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Sam Johan Eduard Rycken Bsc, Msc

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Sam Johan Eduard Rycken Bsc, Msc Movement ecology of the three species of threatened black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris, Calyptorhynchus baudinii, Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) endemic to Western Australia: Implications for the species’ conservation management by Sam Johan Eduard Rycken BSc, MSc A dissertation submitted to Murdoch University in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy School of Veterinary and Life Sciences December 2019 Declaration I declare that this thesis is my own account of my research and contains as its main content work which has not been previously submitted for a degree at any tertiary education institution. _________________________ Sam Johan Eduard Rycken 16 December 2019 i Acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to the conservation of the three black cockatoo species endemic to Western Australia, in the hope that its findings may improve conservation management and recovery plans for these species. This research and ongoing conservation efforts will then contribute to the persistence of these species in the Western Australian landscape, not only for the birds themselves but for the many people who love them and recognise their deep bond with the Western Australian landscape. Prior to this research, I had never encountered a black cockatoo in the wild, yet within a very short period of time, I was absolutely captivated by these gregarious and distinctive birds. I undertook fieldwork for three years in various parts of the Perth Peel region and the South Western and Southern regions of Western Australia, through the course of which I met a wide variety of people who were interested in the black cockatoos which frequented their area. During the project and its fieldwork, I received a great deal of assistance; in the section below, I would like to express my gratitude to these amazing people. Initially I would like to thank my supervisors, Assoc. Prof. Kris Warren, Dr. Jill Shephard and Dr. Lian Yeap who supported me whenever I needed assistance, from revisions to ordering fieldwork gear, each of them through their expertise in their respective fields. I could not be more grateful to have taken part in the Black Cockatoo Conservation Project under their expert guidance. I would like to extend my thanks to Bec Donaldson who revised chapters and wrote the monthly updates for the project, and also my fellow Black Cockatoo Conservation Project PhD researcher, Karen Riley. I would also like to thank Professor Willem Bouten, from the University of Amsterdam, who was always accessible and a great help when we needed assistance with the GPS tags. I would like to express my gratitude for the financial and in-kind support provided by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australian Department of Communities, 360 Environmental, World Wide Fund for Nature, Birdlife Australia, Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre and to all the volunteers and collaborators I met, who helped me along the way. Without you, this project would not have been possible. Finally, I would like to thank my family who always supported me, and my partner Cathy who helped and stood by me throughout my research. I dedicate this work to my grandmother Eliane. ii Abstract Historically it has been difficult to gain information on the movement ecology of psittacine species in Australia. Using a novel double-tagging telemetry method, this research, aimed to: investigate regional differences in movement of the three black cockatoo species endemic to Western Australia; identify key roost and foraging sites for these species across regions; and estimate home range sizes for flocks in resident areas, using a combination of GPS and satellite PTT tags. Tagged birds served as markers of flock movement once integrated into a wild flock of conspecifics, which was confirmed through means of behavioural change point analysis and field observations. Linear mixed models were used to determine differences in movement across regions, revisitation analysis was used to identify key habitat sites, and an auto-corrected Kernel density estimator was used to estimate the home ranges. Results showed that key roosts sites for the three species predominantly occurred on public green space and private property. These were closely associated with foraging habitat which mainly occurred as remnant vegetation in the landscape or as nature reserves. Riparian zones and roadside vegetation were shown to play a crucial role as foraging habitat and in providing connective landscape structures. Daily movement distances differed both between and within regions depending on habitat matrix, resulting in varying home range sizes. These results suggest that movement for the three black cockatoo species is region specific, driven by food resources in the landscape. In addition, between species, movement varied as each species uses the landscape in different ways, depending on seasonal movements and ecological requirements. This research has provided critical baseline data required to address knowledge gaps listed in Recovery Plans for these species of black cockatoo. Further research is now required to include these data in resource and habitat selection models to identify how the landscape matrix affects movement, which will facilitate adaptive habitat management and conservation plans for black cockatoos in Western Australia. iii Publications Peer reviewed articles: Rycken, S., K. S. Warren, L. Yeap, B. Jackson, K. Riley, M. Page, R. Dawson, K. Smith, P. R. Mawson, and J. M. Shephard. 2019, Assessing integration of GPS-tagged black cockatoos using Behavioral Change Point Analysis. Journal of Wildlife Management. 83:334-342. Rycken, S., J. M. Shephard, L. Yeap, R. Vaughan-Higgins, M. Page, R. Dawson, K. Smith, P. R. Mawson, and K. S. Warren. 2019, Regional variation in habitat matrix determines movement metrics in Baudin’s cockatoos in southwest Western Australia. Wildlife Research (Accepted with minor revisions). Rycken, S., K. S. Warren, L. Yeap, B. Jackson, M. Page, R. Dawson, K. Smith, P. R. Mawson, and J. M. Shephard. 2020, Movement and distribution of forest red-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) in different regions of Western Australia (in prep). Rycken, S., J. M. Shephard, L. Yeap, R. Vaughan-Higgins, M. Page, R. Dawson, K. Smith, P. R. Mawson, and K. S. Warren. 2020, Movement ecology of the Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) in the northern and southern regions of its distribution in Western Australia (in prep). Conference and symposium presentations: Rycken, S., J. M. Shephard, L. Yeap, K. S. Warren. (2018) Insights into the ecology of the three black cockatoo species endemic to Western Australia (Calyptorhynchus latirostris, Calyptorhynchus baudinii, Calyptorhynchus banksii). South Coast Bird Festival, Albany, Western Australia (16 March 2018). Rycken, S., K. S. Warren, L. Yeap, J. M. Shephard. (2015) Human-Wildlife Conflict in Urban Ecology: Defining a Mutually Beneficial Approach to Conservation Management of the Endangered Carnaby’s, Baudin’s and Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. Australasian Ornithological conference, Adelaide, SA (27 November 2015). iv Table of Contents Declaration ............................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... iii Publications ......................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... xi Glossary ............................................................................................................................................ xiv Chapter 1: General Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Animal movement ecology across scales .............................................................................. 1 1.2 Wildlife tracking and technical developments ........................................................................... 2 1.3 Black Cockatoos in Western Australia ...................................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Carnaby’s cockatoo ............................................................................................................. 5 1.3.2 Forest red-tailed black cockatoo ......................................................................................... 7 1.3.3 Baudin´s cockatoo ............................................................................................................... 9 1.3.4 The state of black cockatoo research .................................................................................. 9 1.4 Research objectives .................................................................................................................
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