ISSUE 3 | JULY 2014 NEWS FOR FRIENDS OF BIRDLIFE

Thinking big, making a difference 2014 BirdLife BirdLife Australia is thinking big with an ambitious strategy to Australia Student scale up our Important & Biodiversity (IBA) program. The Research Awards program uses good research and passionate people working together to provide effective protection for our most threatened BirdLife Australia was species. overwhelmed by the extraordinary number of IBAs are special places recognised internationally as important to high-quality applications and the survival of birds. Australia’s 314 IBAs cover 44 million hectares, was, unfortunately, not able to but more than half of this area has no formal conservation fund them all. Congratulations protection — despite its value to threatened species. to those students who were successful in their application The Murray–Darling Basin Conservation Statement, released for the 2014 BirdLife Australia exclusively at a supporter event in late May, highlighted the Student Research Awards. importance of our IBA program. By monitoring and managing the 13 IBAs in the Murray–Darling Basin as a network, we help Professor Allen Keast to improve the effectiveness of environmental water flows. Research Award — Awarded Importantly, wetland birds will always have somewhere to go — to Grace Hodder (PhD), even during a drought. University of Adelaide, for her research project ‘The Ecology Some species in the Basin are at a tipping point. The loss of water of the Diamond Firetail from the wetlands has resulted in declines of the Australasian Stagonopleura guttata in the Bittern (50 per cent) and Australian Painted Snipe (90 per cent). Mount Lofty Ranges, South However, by demonstrating that those birds are in trouble, BirdLife Australia’. Australia has ensured they are now listed as Endangered. We are now working with the Rice Growers Association of Australia to —Austral Ornithology identify and protect key habitat for Bitterns. Research Award — Awarded to Amy Slender (PhD), Australia’s IBAs are usually concentrated in heavily cleared and Flinders University, for her fragmented land, developed coastline and islands. Water flows research project ‘Assessing and major port or mining projects are not the only threats to gene flow between and across IBAs — the scale of smaller developments can be a ‘death by a two diverging populations From top, photos by Dan Weller and thousand cuts’. of the threatened Thick- Dean Ingwersen billed Grasswren Amytornis Empowering our volunteer groups to research and protect modestus in the arid zone’. vulnerable habitat is cost-effective. Long-term community- collected data recently prevented the over-development of Stuart Leslie Research Awards wetlands at Port Fairy, a nationally important habitat for Latham’s Thanks to the generous and ongoing support of the Stuart Leslie Snipe (the developer was trying to say the birds weren’t even Foundation, in 2014 more than $50,000 was awarded to 29 there!). students from universities across Australia. To see the full list of students funded go to: www.birdlife.org.au/media/2014-birdlife- The IBA program has so far done great work on a modest budget. australia-student-research-awards-announced. Our community groups tell us they want BirdLife Australia to do more — much more. We are thinking big. With your help, we will empower and equip our volunteer community groups to adopt 2014 Ornithology Awards announced and protect all 314 IBAs in Australia — that is a formidable force for nature and the future of our most threatened and endangered BirdLife Australia is pleased to announce that Richard Loyn is birds. the worthy recipient of the 2014 D.L. Serventy Medal; the highest award offered to professional ornithologists by BirdLife Australia. If you’d like to learn more about our programs and the work we do, Lloyd Nielsen has been awarded the 2014 J.N. Hobbs Memorial please call me directly on 0477 007 522. Medal for outstanding contributions to Australasian ornithology by an amateur ornithologist. Paul Sullivan I Chief Executive Richard established the Western Port Waterbird Survey with the Bird Observers Club, which has endured and developed into Australia’s longest-running waterbird survey. He is a firm believer that research must be shared, and he has published the findings of his research in 170 peer-reviewed papers and reports. Lloyd has published scores of papers on birds, the first when he was just 18 years old. He has a knack of ‘making things plain’ and is also an accomplished bird artist and photographer, with some of his artworks gracing the walls of Parliament House in Canberra.

JULY 2014 1 Conquering the impossible: eight years of recovering the Hooded Plover Grainne Maguire When I first started working at BirdLife Australia on the ‘Beach- nesting Birds’ project I felt we would be attempting to conquer the impossible. Promoting coexistence between recreationists and beach-nesting birds seemed a pipedream, particularly with birds that nest on the beach or dunes, whose camouflaged are directly underfoot. It seemed terrifying to think that we had to (a) find volunteers who would monitor the birds and find these well-camouflaged nests; (b) find people to protect the nests with signage and fencing (which aren’t easy to carry for miles along a beach); and (c) get the beach-using public to care about the birds and to alter the way they have been using beaches for decades. The entire suite of threats facing Hooded Plovers seemed overwhelming. In spring and summer there are swimmers, walkers, families, surfers, dog walkers, people fishing. These people might inadvertently step on well-camouflaged nests or newly hatched chicks. Dogs might chase and kill the chicks over their five flightless weeks before fledging. Then there is disturbance, the hidden killer! The cryptic nature of the Hooded Plovers means that parents will distance themselves from their nests and chicks to let camouflage protect their location — a strategy that has evolved from generations of exposure to native predators. In a current beach environment, people and dogs are perceived as predators — the cumulative effect of one person spending too long near a nest or multiple people/dogs passing by and disturbing the birds can result in eggs baking on the sand or chicks hiding and dying of exposure. Other obvious threats to eggs and chicks include foxes, feral cats, Silver Gulls, ravens and birds of prey. Less-obvious threats include horses being ridden on the beach, vehicle use, entanglement in disused fishing line and fibres from commercial fishing nets, and Photos by Glenn Ehmke even camels, sheep or feral pigs on beaches. Increased litter on beaches contributes to elevated population numbers of ravens Note: The Beach-nesting Birds is a core project, implementing BirdLife and gulls. Weeds in the dune system lead to loss of nesting Australia’s conservation strategy and program. It is currently funded through habitat and altered dune structures, which means the birds feel Hugh D. T. Williamson Foundation, the Victorian Environment Protection an even greater ‘coastal squeeze’, with threats coming from land Program, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board, the Department of and sea. Environment, Water and Natural Resources SA and generous donations. So where do we start? How do we turn this around? Is the problem too big? No way! It has been an eight-year journey so far, with the foundations Rex’s Trek — saving Australia’s birds one for much of the monitoring extending back into the early 1980s. step at a time Eight years of generating volunteer action and providing the tools and knowledge for land managers and coastal communities to Renowned outback adventurer and tour operator, Rex Ellis will improve the plight of these birds. And we have done it! attempt to become the first person to walk across all of South Australia’s eight largest dry lake beds to raise funds for eight It takes a long time to change attitudes towards beaches when threatened bird species on behalf of BirdLife Australia. Over these have been perceived only as places of recreation for so the next 12 months Rex will tackle the foreboding treks in a test long, but now people finally expect wildlife to be present — they of physical and mental endurance that will challenge even this are happy to adapt their behaviour and share the beach with legendary bushman. Each of the walks will be in aid of a particular the birds, coexisting side by side. The message is slowly filtering Australian bird species that needs a helping hand. Many of the across communities and to visitors and tourists, and awareness lakes have islands that have never been visited by birdwatchers is growing. Volunteers get hooked by the tenacity of these little before. Rex and his team will complete bird surveys to catalogue birds that battle against the odds, and this gives them equal the remarkable species that manage to survive in this harshest tenacity to do the same. One person inspires the next, and so on, of environments — birds that are as tough and resilient as Rex and the program has become extremely resilient and adaptive. himself! Rex will be accompanied by Brenton Hicks, who has Every day we learn something new — extensive trekking experience, and Mark Duncan, a professional we build our network and don’t reinvent the wheel, but share our photographer who will document the trek. experiences and become a well-oiled machine. The team has already completed treks across Lake Callabonna Hooded Plovers have ceased their rapid spiral of decline. We (in aid of the Southern ) and Lake Frome (Swift are now adding twice as many fledglings to the population Parrot). Still to come are treks across Lakes Torrens (Carnaby’s each season. We are even seeing new birds set up territories on Black-Cockatoo), Gairdner (Western Ground Parrot), Everard beaches where there have been no Hooded Plovers for 10–15 (Regent Honeyeater), Blanche (Orange-bellied Parrot), Gregory years. This is all with considerable input from over 600 volunteers (Carpentarian Grasswren) and Eyre (Regent Parrot). and a nationally coordinated program, but these efforts are paying off in terms of conservation outcomes. This is one species For more information go to: birdlife.org.au/rexs-trek/. for which we can make a difference and we have successfully halted its journey to extinction.

2 DROMAIUS - ISSUE 3 Collective Impact Saves Birds The Flyway Print BirdLife Australia’s national forum on 23 May, 2014 for all its Exchange volunteer Branches, Observatories and Groups discussed the The Flyway Print Exchange implementation of the organisation’s new strategy and five year is an exchange between plan, with a strong focus on growth. Chief Executive Officer Paul artists living in different Sullivan challenged the entire organisation to think big and work countries along the together on common goals. East-Asian Australasian “Our strategy is ambitious. It is about building a broad movement Flyway, the flight path for bird conservation and – through the collective impact of our travelled by Australia’s staff, volunteers and supporters – to drive real change. If we are migratory shorebirds united by shared values, understand our roles and work together twice each year between to achieve common goals, we will make a big difference,” he said. their breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska and Participants were enthused by the organisation’s commitment their non-breeding grounds to the Important Bird & Biodiversity Program and identified the in Australia. The idea was need for greater volunteer capacity building and coordination. conceived and coordinated The network also discussed the rollout of a national bird count to by Melbourne-based raise public awareness of bird conservation. printmaker Kate Gorringe- Smith who was inspired by these birds and their Emergency threatened Mallee bird summit incredible flight. Twenty artists from nine of the 22 In the wake of this year’s Mallee bushfires, BirdLife Australia led Flyway countries have each and hosted an emergency summit to identify urgent actions created prints inspired by needed to prevent the extinction of some of Australia’s most the idea of the Flyway. neglected Endangered species — Malleefowl, Mallee Emu- wren, Black-eared Miner, Red-lored Whistler, Regent Parrot and In March 2014, a set of Western Whipbird. These threatened birds all live in the Mallee prints — that is one print and occur nowhere else in the world. from each of the artists — was posted, unprotected, In the case of the Mallee Emu-wren, extensive clearing for along the Flyway all the agriculture and past wildfires mean that now they’re only found way to Alaska and back, in the Murray–Sunset and Hattah–Kulkyne National Parks. echoing the birds’ journey, Current planned burning practices are also reducing their habitat. adding the impression of Some species don’t even have the simplest of plans in place to migration and distance to protect them; they’re some of Australia’s forgotten wildlife and the works and referencing are not high on the Federal government’s conservation agenda. the weathering of the “When news broke of the fires’ devastating impact, our staff and migrating birds’ plumage. From top, by Syahrizal Pahlevi (Indonesia), Celia volunteers were in shock. These birds are in real crisis – a heat This set of travelled and Walker (New Zealand) and Amanda O’Sullivan wave away from extinction and summer will be back soon,” said weathered prints will be (Australia) CEO Paul Sullivan. shown at the inaugural exhibition of the Flyway Print Exchange in Melbourne this Expert researchers, governments and non-governments September. Each print will be displayed alongside its pristine organisations from all over Australia descended on Melbourne counterpart. After this inaugural exhibition, the prints will be to attend the Emergency Threatened Mallee Bird Summit, where exhibited at other galleries around Australia and elsewhere along they identified the most urgent actions that must be enacted to the Flyway. protect these threatened birds. The Flyway Print Exchange exhibition will be open from 11–28 BirdLife Australia is currently working on an emergency plan September at No Vacancy Gallery, in Melbourne’s Federation of action to safeguard the future of Mallee Emu-wrens. We are Square, and will feature as part of the OzAsia Festival, 3–20 also working with government agencies to mitigate the threat of September, in Adelaide. The pristine prints will be available for burns before the coming summer. purchase. All money raised from the sale of the prints will go to BirdLife Australia’s shorebirds conservation program. For A second meeting will be held in August to evaluate progress more information go to: facebook.com/pages/The-Flyway- and determine further actions. Print-exchange/175252916007801. The exhibitions have been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Melbourne Water and Adelaide Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board.

Photo by Dean Ingwersen

JULY 2014 3 BirdLife Australia teams up with Goodwill Wine BirdLife Australia has teamed up with Goodwill Wine to raise funds to support our urgent work in conserving Australia’s birds. When you purchase a case of quality wine from Goodwill Wine’s excellent selection of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and more, 50 per cent of the profit (a minimum of $20 per case) goes directly to help us save Australia’s birds. The great news for dedicated wine drinkers is that while you’re supporting BirdLife Australia, you don’t have to drink substandard wine — Goodwill Wine is dedicated to sourcing the best quality boutique wines from independent wineries across Australia — their commitment is to quality, and to remove all risk when buying their wines, they offer a 100 per cent money-back guarantee. For more information and to purchase wine go to: www.goodwillwine.com. Central Plateau, Tasmania. Photo by Glenn Ehmke au/charities/birdlife-australia. BirdLife Australia fights for the places you So raise your glass and drink to bird conservation! Love The Federal government has released proposed “eight stop Always drink responsibly. shop” legislation that waters down protection for Australia’s natural places. This legislation would allow local councils to assess and approve matters under Federal environment protections, presumably including World Heritage, nuclear and international biodiversity commitments. Environment groups have united to propose alternative models for better regulation. The alliance of 40 environment groups includes The people of Birdlife Australia, WWF-Australia, The Wilderness Society, and BirdLife Australia: Australian Conservation Foundation, as well as many conservation Andy Scobie councils and local groups around the country. As Head of Fundraising, A new Management Committee structure, co-chaired by BirdLife Andy Scobie works with Australia, has been formalised that will function as a Board BirdLife Australia’s donors, for the largest alliance of environmental groups in our nation’s volunteers, branches, history. Recognising the business-as-usual model is not working, corporate partners, staff the alliance is also committed to developing new solutions with and BirdLife Board to partners who share the same values. maximise income and provide ongoing and Commissioner to Champion Threatened consistent funds to support the vital work of Species the organisation. BirdLife Australia has welcomed the appointment of Gregory Andy joined the BirdLife Andrews as the Federal government’s first Threatened Species Australia flock in January Commissioner and looks forward to seeing Mr Andrews take some this year and has 20 real action to save Australia’s threatened birds. BirdLife Australia’s years of experience in of Head of Conservation, Samantha Vine is one of the first four fundraising. His previous members appointed to the expert advisory committee that will roles include work with support Mr Andrews. organisations such as Save Today’s appointment follows a study led by Charles Darwin the Children Australia, Photo by Fiona Blandford University that found funding for threatened birds has widespread CanTeen, Lighthouse support among Australians. The study found that two thirds of Foundation, Cabrini Health and Southern Cross Care. Australians support funding of threatened bird conservation, and In the short time Andy has been with BirdLife that people are willing to pay, on average, $11 a year towards bird Australia he has been inspired by the enthusiasm conservation. This is more than enough money to save the birds of everyone involved with the organisation. Andy which are currently on the very brink of extinction. says, “Clearly the most memorable experience of BirdLife Australia has long been advocating for action in response my time at BirdLife Australia has been experiencing to the crisis facing threatened and endangered species in Australia. first-hand the absolute passion and dedication of We need to achieve real on-ground outcomes — more living our volunteers, supporters and donors, all of whom things. BirdLife Australia wants to help the Commissioner take the demonstrate their commitment to birds and the recovery plans back off the shelf and take some action to put more work of this organisation every day.” teams into the field to save some threatened species. Andy is passionate about developing capacity, “We know funded recovery programs work — they save birds. We relationships and networks for the organisation. also know why most populations of threatened birds are declining, If you would like to know more about BirdLife and that the solutions are relatively simple and inexpensive, Australia’s fundraising work please contact Andy particularly if you get the community involved,” said Birdlife via email ([email protected]) or phone (03 Australia’s CEO Paul Sullivan. “We can really turn things around 9347 0757 ext 238). if we make bird conservation a priority and deliver some genuine results,” added Mr Sullivan.

4 DROMAIUS - ISSUE 3 Edited by Tanya Pyk – [email protected] I 03 9347 0757