Corella,2002' 26(3): 79-84

AVIANPOPULATION CHANGES IN A DEVELOPINGURBAN AREA IN WESTERNAUSTRALIA OVER AN EIGHTEENYEAR PERIOD

VICTORW. SMITH

I KarrakatlaRoad. Goode Beach,Albany. western Australia 6330

Received:27 Nownbet 2000

Annual capture and recapture rates of a number o1 species obtained over an eighteen year period in an area cleared lor urbanization,have shown changes in populationswhich are consideredrelated to developmentin the area. The increase in thg number ol honeyeatersin particular,implies they havo benelitted from the prolilerationot nectar-producingnative plants in some residentialgardens. Other discrete changes ln the avian oooLllationare also described

INTRODUCTION meant that much of lhe original vegetation was destroyed As water conservation was a priority in lhe area, quick-growing native shrubs In 1982, a bird-banding project was commenced to alld trecs which do not require much water werc oflen selected gathermorphometric data from avian speciesin the south for residential gardens. The bare or sparse nature of newly gardens years early of WesternAustralia. The continuationof this project to developcd blocks, a feature of some for several on, gave way !o tallcr shrubs and trees (up to l0 m in heigh0, in 2000 has provided unforeseen, though not entirely a relatively short time. Within two !o four years afte. completion unexpected,information on local populationtrends over of each rcsidence, several gardens grew flourishing slands of planls time. and small trees native to Western Australia. This provided on_8oing nectar sources throughout the year with. for e\amplc, CalListennn, Large areas of coastal Australia have undergone Grcvillea, Kunzea and MelaLeuca species flowering during the transition from remnant bushland to suburban winter and early summer and El.cdllptrr species flowering during development.Urbanization brings mixed blessingsfor the summer and autumn Furthermore, water was made frcely avrrlable ro lhe bird, b) mdnJ rcsident' .Clearing remnant bushland removes food resources, shelterand breedingsites. The provision of water, food Stuclysites and some vegetativecover in some residentialgardens, GOODE BEACH. A major part of this study was particularly the establishment of nectar-producing conducted in the author's garden, hereafter refened to as plants to encouragehoneyeaters, is certainly beneficial. Goode Beach, in one of the subdivisions.In 1982,upon Contrarily, bird-killing domestic are often completion of the house building, revegetationof the introducedto the area and the use of chemicalsfor pest garden commenced,working outwards from the house. control can havedeleterious effects on presentand future Native species were planted, including CaLListemon, generationsof birds. , Calothamnus, Kunzea and several This studyreports on changesin avianpopulations which species,including E. lehmanii which were resistantto "Dieback" haveoccuned over l8 yearsin a small,developing, coastal (Phytopthora and Armillaria intections), residentialarea in the extreme south of WesternAustralia. whereas some other ornamental eucalypts succumbed. Some indigenousMani and Jafiah saplingsalso survived. STTJDY AREA The housewas not fully occupieduntil 1986,but from Goode Beach (l17"56'E, 35'05'S) is ao isolated residential 1982 was visited every four to six weeks for periodsof enclave of 160 subdivisions (each block approximatcly 0.1 h) on severaldays at a time while retaining earthworkswere the southern shore of King George Sound and conriguous with completed.At eachvisit one 13 metre four shelf rnist net the central northern boundary of the Tomdirrup National Park, (30 m.) was next one of the soulhernmost national parks on rbc south coast of sq. erected to the house. The net Westem Australia. remainedopen all day, but was constantlymonitored and closedat night or during inclementweather, In 1982, when this study commenced, only 26 blocks (169.) were dcveloped. bua by 2000, houses have becn built on more By 1992, the vigorous growth of vegetation necessitated than 70 per cenl of the subdivisions. a changeof net site: three new sites were selected,all Prior to development, thc vegelation of Goode Beach resembled within 30 metresof the house,using netsof lengtheither that found in the adjacent Tomdirrup National Park, including 9 metres(20 sq. m.) or 13 metres.Nets remainedopen thickets of Pcppermint Agrrir rel?rrt/.r. mallee-type Jarrah fiom dawn to dusk to achieve maximum trapping effort Eu(olyptus ntrrSitnta, Matti E. caloplrylla, Karri, E. diyersicolor and low- ro medium heighr hearh interspersed wirh nectar- within a defined area of approximately 0.2 hectares. producing plants such as Bdntria, Adenantho.t, Anigozanrlnt and Callistenon. In January 1997 a wildfire burnr mosr of Tomdirrup METHODS National Park adjacenl ro rhe study arca (Smirh 200t). Birds were caughl in mist nels ar coode Beach from 1982 !o Due to the small size of thc subdivisions. most were cleared 2000. Birds retrieved from mist nels were individually banded with enlirely of vegetation before building commenced. Furthermore metal bands, and standard measurements were taken for a the need 10 maintain slashed firebreaks on undeveloped blocks concomitanl study on the demographics of the local avian population. V W.Smilh: population Auian changesin an urbanarea in WA Corella26(3)

TABLE I Annurl net nrea avaihblc in coode Beach wirh average ner arcas from l98l ro 1987 and 1992 ro 2000. Number of nets and Days open Total net arca Averagc ner arca

1983 lx30 ll 930 198,1 46 4,10 1985 5l s30 I 308 1986 50 500 l9E7 38 140 199) 2x30 30 800 l99l 2x20 12 680 1994 I x20ilx3t) l9 950 1995 2x30 29 140 1996 I x 20;I x30 4{l 2 000 l 935 1991 lx20tlxl0 40 2 000 1998 2x30 3l I 860 1999 3x20 l9 2 1,10 2000 I x20rlx30 2 050

As nettlng was sporadic from I988 to 1991, results of nist net days they werc open each year. From these two figures has been capturcs were presentedfor those caught from 1992 to l9g7 and calculatedthe annual total net arca availablc in square metres. No irom I992 to 2000. Annual captLfe rates were calculated from netling was carried ou1 during period ot absencesfrom April to July year of onc 1o June of rhe following ycar. June in 1987, 1992. 1995 and 1998.

Nclting commenced in Dcccmber 1982, so rhe firsr year's From 1992 onwards rwo external sites, Hilkop and Roadside(see records, lo the end of June 1983, represcntcdonly six months. Appendix l) wirhin one kilometre of Goode Bcach, were operaled During thal period the ner was erectcd and opened on 3l days. sporadicallyto confirm which bird specieswere prescnt within lhc Torndirrup National Park in the vicinity of Good€ Beach, bul lhis To facilitare subscquenlcomparisons, Table I shows lhe numbcr was no( inlcnded to provide comparable figures. A major wildfire of nets and area of each in square metrcs; also the numbcr of burnt bolh siles iir 1997.

NewHolland Red Wattlebird 5

0 30

Silvereye White-browed Scrubwren

Western Grey Y53338F333 Currawong

Figure AnnuaL (solid .1 Mplurc! black) and rercptures (hat(hed) of .tix [pecies: New ('lland Hon.Jeater: Sitvercte; westem Spinebitt; Red wattlebid: white'btu\'red Scrubwren ye ancl Grey Currcwong. (Note: The i.al scale o.f tequency difers betwein the Jtst and last three spedes of birds). 81 September,2002 V W Smith: AvianPopulation changes in an urban area in WA

RF.SULTS abundant species and the predatory Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor (4 nectivores, I insectivore and I from Overall, 1554 birds of 4l specieswere captured omnivore)are shown (Fig. l) to demonstratethe variable 2000. Those December1982 to 1987 and from 1992 to capture patterns encountered. Annual totals of the Appendix l, in caught in Goode Beach were listed in remaining species (more than ten individuals banded) and 498 (329o) were descendingorder of abundance.Of these, recaptures are listed in Table 2. No pardalotes were 1982to June 1992,516 birds recaptured.From December recaptured,but banding and recapture rates and maxlmum at the one site in GoodeBeach. of 26 specieswere caught longevity recorded for the 13 remaining species in Goode Capture data during 1982 to 1987 and 1992 to 2000 Beach are summarizedin Table S Recapturerates varied for the 15 species most frequently banded in Goode from 6 per cent to 34 per cent. Six individuals of Beach. where more than ten individuals were banded threespecies were recaplurednine or more times.whereas (Appendix l), are shown in descending order of 2l individuals of five species were recapturedfive or abundancein Figure I and Table 2. The tlve most more times.

TABLE 2 The number of birds captured (B = Banded) and recaptured (R) al Goode Beach from 1983 lo 1987 asd from 1992 to 2000, in each case for year ending 30 June. nata are for specics where more than l0 individuals were banded. For the top five most frequently banded species and the Grey Currawong,scc also Figure l First period Second period Totals 1983lo 1987 1992 to 2000 l st/2nd r983 19841985 t986 198? >><< i992 1993 1994 1995 19961997 1998 1999 2000 Periods Colden Whistler B 2tl l0 6 5 35 4t4l R I I Spolted Pardalote B 9/t0 R '7/t1 Drown Honeyeater B 4 R I Grey Fantail B 2 3/t3 R I Red'winged Fairy-wren B t'7 I 2/14 R 6l Strialed Prrdalote B 4/t0 R Inland Thornbill B 2 3^2 R 1 22 Laughing Kookaburra B 3 3/l0 R Red-eared Firetail B 3/9 R I Tolal (all spccies) 38/130

TABLE 3 Bandirg rates. in descendingorder of frequency,capture rates and lonSevityof 15 speciescaught in Goode Beach, for which more than l0 ildividuals were baoded(frequently banded species). Maximum longevity is calculatedfrom date of bandingto date of last recapture-

Number Number of Recapture Numberof timesrecaptured (Number of individuals) Maximum recorded Species banded recaptures rate (%) I 2 3 4 5 6 ? 8 9 l0 12 14 longevity (y.mm) New Holland 512 98 l6 4? l0 9 2 4 3 8.02 Honeycalcr Silvereye 291 60 l4 31 5 32 6.06 Western Spinebill r06 65 26 t5 2 62 I I 4.06 69 47 29 t0 5 llll 9.11 56 34 34 l0 4 4l 2.07

Golden whistler 9 l6 52 I .01 Spot(ed Pardalote t9 Brown Honeyeater l8 I 6 I 1.08 Grey Fanlail 3 t3 ll l 06 Red-winged l6 l0 3l 22 I l 07

lnland Thornbill I5 8 21 2ll 3.tI Striated Pardalote l4 G.ey Cuftawong t4 2922 r .04 Laughing l3 I 81 0.09 Kookaburra Rcd'eared Firetail 12 I 8t V W. Smith: Avian Populationchanges in an urban area in WA Corella26(3)

Of less significancaare the 2l other specieslisted in PacycephalapectoraLis, Inland Thornbill Acanthiza I which fppendix were caughrsporadiially in Goode epicalis and Red-winged Fairy-wren Malurus elegans(Fig. Beach, where fewer than ten individuals were banded l, Table 2), showed an overall three- to ten-fold increase mainly during the second period, although five species, during the period 1992 to 2000. namely Western Rosella Plat)tcercus icterotis, Fan-tailed Three of the four most Clckoo Cacomantisflabellfornis, White-breastedRobin frequently bandedspecies (Fig. l) EopsaLtriageorgiana, White-napedHoneyeater Melithreptus were and the fourth, Silvereye, was a lunatus tnd Red-earedFiretril Srngonopleura oculata. were recognized nectar feeder. The low proportion of Silvereye captured sporadically in Goode Beach before 1992. Three recapturesin some yearswould suggestthat part of their population speciesencountered during the first period have not been was nomadic. In 1994, the peak caDtures caught in Goode Beach since 1989, namelv Western recordedin Figure I can be atrriburedto the facr that the Thornbifl Acaalirr:a inornota. Yellow-rumpedThornbrll indigenous Marri or Red Gum, several of which were Acanthiu chrysorrlrcaand SplendrdFtiry.wren Malurus retained as saplings in my garden, grew rapidly and splendetts,to which may be added the Scarlet Robin floweredvery successfullyin that year. Pehoicanulticolor, not seensince 1985. The only other speciesof smallerhoneyeater to contest Severalspecies (Appendix l) were also caught at the the early monopoly held by the New Holland Honeyeater, two externalsites, where nineteenspecies were bandedat the Western Spinebill Acanthorhynchussuperciliosus, was Hillrop or Roadside.unril nerring was currailedby also present,but in fewer numbers,in Goode Beach in the 1997 fire. Four of these species. Tree Martin 1983. Their agility and habit of diving into cov€r when Htrundo tttgricaru.BIacl-faced Cuckoo-shrrleCoraclnc attackedallowed them to exploit the same food sources rtovaehollandiae,Dusky Woodswallovt Artamus cyan- as the New Holland Honeyeater,but particularly those opterus and White-cheekedHoneyeater nigra grevilleaswith a prostratehabit. have never been capturedin Goode Beach, though Tree Red Wattlebirds became the dominant speciesof larger Martins are regularlyseen overhead. honeyeaterwhen trees had grown to a height of five metres which was sufficiently high for them to nest in. DISCUSSION Eucalyptus lehmani| a tree which grows along the south Any long-term comparisoi,s of avian populations coast of Westem Australia, and was introduced to Goode sampledby mist netting in a developinglocality can be Beach, bears large flowers from mid-winter to late summer criticized when mislnetting sites are altered after and was particularly favoured by Red Wattlebirdsas a becomingunusable due to changesin the verticalprotile food sourceand nestingsite. By 1995 two other pairs of or density of the vegetation.New flight lines invite the Red Wattlebirdshad breedingterritories encroaching on repositioningof nets.The total net area availableduring the territoryof the residentpair in my 0.2 hectaregarden. a periodis, however,a measurableparameter, giving some It could well be that the aggressivenessof the New idea of the amountof nettingcarried out. Holland Honeyeater and Red Wattlebirds led to the Leishman (2000) conducteda more comprehensivelong- disappearanceof smaller specieslike the ScarletRobin, term study (21 years) in forest, yet acknowledged SplendidFairy-wren and Yellow-rumped Thombill, though variationsin the patternof sampling.The nature of this the latter, which prefers open ground, may have moved study in Goode Beach only allows a robust form of elsewhereas the groundcover developed. analysisor at best a proportionalcomparison of the data The proliferationof wattlebirdsin particular available.The meanannual total net areasavailable within was bound to attract predators a limited locationof 0.2 hectares(Table l) werecompared to reap a harvestof nestlings.Grey during the two periods,1982 ro 1987 and 1992 to 2000, Cunawongs have always been sporadically present in the and show that the amount of net area availablethrough Torndirrup National Park, yet in Goode Beach their regular presence the years has not differed by more than a ratio of 1:1.5. was notedonly from 1993.In the springof 1995, Thus, even adjusting for this ratio, the individuals of most l7 adult Red Wanlebirds, representing at least five species shown (Fig. I, Table 2) were more frequently breeding pairs, were seen harrying a Grey Currawong encountercd in the p€riod 1992 to 2UJ0. An exception is the which was removing a well-featheredRed Wattlebird New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, pullus from its nest. Yet Tawny Frogmouths Podargus which was present in Tomdirrup National Park and in the strigoides, which have nested for several years close to Gcnde Beach area at the start of this study.This is the only my houseFigures 2-5 (Smith 1997, 2001) have gained specieswhere the averagenumbers banded per year during some protection f.om the resident Red Wattlebirds. 1983 to 1987 and, 1992 to 2000 are similar (Fig. l). It is not easy to explain why two other honeyeaters,the Excluding the half yea.r1983, the numbersof New Holland White-cheekedHoneyeater (Appendix l) and the more Honeyeaters capturedannually during 1984 to 1987 fall elusive Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Phylidonyris within the range for 1992 to 2000, indicating that the annual melanops, have never been recorded or netted in Goode netting rates were similar. Fluctuations in numb€rs trapped Beach, though both species occur nearby and breed may normally occur due to variations in climate, flowering (Smith 1991) and 44 White-cheekedHoneyeater were phenology or variations in trapping efficiency. banded at Roadside. The vegetation requirementsof these However six other species,Sllyereye Zosteropslateralis, two speciesdiffer but it could also be argued that the Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculota, White- White-cheekedHoneyeater is not as aggressiveas the more browed Scrubwren Sericornis /ronralis, Colden Whistler dominant New Holland Honeyeater. WA 83 Septembet 2002 V W- Smith Avian Populalionchanges in an urban area in

Land Management Few White-browed Scrubwrens (Fig. l) were netted also to lhe Departmentof Conservationand work in Tomdirrup National Park from likely due to the absenceof thick (CALM) for authorizing during 1983 to 1987, The Ausralian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme for gardens 1984; to bushy cover in the gardensat that time. Once Drovidinqthe bands.I am also gratefullo Dr Allan Burbidgefor becameestablished they were capturedregularly during lelpful inricism of an edrlierdraft of lhis manuscrlpland to Dr 1992 to 2000, with recaptures in most years. The vi Saffer for substantialrevisioo remaining species listed in Table 2, in particular the GoldenWhistler, show a similar but not so distinctpattern REFERENCES 'The of capturebetween the two time periods, that could be Blakers,M-, Davies,S. J. J. F and Reilly,P N (1984). Atlas artributedto lhe sameexplanalion. of Australian Birds.' (Melbourne University Press) Leishman,A. J. (2000).A LonS'termBarding Studyof Birds iD Species such as bronzewings, parrots, Laughing a Spott€d Gum Forest near Campbelhown,New South Wales Kookabuna Dacelo novaeguineaeand Australian Magpie Cotella 24(l/2)t 6-12. Gyrnnorhina tibicen, benefit from human contact because Smith, V. W. (1990). Th€ Terresrial Verlebrate Fauna of the Torndirrup National Patk. Wes| Aun. Nat. 18| 82-91 of the provision of water or food, but in this study the 'Portrait Smith, V (1991). of a Peninsula.The Wildlife of specieswhich benefitedmost were the honeyeaters.This Torndirrup'. (Albany Advertiser-) is substantiated(Table 3) by the high proportion of Smith, V. (1997) Tawny Frogmou$s nesting near Albany. Wert recapturedbirds, which in some caseswere recaptured Aust.Bi Notes 83| 9. severaltimgs. Smith, v. W (2001). Effect of Fire in Tomdirrup National Park- lv?sl.A4rl. Ndr In press. Smith, V. (2001). Tawny Frogmouths nesting near Albany. tyesr. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Aust.Bird Noler;97| 13. Crateful thanks to my wife, June, for her supportand in constantlv monitorine the Goode Bcach nct sites. Grateful thanks

APPENDIX 1

Specics banded and recapturedat Goode Beach, Hilltop and Roadside.

Number Numb€r Number Number Banded Recaptured Banded Recaptur€d Vo,r fr(quentl) cxprured bird\ {>10, ar Coode Be:rch Common Bronzewing Phaps chalrcpteta 5 New Holland Honeyeater 512 198 Fdn-hiled Cucl,oo Ctiomanti\ llabell[omb 5 Phylidonyri:; twvaehollandiae whire-breast€J Rob.n L,'p,alttn E?orgtana 5 Sil\ ercy e Zo s te rops late rcli ! 29l 60 Westem Ros€lla Platycercus iclerotis 4 Westem Spinebill 106 65 Westem Thornbill Acanthiaa inornala 3 Grey Shflke-thrush Colluncmcla hamonirc 3 A.ottln rynchur superciLiorius Red Wa(lebird Antho(haer.t (atun(ulata 69 1',l Magpie-lark Gtallina cyanleu(a 3 While-browed Scrubwrer 56 34 Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chryso.occyx lut idus 2 Grey Butcherbird Crat:ticut totquatus 2 Seri.onis ftontaLis Golden Whistler Pathycephala pettoralis 9 Splendid Fairy-wren Malurc splendens I Spotted Pardalote Padalotus punctunts l9 Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans I Brown Honeyeater Li.hmem indistitrta l8 I Collared Sparrowhavr'k I Accipitet ci hocephalus Grey Fantail Rhipiduta JuLitinosa l6 3 Red-winged F^iry-wrcn Molutus elegans l6 t0 Red capprd Pattol Purput(iephalus sputiur t Inland Thornbill Acantltiza api(alit l5 Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucoplvys I Striated Pardalot€ Pardalotrs striatus l4 Westem Gerygone Gerygone fusca I Crey Currawong Strepen w^icolor l4 Southcrn Emu-wren Stipilurus malachurus I Laughing Kookabuffa Dacelo novaegutneae l3 I Hilllop Roadsidebut NOT at Good€ Beach Red eared Firelail Sta9onopleurc oculata t2 I Speciesbanded at or Tree Martin Hiundo nigricans l0 Other speciesbanded (<10) at Goode Beach Black'faced Cuckoo-shrike 2 Australian Magpie Gynnorlrina tibicen 1 Coraaina noyaelolLandiae Tawny Frogmourh Poddteut .ttrigoides 6 Dusky WoodswallowArtanus cyanopterus 2 White-naped Honeye^tet Melitlveptus lunatus o Whire-cheeked Honeyeater 44 Litrle (western) watrlebird Pltllidonyis nigru Anthochaerc (ltrysopteru Yellow'rumped Thombiil 5 Acanthiaa chrysottltoa 84 population V W. Smith: Avian changes in an urban area in WA Corella 26(3)

Figures 2-5 7awry FrotDo hs ,rcstitti ot Goode Beach, tlear Alban\, wt.tretn Austratia.ALI photogruphs were taken by u&)r Snith.

Ftgnr.2. Fenale Tavin! Frcgnuuth feeding a week-old nestlitlg t+hile nale Fig|Jre 3. Male brooding nestling witlt fennle bringkg Iood teith datk (rown a\,,,ais his tu (1999). (t999).

FiEtJrc4. FemaleTai,ny FrcBmouthliittine (2401). Figure 5. Male Tawny Froqmouthsittins (2001).