Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides): Habitat Requirements - Threats and Threat Mitigation Actions

The viability of Tawny Frogmouths is threatened when habitat changes result in the removal of any one of their life supports.

Tawny Frogmouth population numbers appear to be in decline in some Melbourne suburbs. Tawny Frogmouths do not migrate. Urgent action is required to manage Tawny Frogmouth population recovery to avoid local extinction. Significant habitat loss is expected to force Tawny Frogmouth pair displacement into adjacent territories Tawny Frogmouths are a nocturnal native Australian bird species which typically inhabits Woodland resulting in territorial disputes and potential death. ecosystems. Their habitat requirements are dictated by their physical size and shape, diet and their As a general rule, mature Australian native trees have the horizontal or near horizontal strong tree social structure. branches with appropriate lateral support at branch junctions which are selected by Tawny Frogmouths for They live continuously within a territory where the territory size is dictated by the availability of what their nest sites. [The branch structure inherent in many Exotic tree species is generally unsuitable for Tawny Frogmouth male protecting egg/s on nest 2020 Blackburn they need in daily food supplies, and suitable mature Australian native trees for daily roosting branches, Tawny Frogmouth nest sites.] foraging perch branches and seasonal nest sites.

Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) Habitat Requirements - Threats - Threat Mitigation Actions

Tawny Frogmouth Tawny Frogmouth life supports The viability of Tawny Frogmouths is threatened when habitat changes behaviour & physical Threats result in the removal of ANY ONE of these life supports Threat Mitigation Actions shape - capability & Consequence of threat: Tawny Frogmouth death When they constraints What they need Where they find it need it FEEDING Food Daily Food location Starvation from reduced quantity of available food Increase availability of live insect food • Provide systems to retain rain water in ground soil and add water in drought periods Large wide beak able to snap small twigs but Live insects; (beetles, bugs, caterpillars, Mostly at night but Wherever the food lives on the ground resulting from not tear prey, able to kill and reduce prey size cockroaches, moths) and spiders, will sometimes feed or in the air • Drought • Reduce the effective areas of hard surfaces by adding leaf litter to hard surfaces and open soil in for swallowing by grinding between beak rim centipedes, snails, slugs as well as small during daylight • Reduction in ground available to support live insect food. Increased ground soil containers, pot plants vertebrate food which fits into their beaks coverage from more housing and “hard” surfaces; driveways, paving, wider roads • Retain natural leaf litter as ground storey in gardens and outdoor areas Excellent eyesight/hearing More food needed when feeding chicks • Reduction in quality of ground, mid and upper storey food habitats • Plant vegetation to increase available biodiversity Carnivorous diet [not vegetarian] and juveniles in late Spring and Summer • Presence of excessive amount and brightness of artificial night lighting causing • Reduce brightness of night lighting, spot lighting and overall ambient night lighting levels disruption to insect life cycles

ROOSTING AND PERCHING Daytime roosting branches Daily In Mature Australian Accommodation loss Maintain existing Accommodation Retain existing tree branches used for day roosting and night forage perching Foot structure adapted for sustained perching and other night time forage native trees Loss of tree branches used for day roosting and night forage perching due to • Retain and maintain live trees not killing or feeding • tree removal perching branches Open aspect, stable, tree - especially rough barked species and all live trees with strong near horizontal branches Roosting: • tree branch pruning, removal of Secure, strong, daytime roosting branches with - remove ivy Daytime: - live branches and branches long enough for adults to • overhead cover, such as another - protect canopy, install possum exclusion - ‘dead wooding’ roost on larger branch and/or more tree - reduce windstorm damage by appropriately timed reduction in canopy weight • windstorm tree damage canopy above the roost branch • Retain safe dead trees Daytime roost branches in safe positions • tree death • Adjacent trees/tall shrubs to provide • Retain safe dead wood on live trees away from predators with good surveillance shielding - especially horizontal safe dead wood of surroundings, shielded from harassment Loss of surrounding shielding canopies • Retain existing shielding canopies Forage perching: Open aspect, - foliage loss; drought, overgrazing by possums, insect attack Night time: Secure, strong, night time stable, tree branches at above- - removal of adjacent trees and shrubs • Provide water for strategic trees during periods of prolonged drought forage perching branches long enough for ground heights which allow optimum • Maintain strategic Tawny Frogmouth tree records adults to perch on at a height which allows surveillance and capture of live aerial optimum surveillance and capture of live and ground prey ground and aerial prey Create future Accommodation Create new day roosting and night forage perching tree branches - Long lead time [50+ years] Plant more trees of appropriate native species in strategic locations. Refer Note1 • Plant appropriate shielding canopies • Avoid planting of known possum preferred foraging foliage species near strategic Tawny Frogmouth trees

REPRODUCTION - NESTING Nest branches: Open Nesting In Mature Australian Accommodation loss Maintain existing Accommodation Retain and maintain existing and potential nest branch trees aspect horizontal or near season - native trees [Exotic tree Loss of suitable, strong, horizontal tree branch junctions due to Nest building • Retain and maintain live trees • tree removal horizontal strong tree once per species generally have - especially rough barked species and all live trees with strong near horizontal branches Nest size slightly bigger than the sitting adult • tree branch pruning, removal of bird’s body branches year the wrong shape] - remove ivy - live branches and Refer Note 1 - protect canopy, install possum exclusion Builds a new nest every year Typically August to Open aspect horizontal or near - ‘dead wooding’ January horizontal strong tree branches with - reduce windstorm damage by appropriately timed reduction in canopy weight Secure, strong, relatively flat, protected • windstorm tree damage [Tawny Frogmouths do not nest in tree suitable lateral support at branch • Retain safe dead wood on live trees area big enough to hold the nest under the 2 months on/at • tree death hollows or nest boxes] junctions, sometimes using main tree - especially horizontal safe dead wood adult bird nest plus some trunk as support • Retain existing shielding canopies time to build it • Provide water for strategic nest trees during periods of prolonged drought • Retain lower level vegetation around nest branch for fledglings first flight landing site Require several suitable nest branch trees Will re-nest after Will often reuse the same branch site within their territory nest failure to build a new nest on year after year Create future Accommodation Create new nest tree branches – Long lead time [50+ years] Strategic location native tree planting Safe fledgling landing sites: First flight Adjacent vegetation below nest height Loss/absence of suitable off ground, fledgling first flight landing sites due to • Plant native tree species favoured by Tawny Frogmouths Refer Note 1 Suitable open access, strong branches • removal of lower vegetation surrounding nest tree • Plant appropriate shielding canopies below nest height for fledglings to land on • Plant suitable lower level vegetation around nest branch tree for fledglings first flight landing site after first flight from nest. • Avoid planting of known possum preferred foraging foliage species near strategic Tawny Frogmouth trees

R. Ault – 11 Oct 2020 / Version 7 – with reference to “Tawny Frogmouth” Gisela Kaplan 2018 CSIRO Publishing Page 1/2 Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides): Habitat Requirements - Threats and Threat Mitigation Actions

Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) Habitat Requirements - Threats - Threat Mitigation Actions

Tawny Frogmouth Tawny Frogmouth life supports The viability of Tawny Frogmouths is threatened when habitat changes behaviour & physical Threats result in the removal of ANY ONE of these life supports Threat Mitigation Actions shape - capability & Consequence of threat: Tawny Frogmouth death When they constraints What they need Where they find it need it Another partner when one partner dies or Within neighbouring territories REPRODUCTION – SOCIAL is killed Daily Lack of adjoining territories Retain, maintain and extend suitable wildlife habitat in adjoining BEHAVIOUR/ GENETICS areas, links and corridors Live together as the same adult pair sometimes with additional adults close by [mature juveniles from last season’s nesting]

FLIGHT – AIRBORNE Wide enough gaps to fly through Daily Clear airspace Presence of Obstacles Remove and/or reduce obstacles Enough secure ground /branch space to • Permanent; Constructions built in space used by Tawny Frogmouths for flight access Medium sized bird capable of level flight and Mostly at night Building Planning land on and take off from to branches for roosting, perching and nesting manoeuvring if sufficient wing space available, but will fly during • Ensure open access to tree branches used by Tawny Frogmouths for perching, roosting • Moving obstacles; moving vehicles excellent targeted food location in open areas daylight and nesting

Moving vehicles/ traffic control • Educate drivers to be watchful for and avoid nocturnal wildlife • Install appropriate speed restriction signage

Enough secure ground /branch space to Open aspect, stable, tree branches FLIGHT - TAKE OFF, land and take off Daily Presence of Moving obstacles Remove and/or reduce moving obstacles Stable ground surfaces • Obstacles in take off /landing flight space LANDING Mostly at night Moving vehicles/ traffic control but will fly during Slow to fly off the ground and gain altitude • Educate drivers to be watchful for and avoid nocturnal wildlife daylight • Install appropriate speed restriction signage Every take off and landing

PREDATOR EVASION Protection from predators / Daily Mature Australian native Presence of active and passive predators Reduce/eliminate presence of active and passive predators • Educate vehicle drivers to be watchful for and avoid nocturnal wildlife Excellent camouflage; posture and colouring Time to evade predators. trees Active predators; direct killers mimic tree branches • Keep cats indoors after sunset; block cat door and provide indoor cat litter tray Safe day roosting and Open aspect, stable, tree branches • Moving vehicles • Reduce Red fox populations; discourage active and opportunistic feeding of Red fox Slow escape ground take off flight speed; • with overhead shielding cover, such nesting tree branches, safe • Cats, domestic and feral • Avoid overpopulation of possums slow to fly off the ground and gain altitude as another larger branch and/or : • Red fox Limit numbers of artificial possum nestboxes night foraging perches more tree canopy above the roost - • Possums; brushtail possum, sugar glider - Plant species which are not possum preferred foraging foliage Secure, strong, roost branches branch Daytime: • Predatory birds; Pied Currawongs, Little Ravens, Owls Plant diversity of tree species rather than large areas of same species in safe positions away from predators which • adjacent trees/tall shrubs to provide - provide good surveillance of surroundings, shielding • Discourage active/opportunistic feeding of predatory birds shielded from harassment Passive predators; indirect killers • Avoid use of insecticides, fertilisers and/or other chemicals known to persist in the food chain and • Poisons ingested from food sources; pesticides [eg rat bait, snail killer] be toxic to birdlife Night time: Secure, strong, night time • Parasites present in black rats ingested as food source [Angiostrongylus • Reduce/eliminate black rats harbouring parasite foraging perch branches big enough for cantonensis] adults to perch on which provide good surveillance of surroundings

Note 1. Nest Branches: Significantly, nearly all Tawny Frogmouth nests sites are found in mature Australian Note 2. References: “Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) Habitat Requirements – Threats - Threat Mitigation native trees. The advanced age Australian native trees provide the strong horizontal or near horizontal tree Actions” Table_Version 7, prepared by R. Ault 11 Oct 2020 with reference to “Tawny Frogmouth” Gisela Kaplan branches with appropriate lateral support at branch junctions which are suitable for Tawny Frogmouth nest sites. 2018 CSIRO Publishing and further personal communication from Gisela Kaplan. Also personal discussions with In Melbourne, Victoria, some suitable Australian native tree species are Silver-leaved Stringybark, Yellow box, Melbourne based bird observers. Ironbark, Peppermint, River Red Gum and Manna Gum Eucalypts [E. cephalocarpa, E. melliodora, E. sideroxylon, E. radiata, E. nicholii, E. camaldulensis, E. viminalis]. Exotic tree species generally have unsuitable branch structure. Even in an established urbanised mature treed environment it is extremely unusual to find Tawny Frogmouth nest sites in exotic trees.

R. Ault – 11 Oct 2020 / Version 7 – with reference to “Tawny Frogmouth” Gisela Kaplan 2018 CSIRO Publishing Page 2/2