Emu - Austral Ornithology Volume 115, Issue 2, 2015 Summaries

Distinctiveness of Pacific Robin subspecies in Vanuatu revealed from disparate patterns of sexual dichromatism, plumage colouration, morphometrics and ancient DNA Anna M. Kearns, Lauren C. White, Jeremy J. Austin and Kevin E. Omland Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 89–98 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14076.htm The Pacific Ocean is dotted with hundreds of islands, many isolated so that island populations begin to differ from each other, and eventually new species are formed. Pacific Robins are a textbook example of such island speciation, being one of the world's most variable birds in terms of sexual differences in plumage. On many islands the males are bold black and red while the females are dull brown, however on other islands the males and females are identical – either both being bold or both being dull. Researchers have long theorised about what causes these different sexual plumage-types. Do they represent three different species scattered across the islands? Or has a complex tug-of-war between natural and sexual selection led to the birds evolving the same patterns multiple times in different places? This study explores these questions in Vanuatu, the only archipelago where all three sexual plumage-types occur. We show for the first time that genetic relatedness does not explain how the different plumage patterns evolve, suggesting that other evolutionary processes are leading to the repeated evolution of the same plumage patterns on different islands. We also identify a new subspecies that has distinct plumage and DNA from all other subspecies.

The species and functional diversity of birds in almond orchards, apple orchards, vineyards and eucalypt woodlots Gary W. Luck, Kelly Hunt and Andrew Carter Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 99–109 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14022.htm Although agriculture is the most common land use in Australia, little is known about which bird species use particular agricultural crops. This is important because some bird species may damage crops while others may provide vital services to growers, such as control of insect pests. We found that the richness and diversity of bird species was highest in almond orchards compared to eucalypt woodlots, apple orchards and vineyards. The composition of bird communities also differed among land uses, suggesting that different crops constitute different habitats for birds. Increasing land-use intensification did not reduce the number of functional types of birds in a consistent way, and there is scope for birds to contribute to important ecological functions (like pollination and waste disposal) in different crop types. The future management of Australian agriculture requires balancing bird conservation with the negative and positive impacts that bird activity can have on production.

A coraciiform-like bird quadrate from the Early Eocene Tingamarra local fauna of Queensland, Australia Andrzej Elzanowski and Walter E. Boles Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 110–116 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14084.htm The fossil record of birds in Australia is poor between the Early Cretaceous and Late Oligocene, with only a single site producing specimens of non-marine birds. The locality Murgon, in southeast Queensland, has yielded fossils dated as Early Eocene (55 million years old). The importance of Murgon is that it provides the only view into Australian avifauna at this time. To date, the birds identified from this locality are an early waterfowl representative, a superficially stone-curlew-like bird, a putative songbird (the oldest described from anywhere in the world) and, now, an early member of the lineage including kingfishers, bee-eaters, hoopoes and other ‘coraciiform’ birds. The last identification is based on a partial quadrate, a distinctive but rarely studied bone on which the jaw

articulates with the skull. While coraciiform-like birds are well known from the Northern Hemisphere of this age, this is the oldest example from the Southern Hemisphere. It is thus important in understanding the early development of an arboreal bird fauna in Australia.

Can Australian bush birds be used as canaries? Detection of pervasive environmental impacts at an arid Australian mine site John L. Read, Benjamin Parkhurst and Steven Delean Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 117–125 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14069.htm The responses of birds to an Australian arid-zone mine were investigated in this 13-year study. Crested Bellbirds, Grey Butcherbirds, Red-capped Robins and Chestnut-rumped Thornbills were consistently recorded in lower abundances near the mine compared with more remote sites, possibly due to acoustic masking of their calls. By contrast, species such as several raptors, pigeons, swallows and Zebra Finches that benefit from human-made elements of their habitat, including water or nesting sites, were recorded in higher abundances near the mine. Despite considerable temporal variation in individual species abundances, we also show that differences associated with proximity to the mine are relatively stable for some bird species and especially a group of selected bioindicator birds. Our ability to detect pervasive environmental impacts of mining disturbances beyond direct mining impacts was improved, not surprisingly, by excluding disturbance-favouring birds from species-richness calculations.

One method does not suit all: variable settlement responses of three procellariid species to vocalisation playbacks Rachel T. Buxton, Christopher J. Jones, Henrik Moller and Philip O’B. Lyver Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 126–136 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14051.htm Playback of animal calls is used in restoration programmes to attract social animals to areas where they have been extirpated. This technique is an affordable alternative to relocating animals, and is now commonly used to restore seabird colonies. The success rates of attracting seabirds using vocalizations are variable between and within species, and the reasons for this variation are poorly understood. We tested the attraction of three different nocturnal seabird species to playback of their own calls at three different sites. Sites with different densities of nearby breeding birds were used, to test the effect of source population size on the level of attraction to call-playback. We found that attraction to call-playback varied between sites and species, where one species was not attracted to playback at all, and the other two species were more attracted at sites with dense nearby source populations. Although call-playback has the potential to be an effective restoration technique for seabirds, we caution that its effectiveness for individual species at different sites should be assessed at the outset of restoration initiatives.

Optimising translocation efforts of Mottled Petrels (Pterodroma inexpectata): growth, provisioning, meal size and the efficacy of an artificial diet for chicks Rachael L. Sagar, Antje Leseberg, Ken Hunt, Kahori Nakagawa, Brendon Dunphy and Matt J. Rayner Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 137–145 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14056.htm Mottled Petrels, Pterodroma inexpectata, are mid-sized burrowing seabirds endemic to New Zealand that play a key role in driving terrestrial biodiversity by providing marine-terrestrial nutrient linkages. Mottled Petrels once bred in high numbers throughout New Zealand, though are now considered ‘near threatened’ due to recent human-driven habitat loss and predation. Their former distribution means that Mottled Petrels are a popular candidate for restoration projects aimed at enhancing species populations and restoring ecological links between land and sea. However, before these translocations can proceed, critical knowledge of Mottled Petrel breeding biology, and assessment of the appropriateness of current translocation techniques, are required to guide species-specific restoration management protocols. This study aimed to characterise previously unknown aspects of breeding biology critical for the successful translocation of Mottled Petrels. Mottled Petrel chicks that underwent an experimental translocation in 2012 fledged in good condition, with mean fledging weight equal to mean adult weight (325 g), which bodes well for future efforts aimed at restoring this species within its former range. The study indicated that the optimal age to translocate Mottled Petrel chicks is 20 to 15 days before fledging, with morphological indicators of this age equating to a wing-chord length greater than 224 mm and weight of greater than 490 g. Translocated chicks should be provisioned with approximately one 35 g meal of the standard sardine diet every three days until

fledging, with a target fledging weight of approximately 350 g. It is expected that these findings will benefit the conservation management of Mottled Petrels, including the refinement of translocation practices specific to Mottled Petrels, and other species of Pterodroma.

Effects of predation by introduced mammals and mortality due to severe floods on population viability of the endangered Blue Duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) Craig Simpkins, George L. W. Perry, Andrew Glaser, Tim Allerby and Todd E. Dennis Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 146–157 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14057.htm Predation by introduced species and anthropogenic climate change now are two major threats to birds worldwide. We developed a computer simulation model to perform a population viability analysis for the Blue Duck, or Whio (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos), an endangered species of waterfowl native to the upland rivers of New Zealand. Demographic responses to six predator-control and flood- frequency scenarios were assessed for two study catchments located in the Te Urewera Mainland Island (TUMI) to examine projected trends in long-term population dynamics and viability. Outcomes of our model suggest that Whio remain at chronic risk of extinction due to predation by introduced mammals such as stoats (Mustela erminea). If faced with further population losses due to an acute increase in the occurrence of severe floods, Whio may be lost from the study site and other locations throughout New Zealand where predator densities and climatic conditions are similar; however, significantly increasing efforts to control introduced predators may reverse climate-induced population losses. Our study demonstrates the urgent need for heightened control of invasive predators in Whio conservation areas, as well as for informed consideration of future changes in regional climate patterns when planning management actions for Whio and other similarly threatened riparian species.

Migration routes and non-breeding areas of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) from the Azores Verónica C. Neves, Cristina P. Nava, Matt Cormons, Esteban Bremer, Gabriel Castresana, Pedro Lima, Severino M. Azevedo Junior, Richard A. Phillips, Maria C. Magalhães and Ricardo S. Santos Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 158–167 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU13112.htm Here we present data on migration of Common Terns from the Azores archipelago based on ringing recoveries and geolocator tracking. This is only the second published tracking dataset for this species during the non-breeding period. We detected appreciable individual variation in the timing of southern migration and use of non-breeding areas by the terns. The two females in our study started their autumn migration more than 1 month earlier than the male. In addition, the tracked birds from the Azores travelled faster than the North American birds, possibly because they had to cross the Atlantic Ocean, whereas the Common Terns from North America migrated in short steps, stopping and feeding along the coast. All tracked individuals spent the non-breeding period in very productive waters and used offshore areas that have been mostly identified as Marine Important Bird Areas. On the return migration in the spring, birds travelled from the Brazilian coast to the Azores in a fairly short time (~8 days at ~500km/day).

Configuration and geometry of sap-holes drilled by the White-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum): effects of tree-structure, sap-traits and plant health M. Gabriela Núñez Montellano and Pedro G. Blendinger Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 168–175 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14066.htm Sap is a resource of high energy content, usually inaccessible to birds, although woodpeckers have the ability to drill into living trees to obtain sap. We describe sap-holes drilled by the White-fronted Woodpecker on plant species in semi-arid woodlands of Argentina. We examine, for the first time, attributes of the plants that may help to explain the configuration and geometry of sap-holes. Sap- holes vary among plant species. Moreover, patterning of sap-holes is similar in structurally similar species. In large trees, sap-holes were small, round and arranged in rows on branches or trunks of large diameter, whereas in Prosopis trees, sap-holes were rectangular and located on branches of small diameter. In other species of tree and shrub, sap-holes were large and irregular, and on branches of intermediate diameter. The switch between sap-consumption strategies related to attributes of trees opens the possibility that White-fronted Woodpeckers drill sap-holes in an attempt to maximise sap-harvesting.

Response of the endemic Long-tailed Meadowlark (Sturnella loyca obscura) to grazing exclusion in herbivore-dependent upland grasslands of Argentina Laura M. Bellis and Nadia Muriel Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 176–184 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14030.htm In grasslands, the intensity of grazing by domestic livestock can lead to negative or positive effects on birds, depending on grazing intensity, evolutionary history of grazing and life history of birds. In the Sierras Grandes mountains of central Argentina, livestock grazing has caused severe soil erosion. To restore the grasslands, livestock were excluded from a large area in 1997; however, the impact of grazing exclusion on endemic birds is not clear. We evaluated the effect of grazing exclusion on density and habitat attributes of Long-tailed Meadowlark populations, a charismatic species in our study region. We found that the highest meadowlark density was recorded in ungrazed sites. Areas with increasing litter depth and percentage of bare soil, and with low soil compaction and percentage of moss cover, showed the highest values of Meadowlark density. We concluded that 11 years of grazing exclusion favoured meadowlarks, providing greater availability of resources, mainly those related to soil quality.

First report of a feather loss condition in Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) on Ross Island, Antarctica, and a preliminary investigation of its cause Wray W. Grimaldi, Richard J. Hall, Daniel D. White, Jing Wang, Melanie Massaro and Daniel M. Tompkins Emu – Austral Ornithology 115(2), 185–189 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MU14068.htm Since the mid-1980s, observations of marine animals with abnormal bald patches have been reported worldwide, although in most cases specific causes and consequences have not been determined. Adding to that list, an unprecedented feather loss condition affecting ~1 in 1000 adult Adelie penguins was observed at the beginning of December 2011 at each of three colonies on Ross Island, Antarctica. Feather loss was again observed in 2012–13 and 2013–14. The condition was characterised by irregular patches of bare skin on various parts of the body well before the usual period of moult. Various samples were obtained to investigate the cause of this condition. No external parasites were detected on physical inspection of any birds or by scanning electron microscopy of feathers removed from birds experiencing feather loss. No blood parasites were seen on blood films. Blood samples were also negative for beak and feather disease virus. Three possible viruses unique to Adelie penguins were detected by molecular analysis of cloacal samples. Although the significance of these viruses is not known, extended investigation into this feather loss condition is needed.

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