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Scientific Program

Thursday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre 29/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2

8:30-9:00 Welcome & conference opening

Plenary address

9:00-9:30 Catterall The importance of birds in Australian ecosystems

Birds in agricultural Seabirds at sea - foraging Chair Jones & urban landscapes Carlile ecology

An oily end? Can What you see is not what you 9:30-9:45 Davis lowland forest birds Priddel get: a comparison of the first persist in the palm oil tracking data for both plantations of New subspecies of Gould’s petrel Britain, Papua New with historical observations at Guinea? sea Bird utilisation of Foraging ecology of Gould’s 9:45-10:00 Green biodiversity corridors Kim Petrel during breeding season in a pine plantation landscape.

Barriers and solutions How reliable is the use of 10:00-10:15 Freimanis to incorporating Sommerfeld First Passage Time analysis to biodiversity in urban determine areas of restricted development - A pilot search behaviour in Tasman project with the boobies? development industry Guided by the light: Determining dietary shifts 10:15-10:30 Jones exploring urban Fleming caused by at-sea events lorikeet roosts using stable isotope analysis

City or the bush? Sea Change for seabirds 10:30-10:45 Davis Habitat usage by an Baird urban parrot assemblage.

10:45-11:15 Morning tea

Birds in modified Seabirds: Threats & Chair Freeman landscapes 1 Wilson Conservation

Lord Howe Gerygone Seabird islands in French 11:15-11:30 Szabo and other lost birds – Waugh Polynesia the history of avian extinctions in Australia

How do the landscape BirdLife International’s 11:30-11:45 Freeman context of Bird Important Bird Area (IBA) revegetation and the programme ecological attributes of bird species affect re- colonisation of rainforest revegetation sites? A case study in the Australian Wet Tropics Uplands.

Thursday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre 29/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2

Eucalyptus wandoo New Zealand’s seabird colony 11:45-12:00 Moore crown decline - How Wilson database: a tool for does it influence the conservation foraging resources for woodland birds?

Modelling interactions Seabird feather bank: a joint 12:00-12:15 Fletcher between fire regime Carlile initiative of the Australasian and Carpentarian Seabird Group and State Grasswrens to inform museum institutions within a fire management Australia program Assessment of fir Not junk food for dinner 12:15-12:30 Harrington challenge to the Carey again – Intergenerational Carpentarian transfer of plastic debris by Grasswren Short-tailed Shearwaters

Critical habitat Estimating marine debris 12:30-12:45 Robinson features for birds in Hardesty impacts on seabirds burnt landscapes

12:45-1:45 Lunch

Birds in modified Seabirds and climate Chair Harrington landscapes 2 Congdon change The ravenous ravens Climate change and Little 1:45-2:00 Stevenson of Rottnest Island: Dann Penguins: predictions based nest predation on bush on a long-term demographic birds by the Australian study Raven Corvus coronoides The Black-throated The influence of sea surface 2:00-2:15 Moloney fFinch southern Manno temperature and rainfall on subspecies Poephila breeding success of the Fairy cincta cincta; Declines, Prion (Pachyptila turtur) threats and conservation Surveying the Seabirds in hot water: Linking 2:15-2:30 Adams Southern Alps: Congdon foraging success and Substantial differences oceanography on the Great in indices of kea Barrier Reef (Nestor notabilis) abundance across its range may reflect response to pest management Returning the Balance: Sensitivity of tropical seabirds 2:30-2:45 Maguire managing threats to Devney to El Niño Precursors the Hooded Plover in Victoria.

Daily movement Colony-specific growth in 2:45-3:00 Velthem patterns and habitat McDuie wedge-tailed shearwaters: use of the brolga, Grus phenotypic plasticity or rubicunda, at non- evolutionary divergence? breeding sites in south west Victoria

Thursday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre 29/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2

3:00-3:30 Afternoon tea

Chair Koetz The secret life of Ratites The secret life of wild 3:30-3:45 Castro brown kiwi: studying behaviour of a cryptic species by direct observation

Acoustic monitoring of 3:45-4:00 Digby cryptic species: the kiwi

Is the southern 4:00-4:15 Bradford cassowary an effective seed disperser?

The response of two 4:15-4:30 Buosi lowland populations of Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) to Tropical Cyclone Larry 4:45 Buses depart

7:00 – 10:00 Dinner

Friday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre 30/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2

Plenary address

9-9:30 Endler Great Bowerbirds use Forced Perspective to improve Mating Success

Chair Joseph Evolution - 1 Battley Migration Systematics of the Contrasting extreme long- 9:30-9:45 Joseph genera Psittacella and Battley distance migration patterns in Pezoporus clarifies the the Bar-tailed Godwit ecological history of Australo-Papuan parrots and relationships of rosella-like parrots Rapid radiation and Carryover effects and 9:45-10:00 Kearns ancient hybridisation Conklin compensation: late arrival on challenge attempts to the non-breeding grounds delimit species in the affects wing moult but not white-throated departure plumage or butcherbird species schedules in migrating Bar- complex (Cracticus) tailed Godwits Analysis of zones of Modelling avian behaviour 10:00-10:15 McLean intergradation between Dennis within geospatial lifelines: subspecies of the what can we learn from variegated fairy-wren patterns of movement? (Malurus lamberti) in tropical and subtropical Australia: a multilocus perspective Speciation before our Migratory movements of the 10:15-10:30 Kliendorfer eyes? Using behaviour Landers trans-Pacific migrant, the to interpret gene flow in Westland Petrel Procellaria Darwin's tree finches westlandica Evolution of quail- Preliminary results of 10:30-10:45 Toon thrush from the New Minton geolocator studies add to our Guinean tropics to knowledge of movements of Australia’s arid, stony small waders deserts

10:45-11:15 Morning tea

Climate Change & Arid Chair Webster Evolution - 2 McKechnie Zone Birds

Assessing the causes of The effects of a warming 11:15-11:30 Webster phenotypic divergence Wolf climate on desert birds – a across an avian hybrid physiological perspective zone

Genetic diversity in Behavioural thermoregulation 11:30-11:45 Cowen translocated and source Martin in desert birds: how might populations of the Noisy patterns of landscape use Scrub-bird Atrichornis buffer the effects of climate clamosus change?

A comprehensive Physiological and behavioural 11:45-12:00 Garcia-R molecular phylogeny of Smit responses to temperature the rails (aves: and humidity in the White- rallidae): mitochondrial browed Sparrow-weaver and nuclear DNA trees for an avian family

Friday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre 30/09/2011 A3.1 A3.2 Comparative life- history/development Behavioural responses of 12:00-12:15 Perrin The allometry of parrot Cunningham Kalahari birds to high BMR; seasonal data for temperatures – implications the Greater Vasa Parrot, in the face of climate change Coracopsis vasa, from Madagascar. Ontogeny of the avian Modelling the response of 12:15-12:30 Watson immune system: a case Scoble morphological and molecular study in a long-lived variation to environmental seabird gradients for conservation planning in the southern scrub-robin (Drymodes brunneopygia) Maternal sex Does Climate explain recent 12:30-12:45 Hall determination and its Hockey range changes of South potential effects on African birds avian conservation initiatives.

12:45-1:45 Lunch

Long-term Chair Dann monitoring in partial Devney Song/communication migrants Pied Imperial Pigeons Function of solo songs and 1:45-2:00 on Brook Island: forty Dowling song joining in the Red- Winter five years and counting backed Fairy-wren – a basis for environmental modelling. Pied Imperial Pigeon Males are from Mars and 2:00-2:15 Hazel breeding colonies: McGuire females can tell! Females, but lessons from long-term not males, differentiate male population counts geographic song variants in the western whipbird Psophodes nigrogularis Ecology & movement Standing out from the crowd: McDonald individually distinct signals in 2:15-2:30 Portelli Filling in the gap: the a cooperative system complex social organisation of the cooperatively-breeding Hall’s babbler Mistletoe specialist Habitat fragmentation affects 2:30-2:45 Watson frugivores: latter-day Koetz song dialects in the “Johnny Appleseeds” or Chowchilla (Orthonyx self-serving market spaldingii) gardeners?

Behaviour and 2:45-3:00 Clancy movements of colour- banded nestling Black- necked Storks Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus australis in northern New South Wales

3:00-3:30 Afternoon tea



Friday 30/09/2011 The Boathouse

Posters Posters Genetic Evaluation of Infrasonic booming in the 3:30-3:45 Guay population connectivity Koetz Southern Cassowary – a new in Black Swans; discovery; ; 35 Years On: What Learning and dispersal affects Have We Learned About song syllable sharing in the Guppy the Breeding Ecology of Dickie Chowchilla Woodland Birds at Moruya? Climate and breeding in Citizen Science – Australia: Australian birds. Volunteer achievements and Gibbs Maurer support in Birds Australia’s Shorebirds 2020 program The Australian Pest Helminths in New Zealand 3:45-4:00 Dall Animal Strategy Schoener Native Passerines;

The breeding ecology of Using leukocyte profiles in wild

wild North Island Brown birds: the fallacy of the H/L Castro Watson Kiwi ratio and its interpretation

A replacement for blood Kahn sampling?

4:00-4:45 Launch of the Action Plan for Australian Birds - 2010

4:45-6:00 Introducing Bird Life Australia

6:45 Buses depart

Saturday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre 1/10/2011 A3.1 A3.2

Plenary address

9-9:30 Webster Dealing with uncertainty: Flexible sexual signalling in a tropical Australian bird

Mating systems & ecology of Shorebirds - Chair Burbidge Wrens Milton Conservation on Migration Early life environment influences A love of shorebirds: 9:30-9:45 Barron maternally derived yolk Gibbs amazing journeys, androgens and adult reproductive conservation challenges. phenotype in a cooperatively breeding bird

Plumage signalling in the red- Monitoring the loss of 9:45-10:00 Barker backed fairy-wren: do females Murray intertidal mudflats in the prefer older brighter males? Yellow Sea using remote sensing

Testosterone in a seasonally and Improving identification 10:00-10:15 Peters sexually dichromatic, Clemens and representativeness of cooperatively breeding, tropical important shorebird non- fairy-wren breeding habitat

Timing of breeding in a Yalu Jiang, China, shorebird 10:15-10:30 Hall threatened tropical bird, and Riegen hot spot on the EAAF: but implications of changing rainfall for how long? patterns.

Social behaviour and habitat use Migratory connectivity 10:30-10:45 Douglas by two small, cooperatively- Imawura magnifies the impact of breeding passerines in Karri (Murray) habitat loss on shorebird forest in southwest Australia populations

10:45-11:15 Morning tea

Community & institutional Shorebird Conservation - Chair Ravich involvement in conservation Rogers Trends in Australia

Understanding the distribution of Declining shorebird trends 11:15-11:30 Tulloch volunteer bird surveys from an Watson from seven decades of environmental, social and surveys in Botany Bay, behavioural perspective – what NSW makes a twitcher tick?

Is biodiversity education working? Declining shorebird counts 11:30-11:45 Johnson A case study in evaluation Rogers at the Western Treatment Plant are part of a Victoria- wide trend 

Saturday Crowther theatre Crowther theatre 1/10/2011 A3.1 A3.2

The effectiveness of the Little known = Little at 11:45-12:00 Holmes institutional arrangements for Maurer risk? Australia’s savannah managing threatened birds shorebirds

Conservation of Avifauna in the Rapid declines in migratory 12:00-12:15 Watson Torres Strait Wilson shorebirds in Moreton Bay, (Clemens) Australia

Ethno-ornithology and Long-term waterbird 12:15-12:30 Hitchcock Conservation in the Torres Strait Hansen monitoring in Western Port, Islands Victoria, shows significant declines in multiple guilds

12:30-12:45

12:45-1:45 Lunch

Diseases & disease Chair Goodall Translocations Laurance vectors

What are we achieving with bird Avian Malaria- Does it 1:45-2:00 Burbidge translocations? Jones affect the distribution of birds in the Wet Tropics?

Measuring the success of Eastern Effects of habitat 2:00-2:15 Bakers Bristlebird translocations Laurance fragmentation on avian disease in tropical rainforests of northern eastern Australia – preliminary analysis Nutritional diseases in New Coccidia in New Zealand 2:15-2:30 Jensen Zealand seabirds during colony Schoener Native Passerines translocations

Assessing the capture and So long and thanks for all 2:30-2:45 Burns handling techniques of New Galbraith the parrots: the ecology Zealand’s avian wildlife and impact of eastern rosella in New Zealand

2:45-3:15 Afternoon tea

3:15 Conference presentations & close

3:45 Buses depart

James Cook University Australasian Ornithological Birds Australia

Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

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ABSTRACTS

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Surveying the Southern Alps: Substantial differences in indices of kea (Nestor notabilis) abundance across its range may reflect response to pest management

N.J. Adams1, J. Kemp2, T. Orr-Walker3 and L. Roberts1

1Unitec, New Zealand; 2Department of Conservation; 3Kea Conservation Trust.

Introduced mammalian predators significantly impact the populations of many native bird species in New Zealand. We assessed the relative abundance of an endemic parrot, the kea (Nestor notabilis) at three localities across its range for evidence of benefits of predator control. Kea are thinly distributed through the dense forest and alpine areas of South Island, New Zealand and obtaining abundance assessments is challenging. A co-ordinated series of tree-line surveys were conducted by professional and volunteer ornithologists at sites under different pest management regimes. Data on time to first call, calling rate, sighting rate, and flock size were averaged over all survey points. Average sighting and calling rates and encounter rates with flocks were highest at the site with intensive stoat trapping and a history of repeated aerial 1080 drops, intermediate at the site with no predator control and lowest at the site with localised stoat and possum control that partly covered the study area. Preliminary estimates of the numbers of breeding females were correlated with these estimates of relative abundance. Our data suggest a difference in the densities of birds between the extreme sites of the order of five to six times and that intensive pest control is effective in increasing kea survival. The ability to conduct these surveys, necessary to reliably detect differences in abundance at a landscape scale, was dependant on the collaboration between governmental and non-governmental conservation agencies and the input of volunteers.

Sea Change for Seabirds

Karen Baird 1

1Birdlife International, c/- Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Incorporated 400 Leigh Road, RD5, Warworth 0985 New Zealand

Birdlife International’s Global Seabird Programme was established in 1997 amidst mounting concern that seabirds, particularly albatrosses and the larger petrels, were becoming increasingly threatened and at a faster rate globally than all other bird species-groups. Seventeen out of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction with the main threat coming from mortality in fisheries. The objectives of the programme are to: address seabird conservation issues at a global level and engage relevant stakeholders regionally and internationally; to facilitate existing, and promote new initiatives to reduce the incidental mortality of seabirds by fisheries, particularly in respect of longlining. Also to establish and support a network of BirdLife partners and others to influence global and regional policies with respect to seabirds. We examine some of what has been achieved over the last 14 years of this project, including the Save the Albatross Campaign and the work of the Albatross Task Force, mitigation research and the tracking database; International Agreements and work with Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. We also review other programmes, for example the role of marine Important Bird Areas and island eradications.

Student Prize Candidate 21 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Measuring the success of Eastern Bristlebird translocations

Jack Baker1, David Bain1, Jean Clarke1 and Kris French1

1 Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Manager, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522

The Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is an endangered endemic passerine of south- eastern Australia. Translocation was identified in recovery planning to reduce the impacts of the threats of habitat fragmentation and widespread and frequent fire in NSW. At Jervis Bay during 2003- 2005, 50 birds were translocated from Bherwerre Peninsula to Beecroft Peninsula. In the Illawarra in 2008, 50 birds were translocated from Barren Grounds Nature Reserve to Cataract. For Jervis Bay, monitoring indicated that after 7 years, (i) there was no detectable impact on the source population from the removal of birds and (ii) the count at Beecroft Peninsula was 94 birds, with dispersal up to 6.3 km from the release point. In the Illawarra, (i) the source population was estimated to be recovering at a minimum annual growth rate of 11% and (ii) the maximum count at Cataract was 12 birds after 1.5 years, including evidence of breeding, and after 3 years the maximum dispersal was 7 km from the release point. The translocations demonstrated adherence to five key principles:(i) Feasibility analysis prior to each project was favourable. (ii) For 17 pre-stated criteria for success, 14 and 10 respectively were met for Jervis Bay and Illawarra. (iii) Financial accountability was achieved with detailed statements showing budgets of $217k and $119k respectively for Jervis Bay and Illawarra. (iv) Ecological research was incorporated into both projects (v) The results of each project are progressively being published. The re-introduction at Jervis Bay has succeeded and we are optimistic about the Illawarra re-introduction.

Plumage signalling in the red-backed fairy-wren: do females prefer older brighter males?

Margaret E. Barker1, Michael S. Webster2 and Bradley C. Congdon1

1 School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia; 2The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Mating systems with extra-pair paternity (resulting from copulations outside the social bond) are considered reliable systems in which to test female preference for either better-condition and/or older males, as in the absence of direct benefits, females are thought to engage in extra-pair copulations primarily to obtain genetic benefits. In the socially monogamous yet highly promiscuous red-backed fairy-wren, it has been shown that females prefer the elaborate red and black breeding plumage in males; and that its extent correlates strongly with extra-pair reproductive success. Conversely, in the congeneric superb fairy-wren, male extra-pair mating success is associated with early acquisition of breeding plumage rather than with plumage colour per se. In a study of colour-banded red-backed fairy-wrens we investigated whether variation in; 1) time spent in breeding plumage, or 2) colour quality (hue, chroma and brightness) of the carotenoid-based plumage, provided information on male age and/or condition in the species. Our findings suggest that time spent in red/black breeding plumage may provide females with an accurate cue to the age of males, and that plumage brightness may provide an accurate cue to male condition. With evidence of age-related changes in male ornamentation as a potential source of variation in male reproductive success in red-backed fairy-wrens, further investigation of these traits and their influence on female mate choice in this intriguing mating system is warranted.

Student Prize Candidate 22 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Early life environment influences maternally derived yolk androgens and adult reproductive phenotype in a cooperatively breeding bird

D.G. Barron1, W.R. Lindsay1, D.T. Baldassare2, M.S. Webster2 and H. Schwabl1

1Washington State University; 2Cornell University;

Ecologists generally conduct research in two interrelated but discrete areas: the influence of early life conditions on offspring quality and the role of adult phenotype on fitness. In this study we reveal a critical link between these periods in Red-backed Fairy-wrens (Malurus melanocephalus) and suggest a mechanistic basis for this association. First year males in this species adopt one of three testosterone dependent reproductive phenotypes; they can either breed in red/black plumage or brown plumage, or remain as non-breeding brown natal auxiliaries. We tested the hypothesis that first year phenotype reflects variation in early life conditions by investigating the impact of parent age, fledge date, natal auxiliary presence, nestling body condition, and number of siblings on adult phenotype. Red/black breeders fledged earlier, were much less likely to have natal auxiliaries, and came from territories with more siblings. Furthermore, yolk testosterone levels were higher in the absence of natal auxiliaries, suggesting associated environmental influences on maternal effects. This research implies that developmental environment, rather than ‘good genes’, may be driving variation in first year breeding phenotype and thus adult fitness.

Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in the Bar-tailed Godwit

P.F. Battley1, R.E. Gill., Jr.,2 T.L. Tibbitts2 and N. Warnock3

1Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; 2USGS, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, USA; 3Audubon Alaska, 441 West Fifth Avenue, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA.

We used satellite-telemetry to compare the migration performance of two subspecies of bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica travelling between non-breeding grounds in New Zealand (subspecies baueri) and Northwest Australia (subspecies menzbieri) and breeding grounds in Alaska and Eastern Russia, respectively. Individuals of both subspecies made long, usually non-stop, flights from non-breeding grounds to coastal staging grounds in the Yellow Sea region of East Asia. After refuelling, baueri flew over the North Pacific Ocean to the Alaskan breeding grounds. Menzbieri continued over land and sea northeast to high arctic Russia. After breeding, baueri staged in southwest Alaska then flew non-stop across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand (including a record flight of 11,680 km) or to islands in the southwestern Pacific en route to New Zealand and eastern Australia. Menzbieri returned to Australia via stopovers in the New Siberian Islands, Russia, and back at the Yellow Sea. Overall, the entire migration of a baueri godwit with a complete migration track totalled 29,280 km and involved 20 days of major migratory flight. The entire migrations of menzbieri averaged 20,830 km, including 15 days of major migratory flights. Godwits of both populations exhibit extreme flight performance, and baueri makes the longest (southbound) and second-longest (northbound) non-stop migratory flights documented for any bird. Both subspecies essentially make single stops when moving between non- breeding and breeding sites in opposite hemispheres. This reinforces the critical importance of the intertidal habitats used by fuelling godwits in Australasia, the Yellow Sea, and Alaska.

Student Prize Candidate 23 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

BirdLife International’s Important Bird Area (IBA) Programme

J. Bird1

1Marine IBA Coordinator BirdLife International Pacific Secretariat, 10 McGregor Rd, GPO Box 18332, Suva, Fiji Email: [email protected] www.birdlife.org

BirdLife International’s Important Bird Area (IBA) programme has developed and applied standardised criteria to identify priority terrestrial sites for conservation (especially of birds) worldwide. This approach is now being extended to the marine realm with a view to making the results available for effective marine spatial planning. Data on seabird species’ foraging ecologies and at-sea distribution, and ecological models are being used to identify four types of marine IBA: seaward extensions from breeding colonies, pelagic sites, non-breeding coastal congregations and migration bottlenecks. As part of an ongoing process 110 marine IBAs have been identified to date within 23 Pacific Island Countries, Territories and States (PICTS), but the process is hampered by data availability in the region. Currently only 2% of the area within marine IBAs in the tropical Pacific lies inside Marine Protected Area (MPA) boundaries. Challenges for the next phase of this programme are to plug existing information gaps to improve coverage of the marine IBA network, and to increase the level of national and international protection that these priority sites receive.

Is the southern cassowary an effective seed disperser?

M.G. Bradford1 and D.A. Westcott1

1CSIRO, Ecosystem Sciences, Tropical Forest Research Centre, Atherton

The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is perceived to be an important if not keystone seed disperser in the wet tropical forests of Australia and New Guinea. However, do the actions of the cassowary result in a seed having a greater probability of survival to germination and establishment than if it remains undispersed or dispersed by other vectors? Using data collected and published by CSIRO over a 12 year period, we explore cassowary diet preference, animal movement and dispersal patterns, the effect of gentle gut processing, and seed predation from clumped droppings. We then draw conclusions on how each of these dispersal components contributes to the overall effectiveness of the cassowary as a seed disperser.

Student Prize Candidate 24 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The response of two lowland populations of Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) to Tropical Cyclone Larry

P. Buosi1 and S. Burnett2

1NRA Environmental Consultants; 2University of the Sunshine Coast.

Since 1998 we have been surveying populations of Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii, Cassowary) at Cowley Beach and Tully in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, far north Queensland. The two areas are managed by the Department of Defence (Defence) as field training areas and contain substantial areas of intact forest. The Cowley Beach Training Area (CBTA) is an isolated forest fragment containing small patches of rainforest within a mosaic of low open forest. The Tully Training Area (TTA) contains one of the largest tracts of lowland rainforest south of the Daintree and is contiguous with substantial tracts of upland rainforest. The purpose of the survey program is to monitor Cassowary abundance, population structure and habitat use around the areas more intensively used by Defence. We use a refined rapid assessment survey technique using data obtained from scats, footprints, sightings, and more recently, surveillance cameras. Between 1998 and 2010 we have conducted 10 surveys at CBTA and 15 surveys at TTA.

In March 2006 severe Tropical Cyclone Larry crossed the coast near Cowley Beach and caused substantial damage to forests in the region. Following the cyclone there was particular public concern regarding the impacts of the cyclone on local Cassowary populations. The data we collected at CBTA and TTA prior to and following Tropical Cyclone Larry provides a unique opportunity to review and compare how these two Cassowary populations were affected by the cyclone and discuss some potential implications for conservation and management.

What are we achieving with bird translocations?

Allan H. Burbidge1, Sarah Comer2, Alan Danks3 and Cam Tiller2

1WA Department of Environment and Conservation, PO Box 51, Wanneroo, WA 6065; 2 WA Department of Environment and Conservation, Albany Hwy, Albany WA 6330; 3223 Albany Hwy, Albany, WA 6330

Translocations have often been used as a recovery tool for threatened populations, but are increasingly being advocated as an adaptation strategy in the face of climate change. We contrast two case studies, Noisy Scrub-bird and Barrow Island Black-and-white Fairy-wren, to examine some of the issues that need to be considered.

Recent translocation of the fairy-wren from Barrow Island to former parts of its range will assist in fauna reconstruction at the target site, and will increase resilience of the taxon with respect to localised threats, but is not likely to contribute to resilience in the face of climate change.

A long history of scrub-bird translocations has been instrumental in increasing the size and geographic range of the population. This expanded population has withstood the impact of two major bushfires. Establishing new populations in higher rainfall areas within south-west WA could improve the resilience of the species to predicted climate change. Unfortunately habitat is predicted to become increasingly dry, and a number of translocations to such areas have not been successful.

In the case of the Noisy Scrub-bird translocations have clearly demonstrated their value, and it is hoped that the Black and White fairy wren will have similar success. However, increasing resilience to climate change in the longer term will also require other management interventions to improve connectivity, management of fire and feral predator control, in order to achieve long term conservation of these and other threatened species.

Student Prize Candidate 25 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Assessing the Capture and Handling Techniques of New Zealand’s Avian Wildlife

T.S. Burns1, B. Gartrell2,3,4, J.F. Cockrem4,5 and K.J. Morgan4,6,7

1Conservation Biology Masters student in the Ecology Group, Massey University, New Zealand; 2Director of the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre; 3Senior Lecturer in Avian and Wildlife Health; 4Institute of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand; 5Associate Professor in Comparative Physiology; 6Lecturer in Avian and Wildlife Health; 7New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre.

The capture and handling of wildlife is an indispensable component of intensive conservation management in New Zealand and is used for monitoring, translocations and research. However in every capture and handling event, animals have the potential to be injured or have their physiology or behaviour altered. Therefore effective and safe capture and handling techniques are critical to the ongoing study of wild animals. This research aims to address the impacts that the handling protocols of kiwi (Apteryx spp.) may be having on the birds stress levels and the potential these processes may have to cause muscle damage. This will be done by carrying out an experiment using layer hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a model system and handling them in the manner prescribed by the kiwi best practice manual. This research also aims to assess the suitability of using the Talon netgun as a means of capturing wildlife in New Zealand, by using it to capture both pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio) and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and comparing them to baseline samples. In addition the pukeko and mallards captured will be split into control and treatment groups and the handling protocols of takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) and pateke (Anas chlorotis) will be investigated using pukeko and mallards respectively. In all cases the impacts on the birds muscle will be assessed by measuring the changes in level of plasma creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase while the stress response will be determined by changes in the plasma corticosterone. Results will be presented at the conference.

Not junk food for dinner again – Intergenerational transfer of plastic debris by Short-tailed Shearwaters

M.J. Carey1

1Department of Environmental Management and Ecology, La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, 3690, AUSTRALIA

Pollution of the world’s oceans affects a wide variety of marine organisms and thus raises major concerns regarding conservation. Ingestion of plastic debris has increased since the 1970s, particularly among the Procellariiformes, resulting in a range of lethal and sub-lethal side effects. Plastic loads of adult Short-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) are well known from research in the northern hemisphere, but the amount in offspring has yet to be quantified. In this study, the stomach contents of fledgling Short-tailed Shearwaters on Phillip Island, Victoria, were analysed for plastic particles. All birds sampled contained plastic material, averaging 7.6 particles per bird. The mean mass of plastic per bird was 113 mg. The most common type of plastic found was user plastic, followed by industrial pellets. The birds contained a small proportion of other refuse such as polystyrene and plastic bag. Plastics were primarily light in colour, though red and grey-black materials were also recorded. Despite a weak trend, no clear influence of ingested plastic on body condition could be demonstrated, although there was some evidence of physical damage to the gizzard. Accumulation of plastic objects in the digestive tract over time may indirectly affect the life cycle of species and their reproductive success, with long-term harm caused to populations. Data suggests that an assessment of the impact of this type of pollution on seabird welfare is urgently required.

Student Prize Candidate 26 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Seabird feather bank: a joint initiative of the Australasian Seabird Group and State museum institutions within Australia

A. Chiaradia1,3 N. Carlile2,3

1 Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia; 2 Threatened Fauna Ecology, Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW, Australia, 3 Australasian Seabird Group http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/australasian-seabird-group.html

The Australasian Seabird Group (ASG) is launching a national seabird feather bank. The concept of the feather bank is to provide a long-term collection point of seabird feathers that will be available as vouchers for species occurrence, assessment of moult, tissue sampling for DNA (and other molecular techniques), stable isotopes and hormone stress analysis. New techniques using feather analysis are emerging at an incredible pace leading to studies that can reveal environment conditions during the long seabird migration, changes in diet and climatic impact on seabird populations. A long-term collection of material would importantly reveal changes over time for particular species. However, some of these techniques are destructive which may put pressure on museum collections. In addition, some of these studies may require large samples from one given period which are usually not available at the museums. With these new ways to study bird life story through their feathers, the ASG believes that the creation of the Seabird Feather Bank will benefit future seabird research. For this, we will encourage the collection of entire wings which are more informative than isolated feathers and yet easy to collect and store. The provision of rare complete birds, in good condition, would be limited to the individual needs of the State Museums and be between the individual collector and that institution. Several State Museums in Australia have already agreed to support the Feather Bank. We hope other museums in the Australasian region could join in this initiative.

The secret life of wild brown kiwi: studying behaviour of a cryptic species by direct observation

Susan J. Cunningham1, 2 and Isabel Castro1

1 Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.2 Percy Fitzpatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.

The behaviour of nocturnal species is difficult to study using traditional observational techniques and data is often collected indirectly using methods like radio-telemetry. Here we present the first study of wild brown kiwi behaviour by direct observation. We obtained c. 6 hours of video footage of kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) over 19 months using inexpensive hand-held infrared cameras. Kiwi time-activity budgets were dominated by foraging (75% of active time) and prey capture rates were significantly higher in exotic pasture edges than in native forest. Direct social and courtship interactions were observed rarely. The senses of hearing, olfaction and touch seemed most important to active kiwi and we observed no behaviours that appeared to be guided by vision. Touch was used for investigating terrain, negotiating obstacles and in social interactions. Hearing was used in response to sounds made by observers, conspecifics and other sources. Olfactory search behaviours were used in the direction of these sounds, and olfaction was also apparently used to assess odours on the ground. We describe an olfactory search behaviour, we termed bill hover, for the first time. Behavioural repertoire size and diversity, and prey capture rates all increased in winter when kiwi begin breeding. Microhabitat use was also more diverse in winter. Female kiwi at our study site had 30% longer bills than males, and probed into soil substrates on average 30% deeper. No other fine-scale behaviours that might reduce competition between kiwi sexes were observed.

Student Prize Candidate 27 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The breeding ecology of wild North Island Brown Kiwi S.E. Jamieson1,2, I.C. Castro1, T. Jensen2, A. Wilson1, and B. Durrant2

1 Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, NZ; 2 Institute for Conservation Research- Reproductive Physiology Division, San Diego Zoo Global, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido, California, USA

Poster Presentation: Kiwi (Apteryx spp.) are infamous for their large eggs. Females lay 1-2 egg clutches with each egg weighing roughly 20% of their body mass. Other than this detail little is known about their reproduction. We hope to help fill this knowledge gap by studying the breeding ecology of North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). We work on a remote island in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, where we have 45 adult kiwi radio tagged. On this poster we will describe our results from the 2010- 2011 and 2011-2012 breeding seasons. Specifically, we will report breeding propensity, clutch size, egg morphometrics, incubation duration, nightly nest attendance, hatching and fledgling success, post-hatch care, and chick survival. It is our hope that the information gained during this project can be used to help with long-term management of North Island Brown Kiwi and the conservation of Kiwi throughout the country.

The importance of birds in Australian ecosystems

C.P. Catterall1

1School of Environment and Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University.

Plenary Presentation: Birds are abundant and diverse in both species and in ecological function. Australia supports over 800 species. A great deal of effort has gone into describing and understanding this diversity, and understanding recent species’ declines and their causes such as habitat destruction, hunting, and changes to hydrological and climatic conditions. Much of this work has focused on birds as passive indicators or recipients affected by human actions, either negatively or positively, and directly or indirectly. However birds are also involved in ecological relationships with other organisms, where they have active roles such as seed dispersers, pollinators, predators and nutrient recyclers. This makes them important agents which can influence both how ecosystems function now, and how they are likely to change in the future. Ecosystem properties whose changes may be mediated by birds include vegetation dynamics, plant invasions and extinctions, and insect abundance. Their relevance to human societies extends from biodiversity conservation to agriculture and disease. In this talk I will review these ideas, and then consider areas in which birds play important roles in Australian ecosystems. I will use specific case studies in remnant, regrowth and restored forest and woodland to illustrate how selected roles have changed in response to human actions and land uses, how these altered roles can lead to further cascades of change in the nature of vegetation, how these changes may be either negative or positive from a human viewpoint, and why there is value in better understanding the birds’ roles to enable effective management.

Student Prize Candidate 28 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Behaviour and movements of colour-banded nestling Black- necked Storks Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus australis in northern New South Wales

Greg. P. Clancy1

1 Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW

Prior to this study only 14 Black-necked Storks had been banded in Australia, with four of these being recovered dead. Colour-banding of nestling Black-necked Storks was carried out as a component of research carried out for the author’s PhD on the ecology, conservation and management of the Black- necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus from 2003-2006 and has continued to the present. Other methods such as satellite tracking or radio tracking were ruled out on practical and economic grounds. Methods of accessing nests are described. The bands were powder-coated size 29 stainless steel bands, which were originally designed for use on Adelie Penguins. Fifteen nestling storks were banded during this study at six separate nests. Eleven of these banded birds were observed post-fledging within the natal area and three have been observed away from the natal area. One bird was banded at Bulahdelah and found dead at Casino 5 months and 16 days after banding and 400 km to the north. This constitutes the longest movement recorded for the species. The other two recoveries involved male birds that had travelled 21 kilometres and then 42 kilometres and the other bird 13 kilometres, within the Clarence Valley. The study has provided information on the post-fledging movement of the species which was poorly known prior to this study.

Improving identification and representativeness of important shorebird non-breeding habitat R.S. Clemens1, M.A. Weston2, and A. Herrod3 1School of Biological Sciences, Environmental Decisions Group, Fuller Lab, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072. Australia; 2School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, 3125 Vic., Australia: 3Birds Australia National Office, Suite 2-05, Green Building, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, 3053 Vic., Australia.

Conservation managers designate important non-breeding habitat for migratory shorebirds based on imperfect data and knowledge. Defining important non-breeding habitat for migratory shorebirds aids shorebird conservation by: placing habitat on the planning radar, defining relevant planning units, and forming the unit of measure for broader population monitoring studies. We review the growing evidence that separate habitats used by independent groups of non-breeding shorebirds can be defined spatially by simply including all habitat used by a local population. Habitats identified in this way vary in size considerably, and often do not correspond to existing important area boundaries identified using wetland or geographic features alone. Revising the methods of mapping shorebird non-breeding habitat can improve conservation decisions, and the sensitivity of population monitoring efforts. We then discuss the case for the recent revision in thresholds used to designate important non- breeding shorebird habitat in Australia, from 20,000 to 2,000 in total abundance, and the threshold in percentage of a species population from 1.0% to 0.1%. The additional areas identified by lower criteria resulted in sufficient additional proportions of some shorebird populations to warrant use of these lower thresholds to identify important habitat at a national level. However, the proportion of a species population counted within wetlands identified as important through the application of criteria varied widely between species, and showed greater increase as thresholds were lowered, for species that were abundant, widespread and well represented at existing thresholds. Therefore, some species will remain under-represented, partly because of interspecific differences in distribution and inadequate sampling.

Student Prize Candidate 29 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Seabirds in hot water: linking seabird foraging success and oceanography on the GBR.

Bradley C. Congdon1, Scarla J. Weeks2, & Craig Steinberg3

1School of Marine & Tropical Biology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia. 2Centre for Marine Studies and Centre for Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science. University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. 3Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.

Previously, we have shown that El Niño activity significantly influences seabird breeding success on the GBR and that intense El Niño events can be linked to almost total nesting failure of impacted colonies. In addition, significant day-to-day fluctuations in prey availability can occur in direct association with small-scale variation in SST, independent of prevailing El Niño conditions. Here we use data obtained during a thermal stress event to identify, in part, the oceanographic processes responsible for these relationships and highlight the key role played by cyclonic mesoscale eddies that form on the coastward edge of the East Australian Current.

Carryover effects and compensation: late arrival on the non- breeding grounds affects wing moult but not departure plumage or schedules in migrating Bar-tailed Godwits J.R. Conklin1 and P.F. Battley1

1Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand

New Zealand Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica baueri) undergo dramatic seasonal plumage changes, achieve remarkably high premigratory fuel loads, undertake the most extreme nonstop migratory flights yet recorded, and breed during brief high-latitude summers. Consequently, godwits may face severe time and energy constraints, increasing the likelihood of carryover effects between successive events in the annual cycle, both within and across seasons. Despite this, interannual differences in timing of migratory arrival and start of primary feather moult did not affect an individual’s timing of migratory departure or plumage at departure from New Zealand, both of which were extraordinarily repeatable. Furthermore, no marked adult godwit failed to migrate the following season, despite delays in arrival or moult of 30-45 d. Most off-schedule departures from New Zealand were attributable to recent capture or avoidance of departure during headwinds, and none were linked to off-schedule arrival or moult. Thus, errors in timing of southbound migration and subsequent moult are essentially corrected before northbound migration. Rigid maintenance of plumage and migration schedules, coupled with high annual survival, do not suggest a bird at the limit of its capabilities, but rather imply a high degree of flexibility to meet the requirements of a highly demanding annual cycle.

Student Prize Candidate 30 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Genetic diversity in translocated and source populations of the Noisy Scrub-bird Atrichornis clamosus

S.J. Cowen1, D.M. Groth2 and S.J. Comer3

1,2 School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, AUSTRALIA; 3Department of Environment and Conservation, South Coast Region, Albany, AUSTRALIA

Translocations are a key management strategy in the recovery of many threatened species, including the Noisy Scrub-bird (Atrichornis clamosus). This songbird is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia and was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1961. At this time the population was estimated at fewer than 100 individuals, which represented a significant population bottleneck. Such bottlenecks have been shown to reduce genetic variability within populations. The translocation of small founder groups to e.g. Mount Manypeaks (n=32) and Bald Island (n=11), may have compounded this loss of genetic diversity by imposing founder effects and subsequent genetic drift of these populations. And while some translocated populations have thrived, the retention or loss of genetic variability within these populations is unknown. Low levels of genetic variability can be associated with loss of fitness which may ultimately lead to the decline or extinction of a population. This study focussed on the levels of genetic variability in source and translocated populations of Noisy Scrub-birds using two groups of polymorphic gene loci, tetranucleotide microsatellites and the Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II B locus, the latter having a strong association with fitness in other species, in particular with disease resistance.

Behavioural responses of Kalahari birds to high temperatures – implications in the face of climate change

S.J. Cunningham1, K. du Plessis1, R. Martin1, A. Ridley1,2 and P.A.R. Hockey, 1

1Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa; 2Department of Brains, Behaviour and Evolution, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia

Global climate change has resulted in range and abundance changes, including extinctions, of species worldwide. Heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and more intense under climate change in most land areas. Desert species could be especially vulnerable to increases in maximum air temperatures and heatwaves because many already live near the limits of their thermal tolerances. Predicting the consequences of such changes for birds requires an understanding of how they respond, both behaviourally and physiologically, to hot weather events of varying intensity and duration. We present case studies of the behavioural responses to high temperatures of two desert-dwelling passerines, the Southern Pied Babbler and the Fiscal Shrike. We discuss the costs of thermoregulation in terms of foraging efficiency and consequences for body condition of adults (babblers) and chicks (shrikes). Our data suggest that higher air temperatures (well within range of temperatures currently experienced in the Kalahari) cause changes in bird behaviour that have negative consequences for maintenance of body condition and growth of chicks, potentially providing mechanisms by which these species may be vulnerable to further climate change.

Student Prize Candidate 31 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The Australian Pest Animal Strategy

D.J. Dall

National Coordinator, Australian Pest Animal Strategy LPO Box 5055, University of Canberra Bruce ACT 2617 [email protected]

Poster Presentation: Feral pests impact severely on Australia’s birds. The Australian Pest Animal Strategy (‘APAS’; www.apas.net.au) is a national framework plan that sets out how the governments of Australia will work with each other, and with business, industry, researchers and the community to manage vertebrate pest issues and problems across the biosecurity continuum. A key function of the APAS is to provide a mechanism for coordinating adoption of consistent national approaches to management of invasive pest species and their impacts. The Vertebrate Pests Committee and Australian Weeds Committee recently finalised the ‘National Categorisation System for Invasive Species’. Consistent with the APAS, one of the categories established under this system will be ‘Established Invasive Species of National Significance’. This category will identify pest species that have actual or potentially ‘nationally significant impacts’ across one or more states or territories, which cannot feasibly be eradicated, and for which national coordination of effort is needed to reduce/minimise their impacts. Foxes and feral cats are likely to satisfy the criteria required for Ministerial endorsement of a pest as a member of this category. Identification of these predators of birdlife as Established Pest Animals of National Significance (EPANS) would assist to maintain a focus on investment of the resources required for development and delivery of strategies and technologies to reduce their impacts on birds and other elements of the national environment.

Climate change and Little Penguins: predictions based on a long- term demographic study

P. Dann1, L. Sidhu2, L. Chambers3 and E. Catchpole2

1Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, P.O Box 97, Cowes, Phillip Island, Victoria, 3922, Australia; 2 School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences UNSW at the Australian Defence Force Academy Canberra ACT 2600 Australia; 3Centre for Australian Weather & Climate Research - Bureau of Meteorology GPO Box 1289 Melbourne Vic 3001 Australia

Climate has been shown to be related to various demographic parameters in many seabird species. In this study we review the likely effects of climate change on the demography of Little Penguins Eudyptula minor using a 40-year life-history dataset of penguins breeding on Phillip Island in south- eastern Australia. We examine various climatic variables and their expected trends over the next 100 years including sea-levels, rainfall, air and sea temperatures, wind and sea-temperature gradients. We consider that sea-level rise is unlikely to have significant effects on breeding habitat at Phillip Island in the short-term. Increasing air temperatures may have limited effects on penguin attendance patterns ashore in the short-term but no effects on breeding success are predicted. Ocean temperatures show the strongest relationships with penguin demography, with the timing and success of breeding and juvenile survival all being positively correlated with regional sea-surface temperatures. Recruitment is likely to increase with increasing sea-temperatures in Bass Strait particularly in autumn. Decreased sea temperature gradients in Bass Strait are associated with increased mass of adults and earlier egg- laying. Opportunities for adaptation and mitigation are discussed.

Student Prize Candidate 32 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

City or the Bush? Habitat Usage by an Urban Parrot Assemblage

A.Davis 1,, C.E. Taylor 1 and R.E. Major2

1University of Sydney; 2Australian Museum

Certain native species are able to tolerate the urban landscape to the point where they are sometimes found in higher abundance in cities than they are in the surrounding natural vegetation. To improve understanding of the resource requirements of Australian parrots, we investigated the seasonal abundance and habitat use of 13 species in different landscape units in Sydney, Australia. The urban landscape was divided into four urban zones and 528 surveys were conducted over a period of two years throughout remnant vegetation, golf courses, street scapes and recreational parks, as well as the surrounding natural landscape. Except for one species, parrots were significantly more abundant in the urban landscape than they were in the surrounding natural landscape. Consequently, the urban landscape contained significantly different assemblages to that of the natural landscape, with the suburban and outer suburban zones containing the highest abundance and diversity of parrots. Likewise, habitat within the urban landscape had significantly higher abundance and diversity than the natural landscape.

An oily end? Can lowland forest birds persist in the palm oil plantations of New Britain, Papua New Guinea?

R.A. Davis1, D. Stojanovic2

1School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6018; 2Fenner School of Environment and Society, WK Hancock Building 43, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200.

The Island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea is characterized by a high endemism, with at least 37 endemic or restricted-range bird species. Rapid deforestation, primarily driven by conversion of lowland forest to oil palm plantations, is a major threat to this avifaunal diversity. Despite this, very little information is available on the impacts of palm oil on birds, anywhere in the world. Given this, we undertook to investigate the impact of lowland forest conversion to palm oil, on the abundance and diversity of endemic avifauna on New Britain. We completed 97 standardised surveys in remnant lowland forest and 82 transects in palm oil plantations. A total of 61 species were recorded from lowland forest and 32 in palm oil. However, only 5 generalist species accounted for the vast majority of regular sightings in palm oil with most other species records being transitory. Over 55% of the lowland forest birds were never recorded in palm oil. Over 100 hours of surveys also failed to record a number of threatened endemic birds and these species are considered to now be extremely rare or locally extinct. I discuss these findings in result of generalist and specialist ecological attributes and the implications for conserving birds in Papua New Guinea’s palm oil landscapes

Student Prize Candidate 33 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Modelling avian behaviour within geospatial lifelines: what can we learn from patterns of movement?

T.E. Dennis1, M.J. Rayner1,2, T.J. Landers1,3 and C.M. Postlethwaite4

1School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand; 2National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand; 3Auckland Council, New Zealand;4Department of Mathematics, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Spatially explicit characterisations of patterns of behaviour are useful for a broad range of theoretical and applied studies of avian ecology, physiology, conservation, and management. Unfortunately, such information can be difficult to come by, given the inherent challenges of continuously observing individual birds as they range freely throughout their natural environments. In this presentation we discuss how recent advances in key data-capture technologies and modern statistical/mathematical theory now provide the tools necessary to model the behavioural patterns of birds from within discretely sampled geospatial lifelines. We demonstrate application of these models on movement data obtained by GPS telemetry or light-based geolocators from both terrestrial and marine species. We also review practical issues of the modelling approach, including the complexity of computational algorithms (such as state-space models and K-means clustering), and the need to consider the grain and spatio-temporal scale of movement data. The general objectives of our talk are to demonstrate the operation of inferential models of behaviour in several case studies, and to highlight their potential benefits to ornithologists of varying research interests.

Sensitivity of tropical seabirds to El Niño Precursors

C.A. Devney1, M. Short2 and B.C. Congdon3

1AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, P.O. Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870; 2 Marine Technical Support Unit, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 2006, Cairns, Queensland 4870; 3 School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, P.O. Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870.

Intense El Niño events severely impact seabird populations, often months in advance of peak temperature anomalies. The trophic mechanisms responsible for these impacts are unknown, but are assumed to operate at seasonal scales and to be linked to ocean productivity changes. Precursors to El Niño events include changes in both sea-surface temperature and the depth of the 20oC thermocline. Foraging fish-loving seabirds are known to be sensitive to both thermocline depth and sea-surface temperature change, but the potential influence of these phenomena on breeding dynamics is unknown. Using 18 years of data on three seabirds of the western tropical Pacific, we show that pelagic seabird breeding participation is directly and independently related to changes in both surface chlorophyll concentration and thermocline depth that occur well in advance of El Niño generated sea-surface temperature anomalies. In contrast, breeding in an inshore foraging species is not correlated with any environmental/biological parameters investigated. These findings demonstrate that El Niño related phenomena do not affect seabird prey dynamics solely via productivity shifts at seasonal scales, nor in similar ways across different seabird foraging guilds. Our results also suggest that population declines observed in western tropical Pacific may be directly related to the frequency and intensity of El Niño anomalies over the study period.

Student Prize Candidate 34 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Learning and dispersal affects song syllable sharing in the Chowchilla

J.A. Dickie1, A.H. Koetz1 and B.C. Congdon1

1School of Marine & Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

Poster Presentation: The extent and spatial pattern of song similarity in the Chowchilla were re-examined to clarify at what scale song similarity changes, and whether this pattern is indicative of pre- or post-dispersal learning in this cooperative rainforest passerine. Pair-wise comparisons of syllable sharing were used to calculate a similarity index for each recorded group. Chowchillas show exceptional spatial variation in their song, and song similarity was significantly correlated with distance. At the local scale (1-10 territories / 0-2.5 km) variable levels of song sharing at close distances were found followed by a general linear decline in song sharing with increasing inter-territory distances. At an intermediate spatial scale (0-8 km) there was a rapid drop in song sharing at approximately 1 km and greater distances. Results at the intermediate scale are consistent with a previous study of Chowchilla song variation established at larger spatial scales (0-30 km), confirming the formation of distinct boundaries between dialect neighbourhoods. However, contrary to the previous study, our results are consistent with a pre-dispersal model of song variation indicating an age-restricted learning strategy and philopatric territory establishment preference.

Acoustic monitoring of cryptic species: the kiwi

Andrew P. Digby1, Ben D. Bell1, Paul D. Teal1

1Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

The kiwi (Apteryx spp.) is a bird unlike any other. Yet although a temperate species, it has acoustic ecological characteristics more commonly found in tropical birds, such as duetting, year-round territory defence, and female song. Understanding why these occur in kiwi can provide insight into their use in other species. More generally, comparing kiwi calling behaviour with that of other ratites, such as the emu and cassowary, can provide tests of avian signal divergence hypotheses. In conservation, vocalisations provide an important monitoring tool for cryptic, threatened species. Calls are an important form of communication for the nocturnal kiwi, yet it has been subject to few acoustic studies. We are undertaking the first acoustic analysis of little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) to further understanding of kiwi behavioural and population ecology, and to provide passive conservation monitoring tools for this and similar cryptic birds. We show how calls can distinguish individuals, and consider duet function in kiwi. We use dialects to compare translocated island populations that have suffered genetic bottlenecking. Autonomous recorders allow passive monitoring of remote populations over long time frames, and microphone array techniques provide spatial information to investigate territory use and social interactions. We demonstrate the application of these methods to study kiwi ecology, and to assist in monitoring kiwi and other vocal threatened species.

Student Prize Candidate 35 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Social behaviour and habitat use by two small, cooperatively-breeding passerines in Karri forest in southwest Australia

T.K. Douglas1 and S.J.J.F. Davies1

1Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley WA 6845

The Red-winged Fairy-wren Malurus elegans and the White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis maculatus exhibit many similarities – both are small, understorey-dwelling, cooperatively-breeding, insectivorous passerines, and they both inhabit and defend permanent territories in tall, open Karri Eucalyptus diversicolor forests of Australia’s southwest. This study considered the degree of overlap between the two species in terms of habitat use and social behaviour. Observations of colour-banded birds were made with regards to territory and group sizes, breeding season, habitat height preferences, foraging group size and cohesion, mixed feeding flock and predator response behaviours. Results found that despite living in similar-sized family groups, S. f. maculatus territories were 45% larger than M. elegans territories. M. elegans most commonly foraged in large family groups, but S. f. maculatus was often seen alone, or in smaller sub-units of 2-3 individuals. Mean preferred foraging height was similar however the patterns in height preferences differed. Both species were dominant in mixed feeding assemblages, and S. f. maculatus often foraged in closer proximity to other species rather than conspecifics. Differences in nest height were not statistically different, however moult records support the two species breed at different times of year. Despite broad similarities, results corroborate significant differences in social behaviour and habitat use. This study shows how simple observation techniques can further knowledge of competition, niche and ecological overlap; and provide insight how avian diversity can be supported in structurally- complex ecosystems.

Function of solo songs and song joining in the Red-backed Fairy- wren 1J.L. Dowling; 1M.S. Webster

1Cornell Univ., Ithaca, New York, USA.

We investigated how solo singing and song joining in the Red-backed Fairy-Wren (Malurus melanocephalus) vary across breeding stages and within different behavioral contexts. Song rates for males and females are higher in the pre-breeding stage and in the female’s receptive stage than in the nesting stage. Auxiliary helper song rates were generally low and did not vary across breeding stages. Song rates are similar between aggressive and non-aggressive contexts. Males joined the highest proportion of female songs (in duet) in the pre-breeding stage, while females joined male songs equally often in the pre-breeding and receptive stages. Males, females and helpers joined the highest proportion of each other’s songs in aggressive vs. non-aggressive contexts. Taken together, these results suggest that male solo singing and song joining between all members function for territory defense in the Red-backed Fairy-wren.

Student Prize Candidate 36 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Great Bowerbirds use Forced Perspective to improve Mating Success John A. Endler1,2, L. C. Endler2, and L. Kelley1

1School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong VIC 3216 ; 2School of Marine & Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870.  Plenary Presentation: Bowerbird males build and decorate bowers which are used only for attracting mates and mating. Great Bowerbirds make a bower consisting of a 0.6m avenue of thatched sticks opening on to two courts covered with gray to pale stones, bleached snail shells, and bones (the gesso), decorated with mostly green and red objects. Males arrange the gesso objects so that they increase in size with the distance from the avenue entrance. If the gradients are experimentally reversed, the original gradient quality is restored to its original value within 3 days and indistinguishable from the original after 2 weeks. If the gradients are improved, the birds reduce them to their original values in the same time interval, and males differ in their gradient qualities. These gradients result in a more even visual background pattern as seen by the female within the bower during male displays than if he placed the objects at random; this is the only use of forced perspective outside of humans. It is positively related to mating success. Brightly coloured objects are placed on the court outside the female’s view until the male picks them up and waves them in front of the female; resulting in a sudden appearance and disappearance of colour. The forced perspective may increase the coloured object contrast as well as making them appear larger or more stimulating. Contradictions between motion parallax and perspective depth cues may further increase the visual contrast of the male display.

Determining dietary shifts caused by at-sea events using stable isotope analysis

S.A. Flemming1 and Y. van Heezik1

1Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Some Little Penguin populations in Australia and New Zealand are in decline due to human disturbances and fluctuating oceanic conditions. Predator trapping and introducing nest boxes are effective land-based strategies that have slowed the decline in some areas. At-sea events such as La Nina can cause major dietary shifts in Little Penguins, lowering their breeding success. Stomach flushing is the conventional method in determining diet, but is invasive and time consuming. I aim to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of stable isotope analysis as a management tool to determine dietary shifts occurring when individuals leave the breeding colony to forage. During this study, penguin stomach contents, sample prey items, blood, and feathers were collected from three individual breeding sites along the East Coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Using fish otoliths and squid beaks from stomach contents I will determine major prey item species and size. Stable isotope analysis will be carried out on prey items, blood, and feathers, to indicate the relative foraging area and trophic level that individuals at each site are feeding at. Comparisons will be made between the results of stable isotope analysis and stomach content analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of stable isotopes in detecting differences in species composition and/or species proportions between localities in this species. If successful, stable isotope analysis could be used to monitor shifts in diet composition, and complement current land-based management strategies.

Student Prize Candidate 37 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Modelling interactions between fire regime and Carpentarian Grasswrens to inform a fire management program.

Graham Harrington1,2 and Cameron Fletcher1

1CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Atherton, Qld. 2Birds Australia North Queensland.

Since they were first recorded in 1914 Carpentarian Grasswrens Amytornis dorotheae have been severely reduced by unsuitable burning regimes in northern Australia. We have modelled the hypothetical, separate influence of percentage of the habitat burnt, the size of individual fires, frequency of burn and the mobility of the birds when their territory is burnt out, in order to inform both current burning management and priority setting in future studies of the biology and ecology of these threatened birds.

How do the landscape context of revegetation and the ecological attributes of bird species affect re-colonisation of rainforest revegetation sites? A case study in the Australian Wet Tropics Uplands

Amanda N. D. Freeman1, Carla P. Catterall1, Kylie Freebody1 and John Kanowski1

Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld. 4111, Australia

The richness and abundance of rainforest-associated bird species has been found to increase significantly with revegetation site age. However, there is considerable variability in bird communities in sites of similar age. Clearly, age of a site is not the only factor determining its bird community. We examined the landscape context of established revegetation sites and its influence on their re- colonisation by rainforest birds, interpreting bird communities in these sites in light of species’ degree of habitat specialisation, use of rainforest edges and movement patterns.

The number of rainforest species in revegetation sites was not correlated with size of revegetated area, size of adjacent rainforest patch or width of patch. It was, however, highly correlated with the amount of rainforest in close proximity to sites. Change in abundance in revegetation sites was significantly correlated with species’ degree of habitat specialisation. Rainforest species tended to be less abundant in revegetation sites than in rainforest, especially interior species, those with relatively narrow habitat requirements and restricted movement. However, some rainforest species, including some potentially threatened by climate change, are as abundant in established revegetation as in forest reference sites. The implications of these findings for rainforest revegetation in the region will be discussed.

Student Prize Candidate 38 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Barriers and Solutions to Incorporating Biodiversity in Urban Development - A Pilot Project with the Development Industry

A. Freimanis1, G. Collier1

1Birds Australia, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127; 2T Issues Consultancy, Balgowlah NSW 2093.

Australia’s population is expected to grow significantly in the next few decades with most of the people in Australia living in urban environments. Not only is population growing but the size of new dwellings is also increasing and consequently open space is reducing. The average size of new houses is significantly larger compared with dwellings built 15 years ago. There are many initiatives to conserve and enhance biodiversity in urban settings, yet significant biodiversity loss still occurs and opportunities for enhancing biodiversity are limited.

During February 2011 Birds Australia conducted a pilot project with the development industry “Incorporating biodiversity to create sustainable urban communities” in a recent land release area in western Sydney. The site is surrounded by several Endangered Ecological Communities and habitat suitable for threatened bird species including Swift Parrot, Regent Honeyeater and other woodland bird species. The project was aimed at establishing dialogue between developers, government and biodiversity practitioners to identify barriers and solutions to inform sustainable development and protection and enhancement of the local biodiversity.

Preliminary interviews suggested there was a lack of trust between some developers and biodiversity advocates as well as scepticism that an education workshop would provide an adequate forum to broach such challenging and potentially contentious issues. Instead there was a spirit of problem appreciation and problem solving. Participants reflected on the need to perceive and meet problems through consideration of environmental, social and economic perspectives and worked collaboratively to construct solutions.

So long and thanks for all the parrots: the ecology and impact of eastern rosella in New Zealand

Josie A Galbraith1 and Mick N. Clout1

1School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland.

The eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) is the most successful introduced parrot species in New Zealand. It has been present in the wild for more than a century, yet studies on its ecology and impact are scarce. Indeed worldwide, invasive birds are poorly researched in general. Exotic birds, in the same way as other invasive taxa, can have detrimental impacts in their novel environments. Cavity-nesting birds can, for example, monopolise cavity resources and limit breeding opportunities for native species. We studied the nesting ecology, dominance status, and disease vectoring capacity of the eastern rosella in New Zealand, to identify potential impacts and to contribute to our understanding of an invasive species in its introduced range. Specifically, rosella nest-site use and selection was investigated at varying spatial scales, the outcomes of direct interactions between rosella and other New Zealand bird species were recorded, and wild rosella were screened for the presence of key avian diseases. A summary of key findings will be presented here, and the risk rosella pose to native New Zealand species will be discussed.

Student Prize Candidate 39 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

A Comprehensive Molecular Phylogeny Of The Rails (Aves: Rallidae): Mitochondrial And Nuclear Dna Trees For An Avian Family

J.C. Garcia-R., S.A. Trewick, I. Castro

Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand, Email: [email protected]

The Family Rallidae is a cosmopolitan group of birds with an extensive diversity and occurrence in different types of habitats. Rails have encountered and adapted to similar environments throughout the geographic range of the group. In the process they have undergone evolutionary convergence of traits (e.g. flightlessness) and ecological habits, which have caused difficulties in identifying relationships and closest relatives among clades. Our study uses DNA sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear genes to reveal the phylogenetic relationships among genera in an intrafamiliar level analysis and also to inform on the timing and mode of speciation of these birds in the Oceania region. The resulting molecular phylogeny will be used as the basis for a revised classification of the group. Currently, there are 33 extant genera recognized, with 143 described extant and recently extinct species. In addition, several recently extinct, late quaternary fossils represent genera in this Family. Our data set encompasses 43% of known extant or recent extinct rail diversity with 63 species in 17 of 33 extant genera, from the major clades in the Family Rallidae (incluiding relevant Oceanian genera), and also fossils representing at least one extinct genus (Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi). Understanding their relationships and the tempo of clade diversification and mode of population differentiation can help reveal the origins of Oceanian diversity. Implications of analysis to date will be discussed.

Climate and breeding in Australian birds

Heather M. Gibbs1

1 Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC

Poster Presentation: Climate change is already influencing Australian ecosystems, but our knowledge of its effects is still very limited. More information is urgently required to understand the effects of natural climate variation (both spatial and temporal) and hence to distinguish and predict effects of anthropogenic climate change.

In this study, across 16 common and widespread Australian land birds, there were dramatic between- year differences in the ‘relative amount’ of breeding, an index derived from bird atlas data. These differences were related to a large-scale climate index, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), which influences climate (and especially, rainfall) across most of Australia.

An important next step is to interpret birds’ responses in terms of local temperature and rainfall, but this is a more challenging process. Preliminary results that attempt to separate the effect of SOI from that of ‘local rainfall difference’ are presented.

Student Prize Candidate 40 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

A love of shorebirds: Amazing journeys, conservation challenges

Heather M. Gibbs1, 2

1Australasian Wader Studies Group; 2Deakin University

The North-west Australia wader and tern expedition is a great example of Australian ornithology in the tropics. Expeditions are run annually by the Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG) with local, interstate and international volunteers and collaborators. Both the shorebirds themselves, and the researchers studying them, suggest a valuable model of global communication and co-operation. Expanding and strengthening global networks of sites, and of people, could help achieve significant conservation outcomes, even in the face of the immense challenges faced by shorebirds in this most densely populated flyway, which is home to over half of the world’s human population.

This talk highlights just some of the information being gained from these ongoing studies, and remaining knowledge gaps. It also provides some examples of recent efforts to translate this accumulated knowledge into conservation outcomes.

Bird utilisation of biodiversity corridors in a pine plantation landscape

R. Green1, B. Haywood2, G. Ehmke³, S. Lucas , and O. Sweeney

1PO Box 3211, Mount Gambier, South Australia, [email protected]; 2ForestrySA, Mount Gambier, South Australia; 3Birds Australia, Carlton, Victoria; 4PIRSA Forestry, Mount Gambier, South Australia; 5Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mount Gambier, South Australia.

The establishment of biodiversity corridors in the Lower South East of South Australia is part of a long term strategy to re-connect isolated patches of native forest embedded within the Green Triangle Plantation Estate. Woodlands in the Lower South East are small and highly fragmented, with only 6% of native vegetation remaining. Using the Standardized Search, bird surveys were conducted over a five year period (2006-2010) to determine the use of these corridors, to compare them to adjacent control plots, and as a measure of the effectiveness of the corridor plantings. The control sites are in most but not all cases Radiata Pine plantations of similar age to the corridor. A total of 102 species have been recorded during the surveys to date. Age of planted habitats (both corridor and control) greatly influenced the avifaunal composition of those habitats. Corridor sites are clearly not at equilibrium at six years of age, many woodland dependent birds are showing rapidly increasing incidence rates in corridors suggesting they are likely to increase their utilisation of corridors significantly as they age. By 4-6 years of age corridors are clearly more species rich and compositionally distinct from pine plantation controls. All bird guilds (n=11) except ground-foraging insectivores and the overall ground-foraging guild were more diverse in corridors than in pine control sites. Some birds, including Painted Button-quail and Striated Thornbill were found only in corridor habitats, and two guilds; canopy-foraging insectivores and nectarivores were entirely absent from control sites.

Student Prize Candidate 41 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Genetic Evaluation of population connectivity in Black Swans

P.J. Guay1,2 (in absentia)and M.R. Cowling1

1School of Engineering and Science, and Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University, St-Albans Campus, PO Box 14428, Melbourne MC, VIC 8001; 2 Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010

Poster Presentation: The Black Swan is endemic to Australia and can be found throughout the country, with the exception of the Cape York Peninsula and the arid centre. It is also found throughout New Zealand, however, whether its presence there is the result of introduction or self-colonisation remains unclear. The level of connectivity between populations throughout its range is currently unknown. We investigated the genetic differentiation between Black Swan populations from Australia and New Zealand using microsatellite markers to evaluate the level of connectivity. Blood or tissue samples were taken from a total of 269 swans from seven different locations from Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, and New Zealand. All samples were genotyped at 12 microsatellite loci and analysed to determine the differentiation between populations. Using the software STRUCTURE we identified eight genotype groups. Most populations had unique haplotype groups but also included individuals with genotypes similar to neighbouring populations suggesting some level of connectivity. The New Zealand population was found to be genetically similar to two Eastern Australian populations suggesting that these may have been the source for the introduction to New Zealand. Within Australia, significant differentiation existed between most populations with the exception of the Tasmania and the Western Treatment Plant populations. Our results suggest that although some populations can be quite sedentary and have diverged from their neighbours, swans can disperse over long distances. This result has some important implications for biosecurity as Black Swans could potentially play of role in the spread of diseases like avian influenza.

35 Years On: What Have We Learned About the Breeding Ecology of Woodland Birds at Moruya, NSW?

M. Guppy 1 (in absentia), A. Overs2 and S. Guppy1

11708 Maulbrooks Road, Moruya, NSW, 2537; 2PO Box 4101, Hawker ACT 2614

Poster Presentation: Between 1975 and 1984, Stephen Marchant did a comprehensive study on the breeding biology of the birds in 10 ha of woodland near Moruya, NSW. In 2006, we began the task of repeating Stephen’s study, in the same area, using the same 50m grid (rediscovered and re-cleared), 20 years later.

MG and SG spend about 450 hours on the site between August and January (inclusive) finding nests. We find about 150 nests a year representing 29 species. With the help of a group of banders (organized by AO) we also colour-band the birds. Last season (2010/11) about 60% of retrapped birds were colour-banded, and 90% of the nests we found were associated with at least 1 colour-banded bird. We can therefore follow individuals, pairs, and families from year to year, and all nests and banded bird sightings are recorded as a co-ordinate on the grid.

The data we get each year is distilled into the following categories: Total number of nests/year, and for each species: nesting period, minimum number of breeding pairs, percent of nests judged successful, maximum nesting attempts per pair, nesting areas, and putative territories for each breeding pair.

We have just completed our 5th season (2010/2011), and are now able to begin to make comparisons between our and Stephen’s data, and between the last 5 seasons using only our data. The data show a lot of similarities in both cases, but some surprising differences.

Student Prize Candidate 42 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Maternal sex determination and its potential effects on avian conservation initiatives

C.A.Hall1

1Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Gold Coast, Australia.

With biodiversity being lost at an unprecedented rate, there has never been a greater need to understand species in greater detail. The IUCN has suggested that established conservation programmes include a captive component to help safeguard species. These captive populations are managed through a database to limit inbreeding and promote sustainability. However, long term captive management of certain avian species has revealed a significant sex bias in offspring.

The apparent ability for birds to determine the sex of their offspring has been observed in almost half of all avian Orders. The idea was embraced by science in the mid eighties and since then, many publications have highlighted the potential mechanism or mechanisms involved. Although this research leaves little doubt that it does exist, the precise environmental stimulus for the adaptation is still unknown. What is known however is that it appears to be diverse across the Orders.

Maternal sex determination has already presented challenges for conservation initiatives of the White- throated Ground-dove (Gallicolumba xanthonura) in which the captive environment produces such a significant male sex bias that female offspring are rare. Comparisons of captive populations that differ in husbandry, may offer insights into species adaptive response to distinct environmental stimuli.

There are many techniques to effectively manage species that exhibit maternal sex determination. In my presentation I will discuss a range of methods from basic changes to husbandry, to a more invasive approach of sexing live eggs.

Timing of breeding in a threatened tropical bird, and implications of changing rainfall patterns

M.L. Hall1,2 and A. Peters2,3

1 University of Melbourne; 2 Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; 3Monash University.

Successful reproduction depends on timing breeding to coincide with periods of peak food abundance. Daylength and temperature are the primary cues for breeding in north-temperate birds, and broadscale temperature increases have advanced laying dates to cause mis-matches with peaks in food availability. However, factors affecting the timing of breeding in tropical birds are much less well understood, limiting our ability to predict the effects of climate change on avian populations in the tropics. We monitored purple-crowned fairy-wrens in north-western Australia year-round for five years, and tested daylength, temperature, and rainfall as predictors of the timing of breeding. Daylength did not predict the timing of breeding, as purple-crowned fairy-wrens nested in all months of the year. However, some seasonality was evident, with most nesting during the wet season, and monthly rainfall predicted the number of clutches laid in the following month. Monthly sampling of arthropods showed that food abundance also increased after rainfall, so that laying after high-rainfall months resulted in high food abundance during the period of offspring care. We tested for negative consequences of mis-timed breeding by comparing offspring reared at different times of year. Although rainfall increased food abundance and nesting activity, flooding was a major cause of nest failure in this riparian specialist, and very high annual rainfall also impacted adult survival negatively. Changing rainfall patterns in northern Australia, and increases in the frequency of extreme precipitation events predicted by climate change models, are likely to have complex effects on this threatened riparian specialist

Student Prize Candidate 43 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Long-term waterbird monitoring in Western Port, Victoria, shows significant declines in multiple guilds

B.D. Hansen1, P. Menkhorst1 and R.H. Loyn1

1Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, PO Box 137 Heidelberg, Victoria 3084

Western Port is one of the three most important sites for waders in Victoria. It is also notable for holding significant numbers of other waterbird species, which has contributed to its listing as a Ramsar site. Waterbirds have been monitored in Western Port by Bird Observation & Conservation Australia at least three times a year since 1973, and this is continuing. Most counts are conducted at 20 or so high-tide roosts distributed on both public and private land. Of the 102 waterbird species recorded in Western Port, 38 species were recorded often enough to allow an analysis of trends over time using generalised linear modelling. Of 26 species showing a downward trend between 1973 and 2010, 16 species were found to have significantly declined over that period. These include two species of duck, four species of fisher, one species of grebe, one species of gull, two species of large wading bird, two species of Australasian wader and four species of Palaearctic wader. Pied Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Stint and Whimbrel were the only species to have significantly increased over the same time period. Patterns of decline in some local species are thought to be caused by reductions in fish availability, which in turn may be related to changes in sea grass in the late seventies and early eighties. However, declines in Palaearctic waders cannot reliably be attributed to local factors and are most likely related to loss of habitat elsewhere in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Estimating marine debris impacts on seabirds

Britta Denise Hardesty1 and Chris Wilcox1

1CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship

There is increasing acknowledgement of the threat of plastics and other marine debris on wildlife. To date however, there has been relatively little quantitative data systematically collected across a wide geographic expanse or an array of taxa to tackle this question. The aim of our work is to understand the impacts of marine debris on wildlife species that breed in and around Australia. To address the issue we have developed a volunteer-friendly approach to collect data on marine debris and seabird species. The method enables a rapid assessment and means of identifying species that are likely impacted by marine debris (particularly plastic) and it requires no interference with the birds themselves. We describe our approach and present the outcomes from our research which focuses on data collected in 2011 on seven of the seabird species that breed on Lord Howe Island including Sooty Tern, Providence Petrel, Black Noddy, Brown Noddy, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Little Shearwater, and Wedge-tailed Shearwater. This work forms part of a larger project in which we are applying a risk analysis approach to understanding marine debris impacts of threatened species across a multitude of taxa.

Student Prize Candidate 44 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Assessment of fire challenge to the Carpentarian Grasswren. Graham Harrington 1,2 and Steve Murphy 3

1 CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Atherton; 2 Birds Australia North Queensland ; 3Map IT, Po Box 500, Malanda, Qld 4885.

Carpentarian Grasswrens Amytornis dorotheae have been recorded in spinifex (Triodia spp.) grasslands from Mount Isa in Queensland to Borroloola in the Northern Territory – an area of approximately 160,000 km2. Within this region the recorded sightings of Carpentarian Grasswrens are clustered into four discrete populations although the habitat appears to be continuous. The four populations exhibit very different persistence characteristics, which probably reflect their fire history. In one area the population appears to be extinct; in another the population appears to have contracted greatly in its range; in a third area the birds have been greatly reduced in numbers and the population is highly fragmented; whilst the fourth population appears to have been widespread and stable for the last 20 years. These areas have different fire histories and this offers an opportunity to model the impact of fire regime on the birds and develop a remote monitoring system.

Pied Imperial-Pigeon breeding colonies: Lessons from long-term population counts

Julia Hazel1,2 and John Winter3

1School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University,2Low Isles Preservation Society 3School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University

As summer breeding migrants to the northern tropical coast of Queensland, Pied Imperial-Pigeons (PIPs) provide a valuable opportunity for population monitoring. One of each pair “commutes” daily to forage on the mainland, then returns to their offshore breeding colony. Thus the birds can be readily counted as they fly in over open water. Sustained efforts by numerous counters over many years have produced substantial volumes of data that became dispersed in storage and remained largely unevaluated, with the exception of the remarkable 45-year record for North Brook Island. The latter will be presented separately at AOC 2011. For comparison we report here the data we have collated for the only other sites off the Queensland coast (to our knowledge) with long histories of PIP counts. Low Isles, 15 km North East of Port Douglas, and Green Island, 25 km North East of Cairns, have data spans from 1971 and 1981 respectively, which indicate different trends from North Brook Island. However these sites have less complete records and we discuss our efforts to deal with missed counts and longer gaps in data. We evaluate potential sources of high variance within season, including insufficiently known aspects of PIP breeding. We draw on limited replicates in the data to evaluate confounding from counter differences and changes in timing and duration of counts. Finally we consider prospects for future monitoring at these offshore sites and explore possible changes in scheduling PIP counts that could provide more robust data with current or reduced effort.

Student Prize Candidate 45 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Ethno-ornithology and Conservation in the Torres Strait Islands G. Hitchcock1 & J. Watson 2,3

1Arafura Consulting, PO Box 4115, Melbourne University, VIC, 3052 2 RPS Group, PO Box 1159, Fortitude QLD 4006 3 Institute for Land, Water & Society, Charles Sturt University

The Torres Strait Islands dot the 150 km-wide waterway that stretches between Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland and the island of New Guinea. In recent years the avifauna of this region has received increased attention. Historically birds have played an important role in local cultures and traditions. In this paper we present information on Torres Strait Islanders’ relationship with and traditional knowledge of birds including vernacular names and systems of ethnotaxonomy, practical uses, significance, beliefs and traditional ecological knowledge. The store of knowledge that Islanders possess about birds is invaluable in assisting in improved land and sea management in the region including species conservation.

Does climate explain recent range changes of South African birds?

Philip A.R. Hockey1, Clélia Sirami2 and Gina K. Louw1

1DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa 7701; 2Climate Change and BioAdaptation Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, South Africa 7735

The impacts of climate change on African birds have been little explored. Only for Common Swift Apus apus have we demonstrated climate tracking. However, superimposed on responses to climate change are responses to land use. We analysed range changes of 408 South African landbirds between the 1970s and the 1990s, when measurable climate change occurred, testing four hypotheses. (1) If range changes are responses to land-use, these will be equally likely in any direction. (2) If climate is the primary driver, shifts will be mostly southwards and/or eastwards in accord with global and local models. (3) Mobile (migratory/nomadic) birds will be the most responsive. (4) Generalists will be more responsive than specialists. Very few species have moved north or east, but 12.8% and 13.1% of species have moved south or west, respectively. Southward range extensions were by mobile, habitat generalists. Westward movers were also habitat generalists, but were additionally associated with human-modified habitats. Thus, Hypotheses 1 and 2 were unsupported. Hypothesis 3 was supported for southward movers, and Hypothesis 4 was supported for species moving south and west. The study highlights two important issues – how effective will protected areas be in relation to unconserved and production landscapes; and how can patterns of change in species’ ranges be better attributed to the relevant drivers? Only when species’ biologies and climate projections are incorporated in the same dynamic models are we likely to have confidence in the future predictions of species’ distributions and be able to plan appropriate and effective conservation actions.

Student Prize Candidate 46 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The effectiveness of the institutional arrangements for managing threatened birds

T.Q. Holmes1

1School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland.

The loss of biodiversity has been well documented for decades and today the decline in biodiversity continues with most country-level indicators showing negative trends. Of Australia’s extant birds, 18% species require conservation action. The public perceives nature through species, particularly threatened species and due to the popularity of birds they are regarded as politically influential. Birds are also a model group for detecting environmental change due to the low cost and relative ease of obtaining meaningful data. Conservation should largely be a social process that engages science rather than a scientific process that engages society. This study is investigating the attributes of institutions and the species on which they work to identify the components that are important to the effectiveness and efficiency of institutions. I am analysing and evaluating both the processes by which institutions carry out their duties and the outcomes of their operations and the study employs the use of both social and natural sciences to develop a clear understanding of the current situation regarding threatened bird conservation. The research includes the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data employing the following research approaches: Examination of case studies; content analysis of policy and management documents; semi-structured interviews; social network analysis and evaluation of performance. The following components have been found to influence management of threatened species: legislation, planning and policies, decision-making, resource availability: time, money, skills and knowledge, knowledge management, continuity, relationships, communication, temporal and spatial issues, responsiveness and adaptability, resilience and uncertainty.

Migratory connectivity magnifies the impact of habitat loss on shorebird populations

T. Iwamura1, H.P. Possingham1, C. Minton2, D. Rogers3, I. Chades4, E. Treml1, N.J. Murray1,4, and R.A. Fuller1,4 1School of Biological Sciences, Environmental Decisions Group, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072. Australia. 2 Victorian Wader Study Group, 165 Dalgetty Rd, Beaumaris, Vic 3193, Australia. 3 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Dept Sustainability & Environment, Melbourne, Vic 3084, Australia. 4CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, Queensland 4102, Australia.

We show how the impacts of projected habitat loss propagate around a network of sites connected by migration. We use data on migratory shorebirds of the East Asian-Australasian flyway and model their migration routes using graph theory. These birds undertake annual long distance flights from their Arctic breeding grounds to Asian and Australasian coasts, and some species have undergone enormous declines over the past few decades. Our data show that, because of migratory connectivity, reductions in flyway population sizes are much greater than the rate of habitat loss for all 10 taxa studied. The taxa can be loosely categorized into those showing a sudden decline in total population size at a particular level of habitat loss (great knot, grey-tailed tattler, Far Eastern curlew), those always showing higher population loss than that predicted by habitat loss (curlew sandpiper, terek sandpiper, baueri bar-tailed godwit), and those showing population declines only slightly exceeding those predicted from habitat loss (lesser sand plover, menzbieri bar-tailed godwit, red knot). Explicit analyses incorporating network structure are critical if the impacts of future habitat loss are to be estimated correctly, and to inform priorities for conserving migratory species.

Student Prize Candidate 47 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Nutritional Diseases in New Zealand Seabirds during Colony Translocations

M.A.Jensen1, 2, B.D Gartrell1, 2, N.Cave1,2, K.J.Morgan1,2.

1New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre, 2Institute of Veterinary and Biomedical Science Massey University New Zealand

The translocation of young seabirds for the creation and supplementation of colonies is a highly beneficial conservation tool used extensively in New Zealand, to conserve rare Procellariiforme seabirds and for habitat restoration. Colony translocation involves moving chicks within five weeks prior to fledging so that they will site imprint at the new location. This entails hand rearing the chicks in often remote locations. The sole diet currently being used in all translocation has never been nutritionally assessed. The diet of pureed tinned sardines has been used to raise at least nine species of petrel, irrespective of their different foraging strategies and diverse prey items. For the last three years the entire known population of critically endangered Taiko (Magenta petrel; Pterodroma magenta) chicks has been raised on this diet. The return rate of translocated seabirds is currently lower than their source colonies. Feeding this hand rearing diet for more than 5 weeks is not recommended since there has been reported deaths related to nutritional disease. Raising the concern that birds may be fledging with sub-clinical levels of nutritional disease that could impact on their survival at sea. This study will assess the nutritional composition of the tinned sardine diet by comparing it to the proventricular content of wild seabirds of several species (Families Pterodroma and Puffinus). The potential for the current diet to contribute to disease before fledging will be assessed; by health screening petrels currently being translocated, reviewing necropsy samples from previous transfers and undertaking dietary trials. A feeding trial has also been run during the seabird wreck that recently brought over 600 emaciated seabirds into care at the NZ Wildlife Health Centre. The storm event provided an unprecedented opportunity to trial several diets for their use in Procellariiforme recovery and rehabilitation.

Is biodiversity education working? A case study in evaluation

S. Johnston1, Dr H. Parsons1, Dr C. Taylor2, K. Ravich3 and J. Christie4

1Birds in Backyards Program, Birds Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, 2127 [email protected] (Sara), [email protected] (Holly); 2University of Sydney, Sydney [email protected], 3Ecnalab, Sydney [email protected]; 4Catchment Management Authority, Sydney [email protected].

In order to protect birds it is essential that we connect with the communities that live within and around their habitats. To do this, the Eureka prize-winning biodiversity education program Birds in Backyards (BIBY) (www.birdsinbackyards.net) has employed a website including various resources to teach people about birds and enable them to provide for their needs. Participants can also become members and submit surveys of species seen in their own gardens or a nearby habitat, thereby contributing to scientific knowledge about bird populations and contributing to the conservation of birds. To date, most biodiversity education programs are not evaluated. Evaluations that have been carried out are usually focused on simple summative evaluations such as a small questionnaire at the end of a course or activity. It is essential that programs are evaluated and adjusted accordingly throughout their design and operational life, in order to ensure that the community is being reached effectively and that attitude and behaviour change is occurring. A short survey of 605 BIBY members in 2005 found that over 40% had enhanced local habitats in response to the program, and 25% planned to implement changes. The current project supported by the NSW Environmental Trust aims to measure audience engagement, attitudes, behavioural change, and knowledge following participation in BIBY. This project will use surveys, focus groups and interviews to provide a more thorough evaluation of the effect of the program on its participants and to collect baseline information on a representative sample of the general public to determine the best way to engage with them.

Student Prize Candidate 48 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Avian Malaria- Does it affect the distribution of birds in the Wet Tropics?

D. A. Jones1, D. Hilbert1, D. Wescott1, A. McKeown1 and G. Harrington1

1CSIRO, Ecosystem Sciences, Atherton, Qld.

Co-evolution of avian malaria with continental bird populations has been widely documented. However, in evolutionary terms, the relatively recent introduction of malarial diseases on naïve island bird populations has been shown to cause local extinctions and range limitations. In the Wet tropics of Australia, a number of endemic species are known to be restricted to narrow altitudinal ranges. Studies around the world have shown that other species restricted by altitudinal range can be particularly vulnerable to ecosystem changes brought on by climate change. In our study we examined what role avian malaria and other blood parasites may have on the altitudinal distribution of birds in the Wet Tropics. Bird and mosquito populations from twelve different sites over an altitudinal gradient were examined for the presence of blood parasites. Additionally our study identified several new species of mosquito that are likely vectors for the disease, and show that while Avian malaria is present at all altitudes examined, it is far more prevalent at lower altitudes.

Guided by the light: exploring urban lorikeet roosts

S. Daoud-Opit1 and D.N. Jones1

1Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University, Nathan QLD 4111

Although most species are unable to cope with the process of urbanisation, a notable few are able to take advantage of the opportunities provided by anthropogenic environments. Some species such as rainbow Lorikeets are now among the most abundant birds found in many cities throughout Australia, a growth in populations fuelled largely by the popularity of nectar-bearing trees. During the evening, the species forms massive communal roosts, often in remarkably disturbed locations. We explored the potential influences on roost site choice among rainbow lorikeets in suburban Brisbane. The trees found in a series of 14 roosts ranging in size from a few thousand to over 100,000 birds were investigated with respect to size, canopy condition, species, proximity to natural and urban features, as well as the level of lighting reaching each tree. Trees at the roost site were classed as either roost tree, pre-roost trees or none-roosts; in addition, a large number of sites this apparent suitable conditions but not used were measures as controls. Lorikeets were found to use a wide variety of trees as roosts, but the level of light appeared to be the most important variable. One functional explanation for this may be predator detection.

Student Prize Candidate 49 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Systematics of the genera Psittacella and Pezoporus clarifies the ecological history of Australo-Papuan parrots and relationships of rosella-like parrots

Leo Joseph1, A. Toon2, E. Schirtzinger3 and T. Wright3

1Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, ACT, 2601; 2School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072; 3Department of Biology, MSC 3AF, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001, U.S.A.

The platycercine parrots of Australia are the broad-tailed parrots and their allies typified by the rosellas Platycercus spp. Debate concerning their circumscription has most recently centred on the position of four genera, Neophema, Neopsephotus, Pezoporus and Psittacella, the last two having never been included in molecular analyses. We used broad taxon sampling, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data from seven independent loci (two linked mitochondrial loci and six nuclear loci), and both gene tree and species tree approaches to reconstruct phylogenies and so determine the systematic placement all four genera. Analyses of two data sets, one of 48 taxa and five loci and one of 27 taxa and the same five plus three additional loci produced broadly congruent and consistently well-resolved phylogenies. We reject placement of any of these four genera within core platycercines. Pezoporus is closely allied to Neophema and Neopsephotus. These three genera are the likely sister group to core platycercines. Psittacella is the sole extant representative of a lineage that branched very early in the history of Australo-Papuan parrot fauna and is not closely related to any of the mostly south-east Asian and Indonesian psittaculine taxa with which it is more often linked. We present a revised view of the extraordinary phylogenetic, phenotypic and ecological diversity that is the adaptive radiation of Australo-Papuan parrots.

Rapid radiation and ancient hybridisation challenge attempts to delimit species in the white-throated butcherbird species complex (Cracticus)

A.M. Kearns1, L.G. Cook1 and L. Joseph2 1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072; 2Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, ACT 2601

Introgressive hybridisation between closely related species is emerging as a common transient phase before reproductive isolation is complete. In this study, we test whether differentiation of members of the white-throated butcherbird species group (Grey Butcherbird, Cracticus torquatus; Silver-backed Butcherbird C. argenteus; Black-Backed Butcherbird C. mentalis) occurred with or without ongoing gene flow across intermittent barriers to dispersal formed as climates and sea-levels fluctuated during the Pleistocene. We also test the concept of described species boundaries given that the distinctiveness of the Silver-backed Butcherbird from the Grey Butcherbird is often debated. Data from one mitochondrial locus and seven nuclear loci revealed widespread sharing of nuclear haplotypes among the species, and mitochondrial haplotypes from the Silver-backed Butcherbird grouped with those from both Black-Backed and Grey Butcherbirds. Multi-species coalescent analyses suggest that most genetic admixture of nuclear loci results from retainment of ancestral polymorphisms, whereas, the mitochondrial pattern most likely results from a rare ancient hybridisation event between Grey Butcherbirds and Silver- backed Butcherbirds. Overall, our data suggest that the three species have undergone a very recent rapid divergence across several dry habitat barriers during the Pleistocene but that hybridisation has been rare and unlikely to have occurred recently. Our findings offer a good case study of the challenges that are inherent in delimiting species boundaries and inferring the history of divergence in recently radiated groups, especially when hybridisation might remain possible for a protracted period of time.

Student Prize Candidate 50 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

A replacement for blood sampling?

N. Khan1, K. Robert1

1La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC

Poster Presentation: Blood sampling is useful in measuring stress hormones (in birds, corticosterone [CORT]), as it allows rapid assessment of environmental stress. However, there is a very limited time period between capturing the animal and sampling, before capture-induced stress increases circulating CORT and affects the sample. Recent studies have identified faecal sampling as a means of detecting circulating CORT. The benefits of this are immense; faecal sampling is easy, does not require special permits and can be collected at any time, including from free-living species. Furthermore, faecal sampling buffers short-term hormone fluctuations, which can affect interpretation in plasma hormone samples. Previous studies show faecal hormones correlate with plasma samples in avian species; however, few quantify the lag time till CORT metabolites are excreted. The measurement of physiological stress has importance in wildlife management, conservation biology and behavioural ecology, and it is imperative to research a method that causes the least disruption to the animal. This study aims to clarify how quickly CORT levels return to baseline after a disturbance; establish whether faecal sampling is an appropriate replacement for blood sampling; and to determine the effect of chronic/repeated stress on baseline CORT. Zebra finches will be given multiple oral doses of CORT to simulate a disruptive environment, with blood and faecal samples taken at specific time intervals. The samples will be analysed using CORT enzyme immunoassay kits. It is expected that CORT levels will return to baseline within 90 minutes, but increased CORT exposure will increase baseline CORT levels.

Foraging ecology of Gould’s Petrel during breeding season

Y. Kim1, N. Carlile2, D. Priddel2, J. Merrick1, I. Field1 and R. Harcourt1

1 Macquarie University; 2Author Affiliation 2 Office of Environment and Heritage;

Gould's Petrel, Pterodroma leucoptera, is small pelagic seabird (150–220 g). With a broad Australasian distribution this species breeds in summer mainly on Cabbage Tree Island, off Port Stephens in NSW. Although recently downgraded to vulnerable in NSW, it is still listed as endangered nationally. Conservation issues at island nesting sites have been addressed, however, their movements when away from the islands were unknown until new small geolocators were attached to small numbers of adults in 2010-11. These geolocators enabled us to understand foraging locations, distances from breeding site, durations of each trip, as well as diving depths (0.5m).

Preliminary analyses of 2010 -2011 breeding season data show: foraging often occurred either around Tasmania or along the East coast of Australia; variable trip frequency and duration over time; wide variation in individual trip duration from a few hours to over 14 days.

These studies are designed to assess resource usage over a wide area, and identify potential impacts on essential resources – this is critically important for endangered species and other seabirds. In addition, the gathering of comprehensive data on prey species during the breeding season will contribute to an ongoing international collaborative program aimed at characterising seabird “hotspots”. It will link this community with the wider food chain, identifying the ecosystem processes under stress from overexploitation or global climate change.

Student Prize Candidate 51 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Speciation before our eyes? Using behaviour to interpret gene flow in Darwin's tree finches

Sonia Kleindorfer, Jeremy Robertson, Jody O’Connor, Diane Colombelli-Negrel, Steven Myers and Rachael Dudaniec

Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, 5001

We have been studying Darwin’s tree finches on Floreana Island since 2004; only David Lack previously measured tree finches on Floreana in 1939/40. In comparison with Lack’s data, and in line with comments by Peter Grant, we propose that the Large Tree Finch is now extinct on Floreana Island. We make the case that our data show a bimodal Medium Tree Finch population in the act of speciating. Evidence for this claim comes from population genetic analysis (two genetic populations), morphology (three clusters), foraging (three clusters), and song (two clusters). We use playback of song to test interspecific response, and find evidence for two species (Small Tree Finch versus Two large billed populations). The morphology and foraging data show three species, and range expansion across a five year period: a gap in morphology data in 2005 has been filled by birds in 2010. Our genetic data show two populations and little recent hybridisation. We propose that song is one mechanism driving the divergence: our song data show a change in slope for trill rate and frequency bandwidth across the three populations/species that could be used as a cue for the recognition of species boundaries. In summary, we use molecular and behavioural data to interpret population shifts, niche occupancy, and – possibly – speciation before our eyes.

Habitat fragmentation affects song dialects in the Chowchilla (Orthonyx spaldingii)

J.A. Dickie1, A.H. Koetz1 and B.C. Congdon1

1School of Marine & Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

One of the major threats to animal populations and biodiversity is habitat fragmentation. Although rarely studied, fragmentation is thought to disrupt cultural or social behaviours in particular, creating barrier to communication and/or dispersal. Here, we determine the effects of small-scale habitat fragmentation on song sharing in the Chowchilla (Orthonyx spaldingii), and levels of sharing between neighbouring groups within continuous habitat were compared to that across specific barrier types (i.e. roads, overgrown walking or infrastructure tracks and creeks). Roads were found to significantly reduce song sharing between groups within sites. Other barrier types had no effect on levels of song sharing. While significant, the effect of roads did not account for all instances of low song sharing between neighbouring groups. Movement of young birds into new dialect neighbourhoods is the most likely cause of low song sharing in some instances. The effect of roads on learned behaviour, potentially creating behavioural barriers to dispersal, is of conservation concern.

Student Prize Candidate 52 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Infrasonic booming in the Southern Cassowary – a new discovery

R. Havmoller1,2, L. Bach1,2, A.H. Koetz2 and B.C. Congdon2

1Centre for Macroecology, Evolution & Climate Change, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark 2School of Marine & Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

Poster Presentation: Although some birds are able to hear infrasound (sounds <20 Hz and below human hearing), there has been no evidence that birds produce infrasonic calls. Here, we provide first evidence that Southern Cassowary (C. casuaritus) produces infrasonic elements as part of its booming call. This is the first time that such low frequencies have been recorded in a bird. We recorded one female and one male captive Southern Cassowary north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Booms were on average 0.72 seconds long with an average minimum frequency of 18.3 Hz in the female and 27.0 Hz in the male. Recordings show two clear levels of harmonics. Calls of such low frequency would be perfectly suited to long-range communication among widely dispersed, solitary cassowaries in dense rainforest. These exciting results open up a range of questions relating to the evolution and function of low- frequency communication in cassowaries, as well as the evolution of infrasonic sounds in birds.

Migratory movements of the trans-Pacific migrant, the Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica

T.J. Landers1,2, M.J. Rayner3, M.E. Hauber4, and T.E. Dennis1

1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand; 2Auckland Council, Auckland, New Zealand; 3NIWA, Auckland, New Zealand; 4Dept. of Psychology, Hunter College CUNY, New York, USA

Understanding the annual movements, and the related potential threats to migratory species is increasingly recognised as vital to conservation management. These data are particularly important within the New Zealand archipelago with a high diversity of pelagic seabirds that breed in the region but migrate within or beyond the Pacific basin during nonbreeding periods. We studied the timing of migration and year-round distribution of the IUCN-listed Vulnerable Westland Petrel (Procellaria westlandica) using geolocators deployed on 10 incubating birds breeding in 2007 and 20 in 2008 at Westland. Datasets from 8 and 15 birds in 2008 and 2009 were recovered indicating a November trans-Pacific migration of ~7,000 km from New Zealand to South American waters in ~6 days (range = 4-9), and a return in the following year in late March-April in ~12 days (range = 8-16). Within individuals, the respective start dates of the outward and return migrations were positively correlated. There was considerable variation in individual core areas yet all were over shelf waters: all tracked Westland Petrel ranged over coastal waters in New Zealand during breeding (austral winter) and most occurred over the Humboldt Current of Chile during nonbreeding. These results expand the known distribution of the species, identify new key foraging areas used in two subsequent years, and show individually consistent dynamics in outward and return migratory behaviours.

Student Prize Candidate 53 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Effects of habitat fragmentation on avian disease in tropical rainforests of northern eastern Australia – preliminary analysis

Susan G. W. Laurance1, Dean Jones2, David Westcott2, Adam Mckeown2, Graham Harrington2, and David Hilbert2

1School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns Qld 2CSIRO Tropical Landscapes, Atherton Qld

Habitat fragmentation causes many changes in rainforest communities. Most research has focussed on the impacts of habitat area and isolation on population dynamics and community composition. But there are other important ecological paradigms such as competition, predation and disease that influence populations, yet have not been addressed fragmentation context. We investigated if habitat fragmentation affects avian disease (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) prevalence on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland. We compared rainforest birds on forest edges and interiors across six study sites- 3 fragments and 3 continuous forest sites. We recorded 28 bird species from 335 captures. Although bird capture rates and species richness were higher in fragments compared to continuous forest sites, we found that total bird infections were higher in continuous forest. This surprising result could be due to increased bird-vector contact in continuous forests or bird community changes that will be further explored.

Returning the Balance: Managing threats to the Hooded Plover in Victoria.

G. S. Maguire1, M. A. Weston2, G. C. Ehmke1, and M. Cullen1.

1Birds Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester St, Carlton Victoria, 3053, Australia; 2Centre for Integrative Ecology and Faculty Research Cluster in Environmental Sustainability, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Victoria, 3125, Australia.

Hooded Plovers are Australian shorebirds that nest directly on the beach or dunes during late spring and summer, and are consequently highly impacted by human recreation. Threats include direct crushing of eggs and chicks by people, dogs, horses and vehicles, as well as impacts of disturbance leading to overheating of eggs, starvation of chicks and increased depredation rates. Poor breeding success is resulting in population decline within Victorian. Management efforts are being implemented to alleviate threats, including fencing nesting sites, signage, wardening and chick shelters. We monitored between 70 and 90 pairs of Hooded Plovers in Victoria across four breeding seasons (2006- 2010). At each breeding territory, the presence and intensity of threats were recorded per visit, enabling a standardized comparison of the effectiveness of on-ground managements across sites. Managed nests experienced higher hatching rates, however, fledgling production appeared equal between unmanaged and managed nests. When site-based threats were accounted for, there was a significant improvement in fledging success for heavily threatened sites that were managed compared to heavily threatened, unmanaged sites. Furthermore, chick shelters gave chicks a 42.8% increased chance of survival. This suggests that on-ground management efforts are effective at reducing human-based threats.

Student Prize Candidate 54 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The Influence of Sea Surface Temperature and Rainfall on Breeding Success of the Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur)

K.L. Manno1, Y. van Heezik1 and G. Loh2

1 Zoology Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ; 2Department of Conservation, Dunedin, NZ

Climate affects the productivity of oceans through a range of mechanisms. Sea temperature and rainfall alter the availability of nutrients for phytoplankton through changes in thermal stratification and salinity; solar radiation influences winds that affect water mixing and nutrient distribution, and rainfall can add terrestrial nutrients to coastal systems. As we work towards a better understanding of our marine systems, the influence of physical environmental factors on marine top predators such as seabirds is a particularly relevant area of research.

The Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur) is a small member of the order Procellariiformes, distributed across Australasia, and throughout the southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans. There is a predator-free colony of Fairy Prions near Dunedin, New Zealand, which has been monitored through the breeding season for the past 10 years. Adult Fairy Prions return to the colony every day or two to feed their young, and are thus highly dependent on local sea conditions throughout the breeding season. Using hatching rates and fledgling wing and weight measurements, we will explore the link between sea surface temperatures, rainfall, and Fairy Prion reproductive success.

Behavioural thermoregulation in desert birds: how might patterns of landscape use buffer the effects of climate change?

R.O. Martin1, S.J Cunningham1, P.A.R. Hockey1

1DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, South Africa 7701

Climate models predict increasing temperatures in many of the world’s hot deserts. To buffer high environmental temperatures, many species adjust their behaviour to exploit fine-scale variation in microclimates within the landscape. However, as temperatures rise, increasing reliance on specific microsites may force birds to trade off thermoregulation against other activities (e.g. sitting on a shaded perch may preclude foraging on the ground). Models of heat transfer predict that the way in which birds experience the thermal landscape, and hence are subject to such trade-offs, depends in part on body size. By observing the behaviour of three granivorous bird species of varying size, and measuring microclimatic variation within the landscape, we were able to demonstrate species-specific shifts in microsite use with increasing ambient temperature. Consistent with predictions, larger species increasingly exploited more shady microclimates whereas smaller birds increasingly exploited more windy microclimates. Despite these differences, none of the three species showed a reduction in time spent foraging with increasing temperature. These findings suggest that thermally beneficial shifts in landscape use do not necessarily incur a cost in term of reduced foraging effort over the range of climatic conditions studied.

Student Prize Candidate 55 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Citizen Science – Australia Volunteer achievements and support in Birds Australia’s Shorebirds 2020 program

Dr. Golo Maurer1, Australasian Wader Study Group1

1 Birds Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053 [email protected]

Poster Presentation: Australia ’s vast and remote habitats provide a challenge to surveying its environmental assets and taking on-ground conservation actions. Furthermore, Australia’s small and highly urbanised population complicates the involvement of volunteers in nationwide survey and conservation tasks. Nonetheless, Birds Australia’s shorebird monitoring and conservation project - Shorebirds 2020 - has compiled a 30 year data set on Australia’s shorebirds that now informs local and international conservation actions and environmental management. Here I present the results of a volunteer questionnaire that aimed to determine the factors making this community project a success. A total of 127 of the project’s c. 1300 volunteers returned the questionnaire. The results highlight the skill and dedication of volunteers, who average > 8 years of experience and >100 hrs of volunteering per year. It also indicates that volunteers were mostly (90%) 35 years and older. Shorebirds 2020 offers volunteer support through workshops, educational materials, a standardised online survey form and logistic and financial assistance. This support, made possible through a Commonwealth Caring For Our Country Grant, met with great approval (>80%) and continued demand (>80%). The motivation for this extraordinary engagement may stem from Shorebirds 2020’s palpable conservation outcomes the majority (> 60%) of volunteers experience on both the local and international scale. In summary, the engagement of ‘Citizen Science’ in survey and conservation work in Australia in this project depends on a dedicated professional support system that facilitates tangible conservation outcomes. Without this support c. 50% of volunteers would have to reduce their activities.

Little known = Little at risk? Australia’s Savannah Shorebirds

Dr. Golo Maurer1, Chris Purnell1 Australasian Wader Study Group1

1Birds Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053 [email protected]

Almost the entire world populations of Little Curlew, Numenius minutus, Oriental Plover, Charadrius veredus, and Oriental Pratincole, Glareola maldivarum, spend their non-breeding season in the Savannah habitats of Northern Australia, making their monitoring and conservation a major responsibility for Australia. Population estimates for these species have seen dramatic increases in recent years due to singular observations of new maxima, most spectacularly in Oriental Pratincole, for which the population estimate increased from 60,000 to c. 3 million. Still, after more than 30 years of shorebird monitoring in Australia, we know little about population trends in these species and all species are currently considered of least concern. Similarly, we have only a limited understanding of their habitat preferences and potential threats in Australia. What we do know, however, is that these species are nomadic across most of Northern Australia and require a network of suitable feeding areas, which vary in importance depending on the conditions each year. This behaviour makes them vulnerable to large scale changes to Australia’s Northern Savannahs as they may occur through altered fire regimes, changes in agricultural practices, invasion of weeds or animal pests, or the effects of global climate change. Here we use data from Birds Australia’s Shorebirds 2020 monitoring program and the Atlas of Australian Birds to (1) identify habitats and key areas used by these Savannah Shorebirds, (2) document their movements and (3) present the data on their populations currently available. (4) We also discuss options for monitoring these species and their habitats more closely.

Student Prize Candidate 56 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Standing out from the crowd: individually distinct signals in a cooperative system

P.G. McDonald1,2

1Behavioural and Physiological Ecology Research Centre, Zoology, School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale 2351; 2Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109.

Despite scores of studies focusing on why cooperation is found in animal societies, few have assessed the mechanism by which cooperation occurs. This is unfortunate, as understanding how cooperation occurs yields insights into why it occurs. Most hypotheses rely on at least some form of individual discrimination, for example, yet the extent of this in a society is rarely tested. I therefore investigated the ability of wild Noisy Miners (Manorina melanocephala), a highly social species, to discriminate between the mobbing ‘chur’ calls of different individuals. Over 25 exemplars of calls were recorded from each of 17 birds from a colony at Macquarie University. These calls were then used as stimuli during habituation-discrimination paradigm trials. This involved playing different exemplars of calls from one bird to a given individual housed in a sound chamber. Initially, focal birds rapidly orientated towards broadcasting speakers, however responses soon dwindled and eventually ceased. A chur call from a different individual was then broadcast and, as predicted if the focal bird perceived the two individual’s calls as different, orientation towards speakers resumed. Trials were carried out on 17 birds from the same colony from which exemplars were recorded (highly familiar with stimuli), and 17 birds from an entirely different colony (to whom stimuli were completely novel). Both groups were equally successful in discriminating between the calls of the different individuals, suggesting a range of cooperative hypotheses previously thought to be the realm of higher primates may conceivably facilitate cooperation in this complex society.

Colony-specific growth in wedge-tailed shearwaters: Phenotypic plasticity or evolutionary divergence?

Fiona McDuie1,2, William Goulding1,3, Darren R. Peck1,4, and Bradley C. Congdon1,5

1School of Marine & Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia 2email: [email protected] 3email: [email protected] 4email: [email protected] 5email: [email protected]

Modes of population divergence among seabirds are poorly understood. We evaluated whether divergent patterns of chick development among shearwater populations are facultative responses to short-term fluctuations in food availability, or colony-specific phenomena potentially associated with differences in local resource availability. Supplementary feeding at Heron Island increased provisioning to levels observed at Lord Howe Island. In supplemented chicks, mass accumulation per gram of food received was inversely related to current body stores, up to a maximum storage level set by body size. Significantly, maximum storage was lower for Heron Island than for Lord Howe Island chicks at equivalent body size. In contrast, skeletal growth did not differ between supplemented and control chicks, was not influenced by body condition and did not increase to levels observed at Lord Howe Island. Overall, we have shown that supplemented chicks were unable to use short-term increases in food availability to increase relative mass stores or rates of skeletal development; implying that both life-history parameters are colony-specific phenomena that are divergent between locations. Our findings add significant weight to previous studies suggesting that phenotypic plasticity and/or genetic drift alone cannot explain the patterns of morphological, behavioural and physiological divergence among these two shearwater colonies.

Student Prize Candidate 57 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Males are from Mars and females can tell! Females, but not males, differentiate male geographic song variants in the western whipbird Psophodes nigrogularis

A.L. McGuire, J. Robertson and S. Kleindorfer

School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, South Australia

The risk-of-investment hypothesis predicts that females should differentiate male song variants better than males because females are the choosier sex. To test this hypothesis, we compared male and female responses to geographical variants of male song in the duetting western whipbird (Psophodes nigrogularis). We examined: 1) male song characteristics of two western whipbird subspecies that occur in allopatric populations, and 2) sex differences in response intensity to playback of local and foreign male songs. Male song characteristics differed significantly between the populations in duration and phrase rate. Results from playback experiments of simulated territorial intrusion by local and foreign males showed that male response intensity did not differ between local and foreign song playback. In contrast, females were significantly more aggressive to local song but were virtually unresponsive to foreign male song. These results suggest that females are more sensitive to the geographical origin of male song, which supports the base prediction of the risk-of-investment hypothesis: females should avoid males that sing a foreign song dialect to avoid a hybrid mating.

Analysis of zones of intergradation between subspecies of the variegated fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti) in tropical and subtropical Australia: a multilocus perspective

Alison McLean1 and Leo Joseph2

1 Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111; 2Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO, Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, ACT, 2601

The variegated fairy-wren Malurus lamberti is a widespread species with recognised intraspecific subdivisions based on geographically structured plumage variation and allozyme analysis. Phenotypic intergradation in zones of hybridization among various subspecies has been proposed. We have added to a recent survey of mitochondrial DNA and variable degrees of molecular divergence within this group by using genetic data to shed light on the nature and history of these zones of intergradations. Here, we report on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA in contact zones between Malurus lamberti assimilis, M. l. rogersi and M. l. dulcis across the Australian Monsoon Tropics and M. l. assimilis and M. l. lamberti on the subtropical east coast of Australia.

Student Prize Candidate 58 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Preliminary Results of geolocator studies add to our knowledge of movements of small waders

Clive Minton1 and Ken Gosbell2

1Victorian Wader Study Group; 2Australasian Wader Studies Group

In 2010, the VWSG and AWSG deployed a total of 105 geolocators on two different species, Ruddy Turnstone (at four locations in southeast Australia) and Greater Sand Plover (in Broome, northwest Australia). With good retrieval rates (44% on Ruddy Turnstone and 27% on Greater Sand Plover), we were able to increase our knowledge of migration for both species. The northward migration of Ruddy Turnstone was on a narrow path with many birds completing an initial non-stop flight of 7,600 km to Taiwan. Most later staged in the Yellow Sea before locations became indiscernible as birds encountered continuous daylight. The southward migration path showed a much wider spread, ranging from Mongolia to the central Pacific. One of unexpected results was a bird that moved east to the Aleutian Islands before making a long trans Pacific flight in two successive years; a round trip of 27,000km each year. This program has already added to our knowledge of migration pathways and timings as well as highlighting several conservation issues. The use of the northern Yellow Sea as a stopover for Ruddy Turnstone was a new insight as was the widespread individual strategies of southward migration adopted by this species. Similarly for Greater Sand Plovers, the use of the coasts of Vietnam for stopovers is important as they travelled to northern China and Mongolia to breed. With the experience in the use of geolocators on these two species, the program in 2011 has been expanded to include Eastern Curlew and Sanderling.

The Black-throated Finch Southern Subspecies Poephila cincta cincta; Declines, Threats and Conservation.

J.M. Moloney1, A.C. Grice2, S.L. Whatmough, N.L. Isles, P. Buosi3

1School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD. 2CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Aitkenvale, QLD. 3NRA Environmental Consultants, South Townsville, QLD.

The Black-throated Finch (BTFI) southern subspecies, Poephila cincta cincta, is a granivorous bird endemic to eastern Queensland and (formerly) north-eastern New South Wales. Since the 1970s its range has contracted by up to 80%, which is thought to be due to the effects of pastoralism, vegetation clearance and altered fire regimes. Townsville, located in the dry tropics of North Queensland, is home to one of largest known remaining populations; however urbanisation and other threats pose a significant threat in this region. Our research has examined finch movements and resource use during the breeding season and quantified their use of peri-urban versus rural habitats. BTFI are sedentary during the breeding season, remaining within 250 m of the nest, and using foraging areas of between 2 and 5 hectares. Urbanisation has an adverse effect upon Black-throated finches which, along with other granivorous species, were found in significantly lower abundances at peri-urban sites compared with those in the rural landscape. Within the Townsville Local Government Area, nearly one-third of suitable dry season BTFI habitat has been lost, with a significant decrease in the mean size of habitat patches from 168 ha to 33 ha. While we know that BTFI require trees, seeding grasses, and water sources, detailed knowledge of resource use throughout the year, movement and dry-season range, and genetic information are lacking. Therefore, further research will examine the genetic variability and mixing across differing scales, and spatio-temporal patterns of movement, resource and habitat use.

Student Prize Candidate 59 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Eucalyptus wandoo crown decline- How does it influence the foraging resources for woodland birds?

T.L. Moore1, L.E. Valentine1, M.D. Craig2, G.St.J.E. Hardy2 and P.A. Fleming1

1State Centre for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University; 2State Centre for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health, Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University

Large portions of the world’s forest are currently impacted by declines in tree health, however the impacts of these declines on woodland birds is largely unknown. Since 2002, small patches of Eucalyptus wandoo woodlands in the wheatbelt of southwest Western Australia have demonstrated decline in condition. Retraction or loss of canopy foliage can result in reduction in foraging resources such as nectar and pollen; insects, lerps and manna, and can also reduce habitat quality and nest sites for woodland birds. To investigate the influence of tree decline on bird foraging, we conducted observations of five bird species (rufous treecreeper, wattle bird spp., yellow plumed honeyeater, weebill and striated pardalote) on trees in various states of health in Dryandra State Forest and Wandoo Conservation Park. We observed a birds by following flocks or using the sit-and-wait approach. Responses measured include the health of trees utilised, time spent within trees and the activity of each bird. Birds used both healthy and declining trees for their foraging activities; however, each individual species of bird demonstrated dissimilar preferences for healthy and declining trees. Striated pardalotes were never seen foraging on focal trees categorised as declining and weebills similarly displayed a preference for trees with low amounts of dieback in the canopy. In contrast, wattlebird spp. did not show a preference for the health of trees. Although the decline of E. wandoo may have temporarily affected resource availability for canopy foraging species (e.g. striated pardalotes), the patchy nature of the decline is likely to have had minimal influence on the food resources for the overall woodland birdlife.

Monitoring the loss of intertidal mudflats in the Yellow Sea using remote sensing

N.J. Murray1, R.S. Clemens1, and R.A. Fuller1

1School of Biological Sciences, Environmental Decisions Group, Fuller Lab, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072. Australia.

Rapid urbanisation is driving large reclamation projects of intertidal wetlands throughout the Yellow Sea region. Intertidal habitats are of immense importance in this region as a key provider of habitat for threatened migratory species, as well as ecosystem services, economic opportunities and social values. Despite widespread coastal change and severe modification of the region’s major river systems in recent years, the magnitude and distribution of intertidal wetland loss remains largely unquantified. Developing a novel remote sensing approach, we have mapped the extent of intertidal wetlands in the Yellow Sea in 1975 and 2010. Data from a validated regional tide model were united with Landsat metadata, allowing images acquired at specific tidal stages to be identified. Here we describe the status and distribution of intertidal mudflats across the Yellow Sea region. We have discovered that a large proportion of intertidal wetlands have been lost as a result of several threatening processes. Coastal reclamation is the primary threat to intertidal habitats in Asia, and wetland loss is chiefly occurring in the rapidly developing countries of China and South Korea. Such widespread loss threatens migratory shorebirds that use the Yellow Sea as a staging site during migration.

Student Prize Candidate 60 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The allometry of parrot BMR; seasonal data for the Greater Vasa Parrot, Coracopsis vasa, from Madagascar.

Barry Lovegrove1, Mike Perrin1 and Mark Brown1.

1School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3201, South Africa.

We examined the allometry of basal metabolic rate in 31 parrot species. We show that parrots do not display BMRs that are any different to other captive raised birds of their body mass. An ordinary least squares regression fitted the data best and body mass explained 95% of the variation in BMR. There was no phylogenetic signal in the BMR. We also provide new data for the Greter Vasa Parrot Coracopsis vasa of Madagascar. We tested the hypothesis that it may, because of its insular existence display conservative energetic traits e.g. low BMR and use of adaptive heterothermy, however, this was not the case. It had a higher BMR than other parrots, especially in summer, when BVM was up-regulated by 50.5%, and was 95.7% higher than predicted from an ordinary least squares allometry of parrots.

Testosterone in a seasonally and sexually dichromatic, cooperatively breeding, tropical fairy-wren

A.Peters1,2, ML. Hall1, S.A. Kingma1 and K. Delhey1

1 Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Germany; 2 School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia.

The steroid hormone testosterone has received a lot of attention, in particular in birds, because it affects a wide range of behaviours central to male life-history trade-offs. Low levels of testosterone are sufficient for primary and secondary sexual traits, and high testosterone levels are important in social and sexual interactions. In free-living birds, testosterone levels reflect the degree of male-male aggression, male dominance and male contribution to offspring care. Here we examine testosterone in purple-crowned fairy-wrens, Malurus coronatus, a passerine from the Australian tropical north-west. This year-round territorial species breeds cooperatively, with male and female subordinates assisting the dominant, breeding pair. Although breeding can take place in any month, all males develop a seasonal colourful plumage during the main breeding peak (the wet season). Contrary to other, highly unfaithful Australian fairy-wrens, purple-crowneds have very low levels of extra-pair paternity and pairs are behaviourally highly cohesive. This lifestyle is reflected in their annual testosterone pattern, with relatively low levels of testosterone, small sex differences and modest seasonal changes in testosterone. Elevated testosterone levels are mainly related to active breeding and dominance status, and not to sexual plumage development.

Student Prize Candidate 61 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Filling in the gap: the complex social organisation of the cooperatively-breeding Hall’s babbler

D.J. Portelli1

1Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052.

Research on Australian birds has played an integral part in advancing our understanding of cooperative breeding systems in birds. On a global scale, the extensive literature in this field is dominated by single-species studies or comparisons at a broad taxonomic scale. Comparative studies among closely related species are rare, probably because they require a comprehensive knowledge of multiple species which is often unavailable. Australo-Papuan babblers occur across a wide range of habitats and are well suited to research on variation in cooperative breeding systems. However, adequate knowledge exists for only three of the four Australian species. In this presentation, I will present some of my research on the least understood Australian species: Hall’s babbler. This species breeds in small breeding units consisting of a socially monogamous pair and up to four additional birds. Breeding units are nested within social groups, like in at least some populations of white- browed and chestnut-crowned babblers. Helping is strongly sex-biased; philopatric male offspring help raise future broods while females disperse once adult. Breeding units within a social group coalesce and occupy a shared home range during the breeding season, similar to the social organisation of chestnut-crowned babblers. Territoriality, which is characteristic of the social organisation of grey- crowned babblers, is apparently lacking in Hall’s babbler. This preliminary comparison of Australo- Papuan babblers reveals intriguing variation in social organisation among closely related cooperative breeders. Future research that endeavours to understand the factors associated with this variation will add greatly to our understanding of these systems.

What you see is not what you get: A comparison of the first tracking data for both subspecies of Gould’s petrel with historical observations at sea

N. Carlile1, M.J. Rayner2, D. Priddel1, D. Portelli3 and V. Bretagnolle4

1Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW, Australia; 2National Institute of Water & Atmospherics Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand; 3University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia; 4Chizé Centre for Biological Studies, France.

Until recently, ship-borne sightings and the locations of beach-washed specimens were the only means to identify the movements of pelagic seabirds. Not only are such events opportunistic, but also interpretation of data is often complicated by misidentification of morphologically similar taxa. The Gould’s petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera) is an example of a species whose foraging ecology is poorly known and based largely on observations at sea. The two subspecies (leucoptera and caledonica) are extremely difficult to distinguish at sea and their distributions are likely to overlap, hindering our understanding of the movements of both subspecies. Here we present the pelagic distributions of both subspecies derived from geolocation data loggers, and compare these results with historical ship- borne observations. While breeding, both subspecies foraged within the Tasman Sea and south of the Great Australian Bight, but caledonica also made unexpected and striking foraging trips into the Indian Ocean prior to egg laying. During the non-breeding season, both subspecies migrated across the Pacific, but each utilised a different region of the ocean; leucoptera in equatorial waters of the central Pacific (150-170° W) and caledonica further east (90-140° W). Comparison of tracking data with historical observations confirmed the difficulty of separating the two subspecies at sea and demonstrated the utility of this new technology for investigating the movements of pelagic seabirds.

Student Prize Candidate 62 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Yalu Jiang, China, Shorebird Hot Spot on the EAAF - But for how long?

Adrian Riegen1

1Miranda Naturalists' Trust

The first shorebird survey of the Yalu Jiang National Nature Reserve was undertaken in 1999 followed by another survey in 2000. It became clear from the results that this was an extremely important staging site for several shorebird species including Bar-tailed Godwit, New Zealand’s most numerous Arctic shorebird. The Miranda Naturalists' Trust, which runs a shorebird education centre in New Zealand became interested in monitoring godwits and other shorebirds at Yalu Jiang in more detail and so in 2004 signed a sister site agreement with the reserve. Since then a further six full surveys of the 60km long reserve have been undertaken. The reserve and adjoining estuary make up the most important staging site for shorebirds in East Asia during northward migration. Some 250,000 shorebirds refuel there each spring, with 14 species occurring in internationally important numbers. These include Bar-tailed Godwit with single counts of 93,000, Great Knot with 55,000, Dunlin 45,000, Eurasian Curlews 13,000, Grey Plover 9,000, Eastern Curlew 6,800, Kentish Plover 1,400, Far Eastern Oystercatcher 1,000, Spotted Redshank 800, Broad-billed Sandpiper 700 and 24 endangered Spotted (Nordmann’s) Greenshank. Like so much of the East Asian coast, Yalu Jiang is under huge pressure from the reclamation of mudflats for industrial development and a burgeoning human population. The concern is that the reserve and surrounding coast will be severely degraded by this development to the detriment of the shorebirds. Being such an important refuelling site, there is little hope for shorebirds if it is destroyed.

Critical habitat features for birds in burnt landscapes

N.M. Robinson1, S. Leonard1 , A. Bennett2 and M.F. Clarke1

1La Trobe University, 2Deakin University

Unburnt, or less severely burnt, patches within a burnt landscape are commonly thought to act as refuges for birds and other fauna following a fire. Habitat characteristics of these patches are considered to be different to the surrounding burnt matrix and vital to faunal post fire recovery. Moist gullies are thought to function as natural refuges as they are less likely to burn and more likely to recover more rapidly. Patchy mosaic prescribed burning aims to create refugia by retention of unburnt patches to enhance the persistence of fauna. The value to fauna of these natural and artificially created unburnt patches has rarely been examined.

My project aims to quantify the relative importance of fire history, severity, habitat features and spatial properties in predicting persistence of birds in burnt landscapes. This research is being carried out by using a space-for-time substitution approach within the Black Saturday 2009 Kilmore East- Murrundindi wildfire-affected landscape. Ninety-six sites of mixed foothill forest and gully vegetation were stratified on fire history, severity and patch characteristics. Structural and floristic elements were quantified at all sites, along with bird diversity and abundance.

Preliminary results on habitat elements suggest that gullies have greater vegetation cover and structural complexity than slopes, regardless of being burnt or not. However the value of vegetative components as bird habitat is likely to vary amongst fire severity classes. Our data also indicates that two fires in quick succession reduce habitat complexity and change floristic composition in ways that are unlikely to benefit avifauna.

Student Prize Candidate 63 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Declining shorebird counts at the Western Treatment Plant are part of a Victoria-wide trend

D. I. Rogers1, B. Hansen1 1 Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown St, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084

Monitoring of wildlife abundance is a tool often used by land managers to assess the effectiveness of their habitat management for conservation purposes. In this study we examined changes in shorebird abundance over time at the Western Treatment Plant (WTP), an intensively managed site in Victoria where shorebirds have been monitored regularly since 1980. We then compared the WTP data with shorebird counts at other major Victorian sites which have been monitored concurrently. There was much variation in shorebird numbers at the WTP over time, and many migratory species have declined considerably. However, parallel changes in shorebird abundance were found in other Victorian sites. This indicates that the declines at the WTP cannot be attributed solely to local habitat management issues: it is highly improbable that all major shorebird sites in Victoria would undergo simultaneous deterioration in habitat quality. The causes for the declines must lie outside Victoria, and some possibilities are discussed. Our study shows that an understanding of temporal trends in migratory shorebirds over a large geographical area is needed in order to make correct interpretations of fluctuations in numbers of shorebirds at a particular site.

Helminths in New Zealand Native Passerines

Schoener, E.1, Castro, I.2, Alley, M.R.1, Howe, L.1

1IVABS, Pathobiology, Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ. 2 INR, Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ

Poster Presentation: Disease screening and management are becoming an important part of wildlife management worldwide. However, the lack of knowledge regarding diseases affecting individual species hinders management decisions. In New Zealand, translocation is the main tool for saving threatened species and native birds are undergo a disease-screening programme and quarantine prior to translocation. There is little knowledge of the taxonomy, prevalence, and epidemiology of diseases caused by internal parasites such as cestodes, trematodes or nematodes. These parasites can inflict major damage to their hosts and limit their reproduction and survival, especially under crowded and stressful conditions of quarantine. Therefore, their impact may result in translocation failure. This research aimed to identify gastrointestinal parasites in native passerines from the North Island, using faecal samples from live birds and post-mortem samples. The study revealed the existence of a new trematode (Dicrocoelioidea) and a cestode in the North Island saddleback, a new cestode and trematode in tui and previously undescribed Capillaria nematodes in hihi and tui. Further studies should aim to gain additional information on the prevalence, pathology and pathogenicity of these parasites. Results from these studies will be valuable in providing baseline data for health monitoring and guiding management options for these species.

Student Prize Candidate 64 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Coccidia in New Zealand Native Passerines

Schoener, E.1, Castro, I.2, Alley, M.R.1, Howe, L.1

1IVABS, Pathobiology, Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ. 2 INR, Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ

Coccidian parasites are protozoan parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa. The most common apicomplexans that affect passerine birds are members of the genus Isospora. Although coccidian gastrointestinal parasites are important pathogens, particularly for captive populations of native New Zealand songbird species, their origin, prevalence, epidemiology, life cycles, synergies, and taxonomic relationships are still widely unknown. These parasites seldom pose a threat, but stressors such as quarantine for translocation, overcrowding or habitat changes may cause an infection outbreak that can severely affect the host.

This study aimed to describe coccidian parasites affecting New Zealand native and introduced passerines. We examined faeces of six native (tui, hihi, North Island saddleback, North Island robin, silvereye, fantail) and one non-native (blackbird) passerine species. We identified at least eight new genetically distinct coccidia species. Similar to prior studies in other countries, preliminary sequencing results of our samples suggest that avian coccidia in NZ are not closely related to the phenotypically similar genus Cystisospora of mammals. This study has provided baseline data for health monitoring and will be valuable in guiding management options for the hosts’ species.

Modelling the response of morphological and molecular variation to environmental gradients for conservation planning in the southern scrub-robin (Drymodes brunneopygia)

J. Scoble1,2, A.K. Smyth1 and K.J. Williams2,3

1The University of Adelaide; 2CSIRO (Climate Adaptation Flagship); 3CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences.

We seek to characterise the relationship between the environment, and morphological and genetic diversity in the southern scrub-robin (Drymodes brunneopygia), a ground dwelling species found throughout the semi-arid mallee region of southern Australia. Using a generalised dissimilarity model, the relationship between environmental variables and both morphological variation (measured as wing, tail, tarsus and head-bill length), and genetic variation (derived using microsatellite markers) is investigated for selected Western Australian and South Australian populations. Identifying and conserving environmental gradients that drive adaptive diversity will assist in situ conservation of this and similar desert-dwelling species, particularly in response to climate change.

Student Prize Candidate 65 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Physiological and behavioural responses to temperature and humidity in the White-browed Sparrow-weaver

B. Smit1, C.T. Harding2, P.A.R. Hockey2 and A.E. McKechnie1

1DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; 2DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Warmer temperatures associated with climate change are likely to severely impact many bird species, especially in subtropical deserts where the frequency and intensity of heat waves are increasing. Very little is known, however, about the dependence of avian physiological and behavioural variables on environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. We obtained body temperature, water flux, field metabolic rate and behavioural data from White-browed Sparrow-weavers (Plocepasser mahali; 42 g) in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa, over daily maximum temperatures ranging from 25° to 38°C. Body temperature and the frequency of heat dissipation behaviour increased significantly with daily maximum air temperature. Maximum body temperature was ~ 1°C higher (range 0.5° to 2.3°C) on days when maximum temperatures exceeded 35°C, compared to cooler days. Daily water flux and field metabolic rate, on the other hand, decreased significantly with increasing daily maximum temperature, and were correlated with reduced activity levels on hot days. However, body temperature and daily water flux were significantly higher on warm humid days compared to warm dry days, suggesting that evaporative cooling is less efficient at high humidities. Our findings suggest that small changes in air temperature and humidity can have significant effects on avian thermoregulation, water balance and daily activity patterns, even when air temperatures do not exceed avian body temperature.

How reliable is the use of First Passage Time analysis to determine areas of restricted search behaviour in Tasman boobies?

Sommerfeld, J.1,2, Hindell, M.1, Garthe, S. 2, Ropert-Coudert, Y. 3, Kato, A. 3 and Wilcox, C.4

1 Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies - University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129 Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia; 2Research and Technology Centre (FTZ) - University of Kiel, Hafentörn 1 25761 Büsum Germany; 3Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien – DEPE Universite de Strasbourg – CNRS, 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg France; CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research – Hobart Castray Esplanade Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.

First passage time analysis (FPT) has become a powerful tool to assess the spatial scale at which animals detect their prey. It is by definition the time an animal requires to cross a circle with a given radius. The circle is moved along the track of the animal in an effort to locate area-restricted search behaviours (ARS), i.e. the behaviour where the animal exhibits an increase in its turning rate and/or decrease in flight speed due to the detection and eventually capture of prey. However, this method might be of limited use or result in biased ARS in seabirds performing either very short foraging trips or long (overnight) trips as a great percentage of their time is spent resting at the water surface. The reliability of FPT was investigated on Tasman boobies (Sula dactylatra tasmani) foraging off Phillip Island (Norfolk Island Group, Australia) by simultaneously deploying GPS and Accelerometers (recording depth). We applied FPT on GPS tracks and compared the obtained ARS with known diving location. Results suggest that the reliability of FPT depends upon the duration (short, long) and type of trips (looping, commuting) as well as diving activity. ARS was not detected in short trips with little diving activity or biased due to frequent landings at the water surface without diving. During long trips, birds mainly commuted between their colony and prey patches, resulting in accurate overlaps between ARS and diving locations; however, the detection of ARS was negatively influenced by the time birds spent sitting at the water surface.

Student Prize Candidate 66 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The ravenous ravens of Rottnest Island: nest predation on bush birds by the Australian Raven Corvus coronoides

C.A. Stevenson1, 2

1School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology Murdoch University South Street Murdoch WA 6150; 2Department of Terrestrial Zoology Western Australian Museum 49 Kew Street Welshpool WA 6106

Rottnest Island has undergone significant habitat modification and degradation since European settlement. As a result, two bush bird species have become locally extinct and others are restricted in their distribution on the island. In 1903 Rottnest was gazetted as an ‘A class’ reserve for public recreation, protecting the small native wallaby, the Quokka Setonix brachyurus. However, increases in Quokka abundance and human visitation has increased food availability for Australian Ravens, through provision of carcasses and food scraps respectively. Ravens proliferated from being an occasional visitor to an established breeding resident. Their pilfering from humans and scavenging has made them an unwelcome pest. Anecdotal comments suggested that ravens may also predate on the nests of local bush birds. Consequently the Rottnest Island Authority Pest Bird Management Plan 2008 included the culling of ravens. To determine the potential impact that ravens may be having on bush birds, false nest trials were conducted at six bush sites at various distances from the Thompson Bay settlement, where the raven population was concentrated. Positive predation was recorded during the nest trials, with predation decreasing with distance from the settlement. Despite continued culling and a reduction of ravens over the survey period, nest predation increased. Although ravens may predate on the nests of bush birds, restoration of island vegetation may be having a positive effect on bush bird populations by increasing the availability of suitable habitat. The outcomes of this study will be used to further direct the management of the Australian Raven on Rottnest Island.

Lord Howe Gerygone and other lost birds – the history of avian extinctions in Australia

J.K. Szabo1 and S.T. Garnett1

Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia1

Extinction is more prevalent than ever before in human history. The situation in Australia is at least as dire as in other parts of the world. As a consequence of being an ancient continent with a long history of isolation, many Australian plants and animals have taken unique evolutionary paths. Since European colonisation in 1788, there have been several irreversible changes in environmental conditions, culminating in extinctions – among birds, 11 species and further 17 subspecies went extinct in Australian territories. Most of these extinctions occurred soon after colonisation during the 19th century and mostly on oceanic islands, such as Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island with 10 taxa lost on each. Nevertheless, in the last 50 years mainland taxa have been “catching up” – more and more are becoming endangered and several subspecies have become extinct in the last few decades. Some birds have been slowly slipping down towards extinction, while others have declined suddenly. The importance of factors contributing to extinction has also changed somewhat – even though habitat loss and introduced predators have been a threatening process from the beginning, hunting and human persecution have been replaced by inadequate land management, such as modified fire regimes. While some extinct taxa have several close relatives, others were taxonomically unique, and a loss of the latter has lead to a considerable loss of genetic diversity. In this paper we overview the causes, patterns and trends in Australian bird extinctions, and place them into a global context.

Student Prize Candidate 67 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Evolution of quail-thrush from the New Guinean tropics to Australia’s arid, stony deserts

Alicia Toon1, 2, Jeremy J. Austin3,4, Gaynor Dolman1, Lynn Pedler1, and Leo Joseph1

1Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, GPO Box 284, Canberra, ACT, 2601;2School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072; 3Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5005; 4Sciences Department, Museum Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, VIC, 3001

The quail-thrush, Cinclosoma, include between five and seven species distributed broadly across mesic forests of south-eastern Australia and New Guinea and arid and semi-arid inland Australia. It has been suggested that the arid species of quail-thrush arose from forest ancestors as Australia changed from a warm wet climate to a cooler drier climate since the late-Miocene. We generated multilocus (mitochondrial ND2 and eight nuclear loci) gene and species trees with complete taxon sampling of Cinclosoma to investigate evolutionary relationships and species status of some taxa. Topologies reconstructed in congruent, highly-resolved gene trees and species trees supported the recognition of seven species. Phylogenetic analysis and divergence time estimates support the idea that Australia’s arid taxa evolved from forest ancestors. A ‘leapfrog’ distribution in the two arid zone species with chestnut breasts was likely a result of retention of ancestral, inconspicuous (or camouflaged) plumage patterns. A specimen-based report from 1968 (Ford 1974) of hybridization between non-sister taxa C. castanotum and C. marginatum was verified using molecular analysis on specimens collected at the same locality forty years later. I will discuss the implications of hybridization to the evolution of this species group.

Understanding the distribution of volunteer bird surveys from an environmental, social and behavioural perspective – what makes a twitcher tick?

A.I.T. Tulloch1 and J.K. Szabo2

1 Environmental Decisions Group, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia; 2 Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia

Atlas data collected by volunteers are valuable for conservation planning and evaluation, but are prone to spatial and temporal biases in sampling effort. Data incompleteness can have serious consequences for prospective data users if issues are not identified and rectified through targeted sampling or other methods. Limited data on volunteer motivations and behaviour make it difficult to design effective sampling regimes and coordinate sampling efforts. We used atlas data to explore behavioural characteristics of volunteers and evaluate how these affect the quantity, quality and usefulness of collected data, using a case study of the New Atlas of Australian Birds in the biodiversity hotspot of south-western Australia. By applying methods used in ecology and animal behaviour, we calculated the home range, site fidelity, habitat and bird selectivity of 172 volunteers, and related these to habitat and bird species availability. Species accumulation models enabled us to assess the consequences of volunteer habitat selection, identifying 12 out of 21 habitats with less than 95% inventory completeness, despite 12 years of sampling. Biases in bird species detection were related to habitat use, status, endemicity, and migratory habits of the observed bird species. We recommend the minimum sampling effort that is required to reach satisfactory species richness estimates in each habitat and that allow valid comparisons between inventories and habitats for conservation planning, and we suggest ways in which different volunteer behavioural types can be used to achieve a goal of spatial representativeness. By studying volunteer behavioural characteristics, we can understand the “psychology” of atlassing and set realistic goals for volunteers and coordinating organisations, resulting in a comprehensive dataset that is useful for scientific research.

Student Prize Candidate 68 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Daily movement patterns and habitat use of the brolga, Grus rubicunda, at non-breeding sites in south west Victoria

I. Veltheim1, S. Cook1, M. McCarthy2, R. Hill3 and G. Palmer1

1University of Ballarat; 2University of Melbourne; 3Department of Sustainability and Environment

The south-western Victorian region of Australia supports a threatened population of the brolga, Grus rubicunda. The species is under threat from loss of habitat, poor breeding success and recruitment, and collision with fences and powerlines. A new potential threat has recently emerged due to the proliferation of wind farm developments within the brolga’s key habitats. The species is considered to be at risk of collision with wind farm infrastructure. Disturbance and displacement from key habitats may also negatively affect the species. Lack of information on the brolgas’ movement patterns makes it difficult to assess the potential impact of wind farms on this population and to develop appropriate management strategies and mitigation measures. This study investigated movements of brolgas in 2010-2011 to define their spatial requirements, habitat use and movement corridors. Brolgas were captured and fitted with GPS satellite transmitters and colour bands. GPS transmitters logged the location of the birds four times a day to provide information on daily movement patterns and habitat use. Results indicate that daily movement patterns at non-breeding sites were restricted and mostly centred around night roosts. Over the duration of the non-breeding season brolgas utilised a total area of up to 5-6 kilometres. The outcomes of this study will be used to design turbine and powerline free buffer zones around key non-breeding areas, thus aiding in wind farm planning to avoid long term population impacts.

Mistletoe specialist frugivores: latter-day “Johnny Appleseeds” or self-serving market gardeners?

J. Rawsthorne1, D.M. Watson1

1Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury NSW 2640

Many plants rely on birds to disperse their seeds, but mistletoes have long been regarded as a special case. As aerial parasites, mistletoe seeds need to be deposited upon branches of suitable hosts, and mistletoe-specialist frugivores have long been considered as their coevolved dispersers. Eating little else, these birds (from eight different families) exhibit some of the most narrow diets of any frugivores, with many feeding mistletoe fruit to their chicks. Here, we evaluate this interaction from the mistletoe’s perspective, drawing on recent studies of mistletoe specialist frugivores and more generalist species that include mistletoe in a broader diet. We propose that, rather than being principal dispersers, mistletoe specialists offer poor dispersal services, their narrow diet, strict habitat preferences and short gut passage rates making them far less likely to transport seeds to uninfected trees or stands. Rather, they might better be considered as mistletoe exploiters, intensifying existing infections and increasing their medium-term food security while undermining the viability of parasite and host populations through increased parasite load. We contrast recent research on mistletoe specialists and generalist species, and compare mistletoe distribution in those regions where all dispersal is carried out by generalist species, including Europe, North America and New Zealand, as well as many oceanic islands colonized by mistletoe via long-distance bird dispersal . Rather than selfless dispersers, we propose that many mistletoe specialists engaged in dynamic mutualisms with mistletoes are currently dominating the interaction, and are better considered self-serving free- loaders.

Student Prize Candidate 69 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Declining shorebird trends from seven decades of surveys in Botany Bay, NSW

H.K.Watson1,2, R.T. Kingsford1 and S. Ren1

1 Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052,2 Birds Australia, Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester St, Carlton VIC 3053

Globally, shorebird populations are in decline. There is increasing evidence that shorebird numbers are declining significantly at many Australian sites. We analysed long-term shorebird data for Sydney’s Botany Bay region, a key site for shorebirds in NSW with about 19 species of migrant and resident shorebirds regularly occurring each year. We collated all records of shorebird abundance dating back to the 1940s, to determine population trends. In early periods (1942-2000), not all sites within the Bay were comprehensively counted but since 2001 all sites were consistently surveyed each month. We identified non-linear trends for total shorebird abundance and the more numerous migrant and resident species. There were significant declines in the overall number of shorebirds and for ten species, including northern hemisphere migrants Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata and Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva; New Zealand-breeding migrant Double-banded Plover Charadrius bicinctus; and locally- breeding resident Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapilus. Species trends probably reflect development-related habitat loss occurring locally and in the flyway. The northern part of Botany Bay has been extensively modified since the late 1940s due to urbanisation and the expansion of Sydney’s airport and container port, including dredging, land reclamation and drainage of adjacent wetlands.

Conservation of Avifauna in the Torres Strait

Watson, J.1, 2, Lavery, T.1,3 & Hitchcock, G. 4

1RPS Group, PO Box 1159, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006 2Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW 2640 3School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343 4Arafura Consulting, PO Box 4115, Melbourne University, VIC 3052 [email protected]

In Australia, many shorebird populations have not been properly assessed and few shorebird habitats are conserved. The Torres Strait Islands provide important resources for shorebirds, particularly stopover habitat for migratory species and nesting and foraging habitat for resident species. The islands and associated sand and mudflats are not recognised under any international, federal or state statutory conservation mechanisms. The region has yet to be identified as an Important Bird Area. Recommendations and unique opportunities for conservation, management and protection of these critical resources are discussed. The Torres Strait is unique in that many islands are under indigenous/traditional ownership and management. This indigenous land tenure continues to increase as communities assert ownership rights, including the management of conservation projects. Under the guidance of the Torres Strait Regional Authority, indigenous ranger programs and indigenous protected areas are being systematically implemented in the region. In this paper we describe the habitat and resources available for shorebirds, identify the species recorded using this environment and highlight the significance of these areas and the IPA programme as a mechanism for bird conservation.

Student Prize Candidate 70 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Using leukocyte profiles in wild birds: the fallacy of the H/L ratio and its interpretation

M.J. Watson1, S.R. Raidal1

1School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia

Poster Presentation: A growing number of ecologists are turning to veterinary techniques to assess the health of their wild study organisms. One of the most common measurements is a leukocyte profile where a blood smear is assessed for types of white blood cells and an estimate of total white blood cells is made. Often, an H:L (heterophil to lymphocyte) ratio) number is extracted from the data and inferences made on the stress level of the bird based on this number. There are many problems with the H:L, chief among them (a) observer error and (b) interpretation of results. This ratio is supposed to measure the main cell types of the innate and adaptive immune function and therefore an increase in the ratio indicates an increase in stress. However, there are two assumptions in this method: (1) that all the lymphocytes counted are part of the adaptive immune system, and (2) that this ratio just indicates the level of immune stress. Unfortunately, H:L has been shown to increase with plumage brightness, good body condition, ontogeny of immune system and quality of offspring, as well as the purported variation with stress hormones. Therefore, researchers need to determine what they are looking for and count the cells that are important for that response. Various other ratios and cell counts are discussed in light of this requirement.

Ontogeny of the avian immune system: a case study in a long- lived seabird

M.J. Watson1, S.R. Raidal1

1School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia

Immune function is integral to survival in all wild animals. Innate immunity provides fast, immediate, but relatively non-specific protection, while adaptive immunity is slower, precise and advantageous because it has a memory for the pathogens it encounters. Chicks hatch with a fully competent but relatively disarmed adaptive immune system, and therefore rely more on acute innate cellular responses in the first weeks of life. Passively derived humoral immunity obtained by transfer of immunoglobulins from the egg yolk can also be important during this period, but has the potential to interfere with adaptive responses. The development of the wild avian immune system is not well known; most current information is extrapolated from broiler chickens. Long-lived seabirds, with their extended chick development are excellent models for the investigation of the ontogeny of the immune system. In this study we determined total leucocyte counts, leucocyte profiles, packed cell volumes (haematocrit), thrombocyte levels and percent polychromatophilic erythrocytes of crested terns (Thalasseus bergii) from two Australian breeding colonies. These data suggest that young chicks depend heavily on innate immunity immediately after hatching, a period of potentially high environmental pathogen challenge.

Student Prize Candidate 71 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Seabird islands in French Polynesia

S.M. Waugh1, J. Champeau2, J.F. Butaud3, and S. Cranwell4

1Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand; 2 Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie (MANU), PB 7023, 98719 Taravao, Tahiti, French Polynesia; 3 Consultant en Foresterie et Botanique Polynésienne, PO Box 52832, 98716 Pirae, Tahiti, French Polynesia, 4BirdLife International, PO Box 18332, Suva, Fiji.

In 2010, several small islets in French Polynesia were surveyed for their seabird populations, in the Marquesas and Gambier archipelagos. We found significant seabird populations at 11 islands surveyed. In the Gambier Islands, we found 12 species of breeding seabird, and three non-breeding species. Red-footed booby was noted breeding for the first time. At Hatu Iti and Motu Oa in the Marquesas Islands, we noted 24 species of seabird, including 16 breeding species. New records of Phoenix petrel at Hatu-iti were noted. In all, the islets surveyed comprised some of the most important sites in French Polynesia for conservation of Polynesian Storm Petrel, Phoenix Petrel, Red- tailed Tropic Bird and Sooty Terns. Our study was aimed to assist work to restore the islands, by identifying important bird populations at sites where there is a possibility to of rats and other alien invasive species in the future.

Assessing the causes of phenotypic divergence across an avian hybrid zone

M.S. Webster1, D.T. Baldassarre1, H.A. Thomassen2 and J. Karubian3

1Cornell Lab of Ornithology; 2University of Tübingen; 3Tulane University.

Hybrid zones between recently diverged taxa provide a unique opportunity to study the early stages of speciation, for example by giving insights into the evolutionary forces that lead to phenotypic divergence. Such divergence might be caused by ecology-driven natural selection, or by forces such as sexual selection or genetic drift that can act independent of ecology. To distinguish between these possibilities, we quantified variation in a suite of morphometric and plumage characteristics across a hybrid zone between two recognized subspecies of an Australian bird, the red-backed fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus). We then tested for associations between individual traits and environmental variables using generalized dissimilarity models. Variation in morphometric traits, such as body weight and tarsus length, was strongly associated with environmental variation, suggesting a role for ecological selection in shaping these traits. In contrast, variation in plumage colour was better explained by geographic distance, independent of environmental variation. This pattern is consistent with divergent sexual selection or drift. Together these results suggest that different forms of selection have acted concurrently to cause phenotypic divergence across the range, with sexual selection and/or drift being the principle force underlying divergence of the two named subspecies. Behavioural experiments are necessary to separate the effects of sexual selection and drift on divergence in plumage.

Student Prize Candidate 72 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Dealing with uncertainty: Flexible sexual signaling in a tropical Australian bird

M.S. Webster1  1Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Plenary Presentation: It has become increasingly apparent that that the ecological and social environments of tropical organisms are less stable and less predictable than previously perceived. Accordingly, we should expect birds and other animals breeding in the tropics to have evolved phenotypically plastic behavioural strategies that allow them to deal with these variable and unpredictable conditions, yet such plasticity remains poorly understood. In this talk I will summarize our own studies of the red- backed fairy-wren, a small passerine breeding in open woodland and savannah regions of tropical Australia. I will focus particularly on plasticity in reproductive strategies and sexual signals, and the hormonal mechanisms underlying these, which allow these birds to cope with an inherently unpredictable environment.

Rapid declines in migratory shorebirds in Moreton Bay, Australia

R.S. Clemens1, H.B. Wilson1, B.E. Kendall2, R.A Fuller1, D.A. Milton3,4, and H.P. Possingham1

1School of Biological Sciences, Environmental Decisions Group, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072. Australia; 2 Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131, USA; 3 CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 41 Boggo Road, Queensland 4102, Australia; 4 Queensland Wader Study Group, 336 Prout Road, Burbank, Queensland 4156, Australia.

Estimating the abundance of migratory species is difficult because sources of variability differ substantially among species and populations. Recently developed state-space models address this variability issue by directly modelling both environmental and measurement error, although their efficacy in detecting declines is relatively untested for empirical data. We applied state-space modelling, generalized least squares, and standard linear regression to data on abundance of wetland birds at Moreton Bay in southeast Queensland, Australia. There are internationally significant numbers of 8 species of waterbirds in the bay, and it is a major terminus of the large East Asian- Australasian Flyway. In our analyses, we considered 22 migrant and 8 resident species. State-space models identified abundances of 7 species of migrants as significantly declining and abundance of one species as significantly increasing. Declines in the abundance of migratory species over 15 years were 43– 79%. Generalized least squares with an autoregressive error structure showed abundance changes in 11 species, and standard linear regression showed abundance changes in 15 species. The higher power of the regression models meant they detected more declines, but they also were associated with a higher rate of false detections. If the declines in Moreton Bay are consistent with trends from other sites across the flyway as a whole, then a large number of species are in significant decline.

Student Prize Candidate 73 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

New Zealand’s seabird colony database: a tool for conservation

Kerry-Jayne Wilson1 Robyn Blyth² and Susan Waugh³

1P.O. Box 70, Charleston 7865, West Coast, New Zealand. [email protected]; 220 Pine Ave, South Brighton, Christchurch. [email protected]; 3Te Papa, National Museum of New Zealand, Wellington. [email protected]

Information on the location and size of New Zealand seabird colonies was scattered through hundreds of published and unpublished sources. This database currently contains over 3000 records of a seabird species breeding at one of about 300 locations at which seabirds are known to have bred. Soon the Xcel files will be converted to a restricted access searchable database.

86 species of seabirds breed in New Zealand yet there is reliable data on colony location, population size and trends only for Australasian gannet, king shag, some albatross taxa and those species critically endangered. For other species the location of breeding sites is poorly documented, especially poorly surveyed are burrow-breeding petrels, for some of these all that is known are islands on which they were once recorded.

The database highlights how few breeding sites have been surveyed in the last 25 years and, that at even fewer have reliable estimates of breeding numbers ever been made. The database helps to identify those species and sites most in need of management. The database was used to identify candidate sites for Important Bird Areas. It will permit a more robust documentation of the decline of seabird populations since European colonisation. The usefulness of the database by local authorities has been tested on the West Coast, South Island where regional data has been converted into a GIS layer now used by local authorities when applications for coastal development are assessed. An example of each of these applications will be shown.

Pied Imperial-Pigeons on Brook Island: Forty Five Years and Counting – a basis for environmental modelling.

John Winter1, Dave Green2, Margaret Thorsborne3, Mark Parsons2 and Will Edwards1

1School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University; 2Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management; 3Galmara, Cardwell.

Arthur and Margaret Thorsborne started counting the evening flight of Pied Imperial-Pigeons on North Brook Island off the Queensland coast at Cardwell in December 1965. These counts have continued every year to the present day with the assistance of the Queensland Parks Service. Counts are made from the sand spit at the north-west end of the island as the pigeons return from their rainforest feeding grounds on the mainland to the nesting colony on the island.

Here we discuss the general pattern of highest December bird count over time. The late December count is used as it is the maximum number generally recorded before the pigeons begin their migratory journey back to the New Guinea region. A low of 1,400 pigeons in 1968 has steadily increased to the present day 30,000 - 40,000. This increase is interpreted as the result of relaxation of shooting pressure in the mid 1960s, with an apparent recovery phase to 1992, when the pigeon numbers reached 30,000 for the first time. Thereafter, numbers plateaud. Accounting for non- linearity, variance heterogeneity and autocorrelation produces residual values that can be correlated with environmental factors, making this one of the most detailed data sets currently available to test population size against environmental conditions.

Student Prize Candidate 74 Australasian Ornithological James Cook University Birds Australia Conference 2011 Cairns Ornithological Society of New Zealand

The effects of a warming climate on desert birds - a physiological perspective

B.O. Wolf1,

1Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA.

Predicting how human-induced climate change will affect animal distribution, abundance and diversity requires an understanding of the mechanisms underlying both the direct and indirect effects. Although little studied, among the most important direct effects may be catastrophic mortality associated with extreme heat and drought. Climate models predict an increase in both the frequency and severity of these extreme climate events, and historical records demonstrate the potential for catastrophic mortality. We discuss how hot environments will interact with behaviour and physiology of birds to produce widespread shifts in distribution and abundance. We focus on the functional mechanisms underlying avian mortality associated with heat stress and the lack of water. Current and historical accounts document catastrophic mortality caused by hyperthermia or through dehydration. Our projections suggest that increasing global temperatures, combined with increased frequency and intensity of heat waves and drought, will result in more frequent catastrophic mortality, and could depopulate regional bird communities

Student Prize Candidate 75 James Cook University Australasian Ornithological Birds Australia Ornithological Society of New Zealand Conference 2011 Cairns 

   

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