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BREEDING BIOLOGY of the AUSTRALIAN WHITE IBIS Thteskiotnis Molucca at an URBAN BREEDING COLONY SOUTH-EAST QUEENSLAND

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BREEDING BIOLOGY of the AUSTRALIAN WHITE IBIS Thteskiotnis Molucca at an URBAN BREEDING COLONY SOUTH-EAST QUEENSLAND Corella,2006, 30(2): 41-45 BREEDINGBIOLOGY OF THE AUSTRALIANWHITE IBIS ThTeskioTnis moluccaAT AN URBANBREEDING COLONY SOUTH-EAST QUEENSLAND NICHOLAS J. MURRAY''2 and PHILLP P. SHAW' rBcosure, PO Box 287 Tugun, Queensland, Australia 4224. E-mail: [email protected] 2Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies, Griffith University, Gold Coast, PMB 50, Gold Coast Mail Centre, Bundall, Queensland 9726 Received: 30 November 2005 The AustralianWhite lbis Threskiornismolucca has increasedin rangeand abundancein Australiasince Europeansettlement, and has recentlyreached pest proportionsin urbanenvironments. Aspects of Australian Whitelbis breedingecology at an urbanbreeding colony on the GoldCoast, Queensland were studied in the 200212003breeding season. Breeding activity commenced in lateJune and lastedfor six months,with the last egghatched in lateDecember. A totalof 124clutches was initiatedin 95 nests,and a furtherten nestsproduced no eggs.Themean clutch size was 2.46 eggs and the meanincubation period was 21.61 days. Hatching success was47.9 per cent, fledging success was 60.3 per cent and overall breeding productivity, that is the proportionof chicksfledged to eggslaid, was 28.9per cent.Results reported here may be usedin optimisingthe timingof visitationto urbanbreeding colonies for implementationof ibis managementprogrammes that are aimedat controllingurban Australian White lbis populations. INTRODUCTION performance and nest abandonment of other native The large-scaleconversion of natural and agricultural waterbird species (Kentish 1994, 1999). Large numbers of areasto urban environments has led to dramatically altered Australian White Ibis in urban areas also have a coastal habitats (Adams 1994; Maruluff 2001). Whilst detrimental effect on human social values and. therefore. urban areas typically contain reduced fauna diversity may be considereda pest species(Bomford and Sinclair compared to surrounding areas, some species have 2002). As opportunisticforagers, they scavengeon human colonized the urban environmentand have benefitedfrom food waste in a variety of urban environments(Marchant anthropogenic food sources, increased protection from and Higgins 1990) and are known to harbour a variety of predators,permanent water sources and the presenceof pathogens,which may present a risk to humans (Epstein suitable breeding sites (Blair 1996; Marzluff 2001). 2001; McKee 2OO2).Furthermore, Australian White Ibis Compared to their non-urban counterparts, urban pose a significant risk to air safety at severalAustralian 'winning' populations of avian specieshave exhibited metropolitan airports (Shaw 1999; Australian Transport longer yearly breeding seasons,earlier onset of breeding Safety Bureau 2003). within the season, and increased breeding success and The negative impacts of Australian White Ibis survival rates(Perrins 1970; Svensson1995; Rollinson and populations in urban areas have led to the formulation of Jones2002; Parteckeet a\.2005). broad scale managementprogrammes (Shaw 1999; Ross The Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca is one 2004). Managementstrategies have included egg and nest of only a few Australian waterbird species to have disturbanceat breeding colonies, culling, habitat modifi- increasedin range and numbers in recent years (Blakers cation, active dispersal and physical exclusion from et al. 1984; Kentish 1999; Kingsford and Norman 2002; foraging sites (Ross 2004; Shaw and Murray 2OO4).Egg Barrett et al.2004). This has been attributed to the increase and nest disturbance,including egg and nest destruction, in suitable habitats through the conversion of land for removal of eggs, egg replacement,egg pricking and egg agriculture, the utilization of new and constant food sources oiling requires regular repeated visitation during the and broad habitat tolerance (Kentish 1999). Urban breeding season.Information on the breeding biology of populationsof ibis have also increasedconsiderably since Australian White Ibis in urban areas may be used to the 1970s (Ross 2004). Suspectedcauses for the increase optimize timing of visitation to urban breeding colonies, include the relocation of natural populations as a response which will increase the efficiency of management to inland drought, exploitation of anthropogenic food programmes for those that rely on the managementof sources. translocation of individuals and increased urban breeding colonies. protection of nesting colonies (Shaw 1999; Ross 2004). Several studies have reported on the breeding biology of Breeding colonies of Australian White Ibis are now Australian White Ibis in natural environments (Lowe 1984; common in many urban centres (Nick Murray, pers. obs.). Beilharz 1988; Kentish 1999). However, despite being a At urban breeding colonies, damage to remnant common species in many urban areas and the reported vegetation and faecal contamination of water bodies caused conflicts with humans, few studies on ibis breeding biology by high densitiesof nestingAustralian White Ibis have led have been conducted in an urban context. In this paper, to elevated nutrient levels at some sites. and lower breedins data on the breeding biology of Australian White Ibis in 41 42 N. J. Munay and P. P. Shaw: Breeding biology of the Australian White lbis Corella30(2) an urban environmentare presentedand management by examining the egg and differentiating between the recently laid optionsfor pestpopulations are discussed. whiter eggs and older, dirtier eggs. Where laying order could not be determined, eggs were excluded from the analysis of eggs size. Care was taken during monitoring to ensure that disturbance of ibis in the METHODS colony was kept to a minimum. Clutch size was defined as the maximum number of eggs observed Study site in one nest. Reproductive success was assessedin terms of (l) hatching The breeding biology of an urban Australian White Ibis population success (t}le proportion of eggs hatched to the number of eggs laid), (2) at Movieworld Lake, south-east Queensland (27'55'S, 153'19'E) fledging success (the number of chicks which reached 21 days old or between luly 2002 and June 2003 was studied. Movieworld Lake drains were capable of flight as a proportion of the number of chicks hatched) from an urban catchment and is approximately one hectare in size. The and (3) overall breeding productivity (the number of chicks fledged as lake is largely open shallow water (up to 1.5 m deep) with some areas a proportion of the number of eggs laid). Because chicks were not exposed as mudflats during periods of little rain. The site is dominated individually marked and often departed the nest at approximately nine by Melaleuca quinquinervia, which forms clusters within the waterbody days old to form groups with neighbouring chicks, fledging successand and provides nesting sites for several ibis pairs in any one aggregation. breeding productivity were determined for groups of nests as opposed Sunounding Movieworld Lake are areas of urban development, farmland to individual nests. Despite fledglings roosting and foraging at the site and a theme park. Two waste landfills are potential foraging sites - a for several weeks after fledging from the nest the successof chicks from putrescible waste landfill 2l kilomehes to the north and a general waste fledging to independence could not be determined. Breeding pairs were landfill nine kilometres to the south of the breeding site. Australian not individually identified and, therefore, it was not possible to determine White Ibis have been recorded breeding at Movieworld Lake in all years the number of clutches produced by one pair for the breeding season. since observations began in 1998, and no management of the breeding colony has been undertaken at the site. RESULTS Colony occupation Colony occupation Counts of Australian White Ibis roosting at Movieworld Lake were Australian White Ibis were presentat Movieworld Lake conducted during the study period, from July 2002 to June 2003. Week-ly in all months between June 2OO2and June 2003 (Fig. 1). counts were conducted early in the breeding season,and then fortnightly Maximum counts occurred in early August 2002 (284 last from October onwards. Commencing approximately two hours before individuals)and in March 2003 (308 individuals).Numbers light, all ibis at the colony were counted. Subsequently, counts of all ibis entering and leaving the colony were made until approximately ten of Australian White Ibis roosting at the colony were usually minutes after last light and the number of ibis, which roosted overnight, higher between July and December,when nesting was was calculated. Weekly counts were conducted during the 2002 breeding observed(Fig. 1). season. Nests,eggs and clutches Nest monitoring During the 2002 breeding season, a total of 105 active The Movieworld Lake colony was visited three times per week during nests was located at Movieworld Lake. Nests were the 2002 breeding season, from 15 July 2002 until all chicks fledged predominantly found over water in mature Melaleuca trees (31 = visits). Every nest in the colony was January 2003; n 86 metreshigh individually marked with flagging tape and on each visit new nests were (93.3Vo)but some nestswere built up to eight identified. During each visit, the content of each nest was recorded. in eucalyptssurrounding the lake (6.7Vo).Nests were built Whel first encountered, eggs were weighed to the nearest gram using either singly or in aggregationsand were constructedfrom digital scales, measured to the nearest 0.02 millimetres
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