests and chicks to let camouflage protect their location — a strategy that has evolved from generations of exposure to native predators. In a current beach environment, people and dogs are perceived as predators — the cumulative effect of one person spending too long near a nest or multiple people/dogs passing by and disturbing the birds can result in eggs baking on the sand or chicks hiding and dying of exposure.

Other obvious threats to eggs and chicks include foxes, feral cats, Silver Gulls, ravens and birds of prey. Less-obvious threats include horses being ridden on the beach, vehicle use, entanglement in disused fishing line and fibres from commercial fishing nets, and even camels, sheep or feral pigs on beaches. Increased litter on beaches contributes to elevated population numbers of ravens and gulls. Weeds in the dune system lead to loss of nesting habitat and altered dune structures, which means the birds feel an even greater ‘coastal squeeze’, with threats coming from land and sea.

So where do we start? How do we turn this around? Is the problem too big? No way!

It has been an eight-year journey so far, with the foundations for much of the monitoring extending back into the early 1980s. Eight years of generating volunteer action and providing the tools and knowledge for land managers and coastal communities to improve the plight of these birds. And we have done it!

It takes a long time to change attitudes towards beaches when these have been perceived only as places of recreation for so long, but now people finally expect wildlife to be present — they are happy to adapt their behaviour and share the beach with the birds, coexisting side by side. The message is slowly filtering across communities and to visitors and tourists, and awareness is growing. Volunteers get hooked by the tenacity of these little birds that battle against the odds, and this gives them equal tenacity to do the same. One person inspires the next, and so on, and the program has become extremely resilient and adaptive. Every day we learn something new — we build our network and don’t reinvent the wheel, but share our experiences and become a well-oiled machine.

Hooded Plovers have ceased their rapid spiral of decline. We are now adding twice as many fledglings to the population each season. We are even seeing new birds set up territories on beaches where there have been no Hooded Plovers for 10–15 years. This is all with considerable input from over 600 volunteers and a nationally coordinated program, but these efforts are paying off in terms of conservation outcomes. This is one species for which we can make a difference and we have successfully halted its journey to extinction.

Note: The Beach-nesting Birds is a core project, implementing BirdLife Australia’s conservation strategy and program. It is currently funded through Hugh D. T. Williamson Foundation, the Victorian Environment Protection Program, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board, the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources SA and generous donations.

Rex’s Trek — saving Australia’s birds one step at a time

Renowned outback adventurer and tour operator, Rex Ellis will attempt to become the first person to walk across all of South Australia’s eight largest dry lake beds to raise funds for eight threatened bird species on behalf of BirdLife Australia. Over the next 12 months Rex will tackle the foreboding treks in a test of physical and mental endurance that will challenge even this legendary bushman. Each of the walks will be in aid of a particular Australian bird species that needs a helping hand. Many of the lakes have islands that have never been visited by birdwatchers before. Rex and his team will complete bird surveys to catalogue the remarkable species that manage to survive in this harshest of environments — birds that are as tough and resilient as Rex himself! Rex will be accompanied by Brenton Hicks, who has extensive trekking experience, and Mark Duncan, a professional photographer who will document the trek.

The team has already completed treks across Lake Callabonna (in aid of the Southern Cassowary) and Lake Frome (Swift Parrot). Still to come are treks across Lakes Torrens (Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo), Gairdner (Western Ground Parrot), Everard (Regent Honeyeater), Blanche (Orange-bellied Parrot), Gregory (Carpentarian Grasswren) and Eyre (Regent Parrot).

For more information go to: birdlife.org.au/rexs-trek/.

Photos by Glenn Ehmke

The Flyway Print Exchange

The Flyway Print Exchange is an exchange between artists living in different countries along the East-Asian Australasian Flyway, the flight path travelled by Australia’s migratory shorebirds twice each year between their breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska and their non-breeding grounds in Australia. The idea was conceived and coordinated by Melbourne-based printmaker Kate Gorringe-Smith who was inspired by these birds and their incredible flight. Twenty artists from nine Flyway countries have each created prints inspired by the idea of the Flyway.

In March 2014, a set of prints — that is one print from each of the artists — was posted, unprotected, along the Flyway all the way to Alaska and back, echoing the birds’ journey, adding the impression of migration and distance to the works and referencing the weathering of the migrating birds’ plumage. This set of travelled and weathered prints will be shown at the inaugural exhibition of the Flyway Print Exchange in Melbourne this September. Each print will be displayed alongside its pristine counterpart. After this inaugural exhibition, the prints will be exhibited at other galleries around Australia and elsewhere along the Flyway.

The Flyway Print Exchange exhibition will be open from 11–28 September at No Vacancy Gallery, in Melbourne’s Federation Square, and will feature as part of the OzAsia Festival, 3–20 September, in Adelaide. The pristine prints will be available for purchase. All money raised from the sale of the prints will go to BirdLife Australia’s shorebirds conservation program. For more information go to: facebook.com/pages/The-Flyway-Print-Exchange/175252916007801. The exhibitions have been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Melbourne Water and Adelaide Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board.

2014 Ornithology Awards announced

BirdLife Australia is pleased to announce that Richard Loyn is the worthy recipient of the 2014 D.L. Serventy Medal; the highest award offered to professional ornithologists by BirdLife Australia. Lloyd Nielsen has been awarded the 2014 J.N. Hobbs Memorial Medal for outstanding contributions to Australasian ornithology by an amateur ornithologist.

Richard established the Western Port Waterbird Survey with the Bird Observers Club, which has endured and developed into Australia’s longest-running waterbird survey. He is a firm believer that research must be shared, and he has published the findings of his research in 170 peer-reviewed papers and reports.

Lloyd has published scores of papers on birds, the first when he was just 18 years old. He has a knack of ‘making things plain’ and is an accomplished bird artist and photographer, with his artworks gracing the walls of Parliament House in Canberra.

Call to protect Murray–Darling Basin wetlands

A new report, Birds of the Murray—Darling Basin, released by BirdLife Australia, reveals that major declines in wetland birds have been recorded across the Murray–Darling Basin as a direct result of decades of over-extraction of water and numerous water impoundments, often in combination with debilitating droughts.

With many wetlands and rivers in very poor condition, endangered species such as the Australian Painted Snipe and Australasian Bittern, which depend on healthy wetlands for their survival, have declined dramatically in recent years. Without effective management of our water resources in the Murray–Darling Basin, the fate of these birds and many like them is grim.

BirdLife Australia has identified 13 ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas’ (IBAs) throughout the Murray–Darling Basin with wetland and floodplain habitats that support globally significant populations of waterbirds. With effective water management, especially by providing adequate environmental water flows at the right time, these sites will provide a safe haven for many waterbirds and other wildlife. This has already been shown — the Barmah-Millewa IBA, where wetlands have received environmental water, has seen prolific breeding in egret colonies for the first time in decades.

BirdLife Australia is working with industry and government to identify and implement solutions that will reap real, long-lasting results — such as working with the rice industry in the Riverina, which has a crucial role in the protection of the Australasian Bittern.

By investing in the proper infrastructure and listening to people with the right expertise, returning the wetlands of the Murray–Darling Basin to a healthy state will not only rescue myriad waterbirds and other wildlife, but improve the water quality throughout the river system, upon which so much depends.

A copy of the report is available to download at birdlife.org.au/media/new-report-outlines-state-of-murraydarling-birdlife. If you would like a copy of the report posted to you please contact Tanya Pyk via email (tanya.pyk@birdlife.org.au) or phone (03 9347 0757).

JULY 2014 3

Top: photo by Daryl Albertson

Birds of theMurray–Darling BasinEdited by Richard Kingsford,

Jenny Lau and James O’Connor

BirdLife Australia is committed to

the conservation of Australia’s birds

and their habitat, recognising that

conservation decisions and actions

must be based on the best available

science. To support this mission, BirdLife

Australia is committed to producing

an occasional series of Conservation

Statements which summarise current

knowledge on issues of relevance to

the conservation of Australia’s birds.

This series builds on those produced

by BirdLife Australia’s predecessor

organisations, the Royal Australasian

Ornithologists Union and Birds Australia.

This fi rst Conservation Statement

focuses on current knowledge about the

birds of the Murray–Darling Basin and

the imperative to manage the Basin’s

water resources to improve the health

of its rivers, wetlands and fl oodplains

so they can continue to support a

diverse array of organisms, including

our birdlife. The Basin is of national

importance for waterbird and woodland

bird conservation. As Australia’s most

developed river basin, it also represents

much of our understanding of the

current threats and impacts of human

development on natural freshwater

ecosystems, which is refl ected in major

changes to waterbird communities.

AcknowledgementsBirdLife Australia would like to thank

the many authors and photographers

who contributed to this report as well

the editors, Richard Kingsford, Jenny

Lau and James O’Connor. Thanks also

to John Peter and Cara Schultz for their

editorial and production support and

Glenn Ehmke and Kerryn Herman for

compiling the maps. Cover: The spectacular Red-necked

Avocet is one of the many bird species

that rely on the wetlands of the Murray–

Darling Basin. Photo by Dean Ingwersen

From top, by Syahrizal Pahlevi (Indonesia) and Celia Walker (New Zealand)

The people of BirdLife Australia: Andy Scobie

As Head of Fundraising, Andy Scobie works with BirdLife Australia’s donors, volunteers, branches, corporate partners, staff and BirdLife Board to maximise income and provide ongoing and consistent funds to support the vital work of the organisation.

Andy joined the BirdLife Australia flock in January this year and has 20 years of experience in fundraising. His previous roles include work with organisations such as Save the Children Australia, CanTeen, Lighthouse Foundation, Cabrini Health and Southern Cross Care.

In the short time Andy has been with BirdLife Australia he has been inspired by the enthusiasm of everyone involved with the organisation. Andy says, “Clearly the most memorable experience of my time at BirdLife Australia has been experiencing first-hand the absolute passion and dedication of our volunteers, supporters and donors, all of whom demonstrate their commitment to birds and the work of this organisation every day.”

Andy is passionate about developing capacity, relationships and networks for the organisation. If you would like to know more about BirdLife Australia’s fundraising work please contact Andy via email (andy.scobie@birdife.org.au) or phone (03 9347 0757 ext 238).

Making a splash with backyard birds Holly Parsons

There’s nothing quite like spending time in the great outdoors — especially in the garden — and getting to know some of the birds that visit. At BirdLife Australia and the National Parks Association of NSW, we’d like to get to know them too.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being in the garden is sharing it with the local wildlife, especially the birds, and bird baths are one of the most common features in bird-friendly gardens. However, despite their popularity, we really don’t know much about which birds are visiting people’s bird baths, and we want to find out.

To fill in this gap in our knowledge, researchers from BirdLife Australia’s Birds in Backyards program, National Parks Association of NSW and The University of Sydney have joined forces to launch a new citizen science project. People with bird baths in their garden are being asked to watch their bird bath for 20 minutes each week for up to 4 weeks and to record which birds visit.

The project is running from 27 June to 27 July, and will run again in summer. To find out more or register go to www.bathingbirds.org.au.

BirdLife Australia teams up with Goodwill Wine

BirdLife Australia has teamed up with Goodwill Wine to raise funds to support our urgent work in conserving Australia’s birds.

When you purchase a case of quality wine from Goodwill Wine’s excellent selection of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and more, 50 per cent of the profit (a minimum of $20 per case) goes directly to help us save Australia’s birds.

The great news for dedicated wine drinkers is that while you’re supporting BirdLife Australia, you don’t have to drink substandard wine — Goodwill Wine is dedicated to sourcing the best quality boutique wines from independent wineries across Australia — their commitment is to quality, and to remove all risk when buying their wines, they offer a 100 per cent money-back guarantee. For more information and to purchase wine go to: www.goodwillwine.com.au/charities/birdlife-australia.

So raise your glass and drink to bird conservation!

Always drink responsibly.

4 WILDBIRD PROTECTORS - ISSUE 3 Edited by Tanya Pyk – tanya.pyk@birdlife.org.au I 03 9347 0757

Photos by Ann Scanlon

Photo by Fiona Blandford