Invasion of Little Corella an Inter-Industry Issue in South Australia Ronel Jit-Regional Manger
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Invasion Of Little Corella An Inter-industry Issue in South Australia Ronel Jit-Regional Manger Media Attention on Little Corellas Little Corella and Paparazzi “They’re loud, smart, and destroy everything from trees to tennis courts. Why can’t we win the war on corellas?” Little Corella and Paparazzi Little Corella and Paparazzi Little Corella and Paparazzi Introduction to the Species Little Corella Description . Species Name: Cacatua sanguinea. Family: Cacatuidae. Small white cockatoo with body length 35-40 cm and body mass 430-580 gm. Have a short upright crest, bare blue-grey skin around the eye and salmon-pink lores (the area between the eyes and nostrils). Male and female birds are indistinguishable with external examination. Listed as unprotected species under schedule 10 of NPW Act 1972, SA. Little Corella Distribution . Pre-European distribution is poorly understood. Until the 1920s little corellas appear to have been largely restricted to the far north east of South Australia. Extended their range slowly southwards from the 1960s. Little Corella Habitat Use Little Corellas often congregate along tree-lined watercourses use wide variety of other habitats. Little Corella Reproduction and Movement May and September spread out across a vast landscape in their breeding pairs or small family groups. August to October breeding occurs. November to April fledglings and parents join a large nomadic foraging flock which increases their individual safety. Can live for 30-50 years. Little Corella Foraging and Roosting Little Corellas use loud vocalisations have habitual to roosting sites defoliate their communicate are strong that flocks roost trees to regularly with fliers that can are return to in create a clear the other travel great opportunistic successive view members of distances feeders. years the flock (Have dialect in their cohorts) Unique Facts . Corellas are not “birdbrains”, but “apes” of the avian world. Corellas like other cockatoos are unique in the bird kingdom in that they use their jaw muscles like a Swiss Army knife that enables them to chew and crush at the same time. Unique Facts Little Corellas: . have two toes looking forward and two backwards on each leg which equates to eight fingers to hold things with. are playful and when not eating are always looking for ways to entertain themselves. Issues Caused by Little Corellas Issues caused by Little Corellas Destruction to crops. Damage to landscapes, native and introduced vegetation and infrastructure. Ecological Issue. Health issues (insomnia and psittacosis). Councillors and politicians getting less popular . Social Issues. IssuesIssues caused Caused byby Little Little Corellas Corellas Little Corella attacking farm adjacent to RAAF EDN Relevance to the Aerodromes EDN Airside Critical Area Infringements . Contributed to 14/36 WHNs released from 2011 to date at RAAF EDN . Ranging 100 to 1000 birds/hr over critical areas (CAs). This year we have Little Corella infringing the CAs until late June for which a WHN is current. EDN Airside survey and dispersal trends 4500 4163 4000 3545 3500 3000 2500 2166 2028 1967 No. of Little Corellas 2000 1847 1500 1341 1039 1000 886 902 617 435 465 500 200 145 82 0 Yr 2011 Yr 2012 Yr 2013 Yr 2014 Yr 2015 Yr 2016 Yr 2017 Yr 2018 Survey Total Total Dispersed No.of Little Corellas 10000 12000 14000 16000 2000 4000 6000 8000 0 Mar-11 EDN Landside trends and management Jun-11 Sep-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Jun-12 Sep-12 Dec-12 Mar-13 Jun-13 Sep-13 Dec-13 Mar-14 Jun-14 Sep-14 Dec-14 Mar-15 Jun-15 Sep-15 Post Dispersal Estimate Dispersal Post Estimate Pre Dispersal Dec-15 Mar-16 Jun-16 Sep-16 Dec-16 Mar-17 Jun-17 Sep-17 Dec-17 Mar-18 Jun-18 Passive Management • Removal of Little Corella attracting introduced plants. • Replacement with resilient native trees. Passive Management Integrated approach to reduce risk through: • grass and other vegetation management • weed control • landscape watering. Off-Base Roost Management (Case Study in Brief-RAAF EDN, City of Playford and Farmers) Almond Fields RAAF EDN - ALL and PAL trends RAAF EDN - ALL and PAL trends 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 Total no.of Corellas Total 1000 500 0 Yr 2011 Yr 2012 Yr 2013 Yr 2014 Yr 2015 Yr 2016 Yr 2017 Yr 2018 Survey Total EDN Survey Total AAL Survey Total PAL RAAF EDN - ALL and PAL summary Adelaide Airport Year Survey Total Number Dispersed No. Culled Strikes and Near Misses 2012 2494 Data unavailable Data unavailable 0 2013 827 Data unavailable Data unavailable 0 2014 3506 Data unavailable Data unavailable 0 2015 2367 Data unavailable Data unavailable 0 2016 481 29 0 0 2017 666 591 6 0 2018 306 1422 15 0 Parafield Airport Year Survey Total Number Dispersed Number Culled Strikes and Near Misses 2013 15 Data unavailable Data unavailable Data unavailable 2014 205 Data unavailable Data unavailable Data unavailable 2015 16 Data unavailable Data unavailable Data unavailable 2016 180 Data unavailable Data unavailable Data unavailable 2017 126 47 0 0 2018 26 0 0 0 RAAF Base Edinburgh Year Survey Total Total Dispersed Total Culled Confirmed Strikes Near Misses 2011 1341 2028 0 1 0 2012 1847 3545 24 0 0 2013 1967 435 4 0 0 2014 886 465 0 0 0 2015 617 902 0 0 0 2016 4163 145 0 0 1 2017 82 1039 0 0 2 2018 2166 200 0 0 0 What Is Being Done To Manage Little Corellas What is being done to manage Little Corellas? What is beingWhat Is doneBeing Done to Tomanage Manage Little Little Corellas Corellas? What is beingWhat Is doneBeing Done to Tomanage Manage Little Little Corellas Corellas? “Trapping and gassing, fireworks and bird-scaring guns, live shots, joined by falcons and drones as an efforts to chase away an increasing number of corellas.” Review of Management Practices and Options Brief review of management practices and options Summary of Approaches Current Short-Term, Medium and Effectiveness Emphasis Long-term Solution Roost Dispersal and Shooting High Short to medium-term High Trapping and gassing High Short-term Low Falconry Low Short-term Low Drone (for dispersal) Low Short-term Low Habitat modification e.g. tree removal Low Long-term High Habitat modification (increase native shrubs) Low Long-term High Encourage alternate sites Nil Long-term High Supplementary feeding Nil Short-term Moderate Engineering modification of asset and structures Nil Long-term High Engineering modification of landscape and aquatic areas Nil Long-term High Reconsideration of cropping practices and grain handling Nil Long-term High Education program Low Long-term High Research Nil Long-term High Technology Nil Long-term High Corella Coordination Group and State Wide Strategy Nil Medium-term High Little Corella Management Challenges Little Corella Management Challenges “Dory Syndrome” Silver Bullet Knee Jerk approach and short term Effort spent on action that are visual fixes to long term problem (playing (active managements) than passive. tennis) Council and Industries Playing Tennis Divided public opinion and political pressure Lack of education, awareness and Council and industries dealing with the understanding of integrated nature of issue in isolation the problem and which can only be tackled through integrated solutions Little Corella management challenges Survey respondents general opinion of little corellas (source: Discovery Circle Initiative, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 2017). Recommendations Step 1. Formation of Little Corella Management Coordination Group Step 2. Staged Drafting of States Little Corella Management Strategy Public engagement Assessment of regional Desktop review Risk assessment Review of management population options • Survey of affected • Review of biology, • Direct and indirect residents and • Review of historical behaviour and costs to the • Limit food supply Industries population data regional movement primary industry, • Disperse roosts • Consolidation of • Ground and aerial patterns DPTI, aerodrome • Passive measures information to surveys with • Review of operations, council • Development of a address Media integration of government policy and local decision tree on which • Encouragement of technology community roosts to disrupt community • Mapping of roost • Provision of sacrificial reporting of sites sites congregations • Roost exodus Strategy have countsto allow for provision for research in future through multiple industry and council funding Step.3 Little Corella Management Plans tailored to species, local government areas and industries Step.4 Annual Review of Little Corella Management Plans Step.5. Five year Review of Strategy Acknowledgements THE BIRDSTRIKE SOLUTION www.avisure.com .