Evaluation of Intervention Aimed at Improving Reproductive Success in Orange-Bellied Parrots Neophema Chrysogaster: Lessons, Barriers and Successes
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MANAGEMENT doi: 10.1111/emr.12422 REPORT Evaluation of intervention aimed at improving reproductive success in Orange-bellied Parrots Neophema chrysogaster: Lessons, barriers and successes By Dejan Stojanovic, Catherine Young, Shannon Troy and Robert Heinsohn Summary Assessing feasibility and identifying constraints that affect project imple- mentation is a crucial step for planning long-term species recovery actions for field-based programs. We report on the outcomes of a conservation intervention on the most endan- gered parrot in the world, the Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster). We aimed to trial new techniques to increase reproductive success of wild nests and address key knowledge gaps. We aimed to achieve higher reproductive success using (i) intervention – where fertile eggs or nestlings would be fostered from captivity to wild nests that suffered infertility or had small brood sizes and (ii) rescue – where wild-born nestlings would be removed from nests if they were ailing and either fostered to another nest or hand reared to improve their survival. Our project provided proof of principle that it is possible to imple- Dejan Stojanovic: Fenner School, Australian ment intensive, individual-level monitoring and intervention (via fostering of nestlings to National University, Acton, ACT, Australia infertile nests) to address reproductive problems for the Orange-bellied Parrot. However, (Email: [email protected] ). we also found important factors that hindered our ability to achieve project aims (manage- ment of biosecurity), and identified unexpected factors that have important implications for Catherine Young: Fenner School, Australian future application of these techniques (nest abandonment from video camera deployment, National University, Acton, ACT, Australia. rapid death of unhealthy nestlings hindering rescue attempts). Our project tested tech- Shannon Troy: Department of Primary niques and tools to provide new approaches for fighting extinction of the Orange-bellied Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Parrot, and yielded important new information about the species ecology and management Hobart, Tas, Australia. Robert Heinsohn: options. Fenner School, Australian National University, Key words: Conservation intervention and management, disease management, fostering, Acton, ACT, Australia.. hand-rearing and captive management, nest monitoring, reproductive management. 2010; Doherty & Ritchie, 2017). Part of this captivity to wild nests that suffered Introduction process includes assessing feasibility and infertility or had small brood sizes, and onservation interventions to manage identifying constraints that affect project 2 rescue – where wild-born nestlings Cthreatened species can be critical to implementation, which is a crucial step would be removed from nests if they population recovery. The most effective for planning long-term species recovery were ailing and either fostered to species recovery projects identify clear fac- actions (Walls 2018). another nest or hand reared to improve tors that are driving decline and implement We report on the outcomes of a conser- their survival. targeted conservation action to remedy vation intervention on the most endan- these threats and alleviate pressure on pop- gered parrot in the world, the Orange- These approaches are not in them- ulations (Scheele, et al. 2018). However, bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster). selves novel because they have been suc- clear diagnosis of threats is not always pos- The decline of the wild population of this cessfully trialled and implemented on sible for species lacking detailed data on species to only 3 wild-born females and 13 other species (for a summary of tech- ecology and demographic processes males in 2016 triggered this project (Sto- niques and case studies see Jones 2004). (Bland, et al. 2015). In such cases, by neces- janovic, et al. 2018). We aimed to trial However, past applications of intensive sity managers might implement conserva- new techniques to increase reproductive conservation management have most tion actions iteratively by means of trial success of wild nests and address key often been applied to sedentary or and error in an adaptive management knowledge gaps. We aimed to achieve island-dwelling birds. Migratory species framework (Gerber & Kendall, 2018). Clear higher reproductive success using two like the Orange-bellied Parrot pose sub- performance metrics that relate to the focal approaches: stantial conservation challenges because ecological process targeted by the interven- they live in very remote, difficult to access 1 intervention – where fertile eggs or tion are crucial for effective evaluation of locations across very large geographical nestlings would be fostered from conservation interventions (Wintle, et al. ranges. In addition, the project sought to ª 2020 Ecological Society of Australia and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 1 Ecological Society of Australia MANAGEMENT REPORT trial video monitoring as an approach to https://fieldcapture.ala.org.au/;jsessionid= evaluated the efficacy of nest competitor increase the resolution of nest monitoring FE76A594F6E3D265018D76D295501F88) control (Stojanovic, et al. 2019). and improve capacity to achieve interven- because this approach is widely utilized On average per year, the project cost tion and rescue. These aims were under- for evaluating on-ground environmental approximately $20,000 AUD for travel to taken in context of ongoing projects in Australia. Project outcomes and from the field site, $50,000 for person- complementary work on Orange-bellied and monitoring indicators are presented nel, $5,600 for disease screening of cap- Parrots by the Tasmanian Government in Table 1. Nest boxes were checked tive birds for BFDV (comprising ~$280 in and their collaborators in the species either manually by climbing trees or by tests per bird), plus capital expenditure recovery team (Department of Environ- reviewing recordings from video cameras ($15,000 for video cameras, $3,000 for ment Land Water & Planning 2016; Troy (model HK101182w www.handycam.c purchase of additional nest boxes). & Hehn, 2019). Here, we summarize the om) mounted inside or on the outside of aims, rationale, methods and results of boxes (external cameras were Reconyx Discussion the conservation interventions we trialled. Hyperfire HC600). We checked egg fertil- We also explain barriers to success and ity by candling eggs using a small flash- Our project provided proof of principal limitations of our approach, in the hope light. We monitored nestling condition that it is possible to implement intensive, that these factors can help inform other (for the rescue component of the work) individual-level monitoring and interven- similar projects on threatened species. using the approach described by Sto- tion to address reproductive problems janovic et al. (2020) for estimating body for the Orange-bellied Parrot. Other pro- condition. We tested all captive animals jects have applied similar efforts to other Methods selected for use as donors of eggs or nest- species (Jones 2004), but this is the first The project ran between September 2016 lings for Psittacine beak and feather dis- time these approaches have been and June 2019, spanning three field sea- ease virus (BFDV) from blood samples attempted for the Orange-bellied Parrot. sons overlapping the Orange-bellied Par- (Troy & Kuechler 2018). Our results are important because lessons rot breeding season (Sep – Mar). We around ways to improve management of present our aims, monitoring approaches threatened species typically go unpub- Results and evaluation criteria based on the Aus- lished, and we hope to make ‘reinventing tralian Government Monitoring Evaluation Table 1 summarizes our findings against the wheel’ unnecessary for other projects Reporting and Improvement Tool (MERIT: project objectives. We also identify key seeking to deploy similar actions in barriers, lessons, costs and benefits for remote field sites for difficult species like each method used in the project in the Orange-bellied Parrot. We found and Table 1. Below we summarize our evalua- report important factors that hindered tion of success against the project out- our ability to achieve project aims and comes and monitoring indicators. In identified unexpected factors (e.g. poten- total, we monitored 53 nests (i.e. a census tial sensitivity of parrots to deployment of all breeding events in the contemporary of video cameras after nesting has begun) population), deployed video recorders that have important implications for inside 15 nest boxes, attempted interven- future application of these techniques. tion to correct egg infertility on 4 nests, Based on the severity of the barriers, ben- rescued 5 nestlings either by fostering or efits and costs of each method, we discuss hand-rearing (Fig. 1), and found ways to which elements of the project may be work around the challenges posed by worth incorporating or excluding from the remoteness of the field sites (Fig. 2). future management efforts. Unfortunately, most nestlings fostered in Useful components the intervention component of the project (including caveats) died (only one of five nestlings survived to migrate), but these results were skewed We provide proof of principle that nest- by a disease outbreak unrelated to this ling fostering to control brood sizes and project (Stojanovic, et al. 2018). Disease correct infertility are methods that could risk management was a major