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9515 Wingspan 24Pp For T HE S TATE OF A USTRALIA’ S B IRDS 2003 by Penny Olsen, Michael Weston, Ross Cunningham, and Andrew Silcocks Supplement to Wingspan, vol. 13, no. 4, CONSERVATION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE December 2003 II The State of Australia’s Birds 2003 The State of Australia’s Birds 2003 report is an overview of the status of Australia’s birds, the main threats they face and the conservation actions taken. The report and much of the data in it were collected and largely funded by volunteers. This is an extraordinary expression of concern for Australia’s birds and their habitats. Without such commitment, how are we to understand the state of our birds: which species and bird communities are truly in trouble, where to focus conservation efforts, whether conservation interventions are working? THE KEY FINDINGS Favourable news • Knowledge of habitat management by burning is improving, • A concerted effort by dedicated individuals, recovery teams, but an inability to control extensive dry season fires remains landholders and governments has improved the prospects for a threat to several northern grassy woodland species several threatened species • In the 20 years between Atlases, another introduced • Conservation of birds can be compatible with human land species has established and two of the more recently uses, for example, sustainable farming and the recreational use established species—Spotted Turtle-Dove and Common of beaches Myna—have spread • The number of volunteers working to monitor and improve • By-catch in Australian pelagic fisheries is a recently identified, the status of the nation’s birds is increasing major threat to the Flesh-footed Shearwater • Knowledge of long-term patterns and trends in bird populations is improving There is strong circumstantial evidence that: • Most of the more highly threatened species have been listed • Species richness is reduced where native vegetation clearance federally and/or by the appropriate State (but preparation of is continuing recovery plans lags behind) • Low reporting rates are associated with areas of reduced native • Some seabirds, particularly albatrosses, appear to have vegetation cover benefited from by-catch reduction measures implemented in • Climate change is compromising high altitude residents longline fisheries • Broadscale, intensified agriculture, such as cotton growing, • The rate of broadscale clearing of native vegetation has is an increasing threat to bird populations been markedly reduced in New South Wales and preliminary steps have been taken towards its cessation Uncertain news in Queensland • Unsustainable farming practices, particularly in the • Our cities provide habitat for a wide and increasing variety of wheat-sheep belt, are joint threats to agriculture and birds common native birds • Conservation effort has been directed at rare species with • Although dynamic, populations of several waterbirds appear relatively little action taken to improve the fortunes of more to be stable in the long-term common declining species • Australia is such a large, diverse country that the monitoring Unfavourable news and conservation of our 700 plus bird species is a complex and • The implementation of recovery plans is poorly supported demanding task by governments • The impact of the extended drought and exceptional fires that • Populations of several common and widespread woodland burned much of the High Country of the south-east in 2003 birds of the extensively cleared wheat-sheep belt continue is yet to be revealed to decline • Populations of several long-established introduced species are • Populations of several migratory shorebirds show evidence declining, as they are in their natural range of long-term decline The State of Australia’s Birds 2003 III Red-browed Finch. Photo by www.birdphotos.com.au INTRODUCTION Quite possibly, birds are the The State of Australia’s Birds 2003 on topics such as habitat change, (SOAB) is the first in a series of reports freshwater birds, seabirds, shorebirds, most popular of wild animals. summarising the fortunes of Australia’s and the fate of birds on islands. birds. It presents population trends and Australia is a large climatically and Visible, vibrant and rich in changes for Australian birds over various biogeographically diverse continent time spans—some extending from the with a generally sparse human variety, they give pleasure by 1960s—leading up to the present. It is population. Assessing the state of its intended that this introductory SOAB bird species—in excess of 700— bringing colour and song to the report sets the baseline for five-yearly presents special challenges. This report overviews, informed by the Ongoing examines the fortunes of birds at garden, and enlivening the Atlas of Australian Birds and many other continental and regional scales. The monitoring programs. These overviews first part is based on the nation-wide, bush. Birds have long fired will be interspersed with themed reports volunteer-based Atlas of Australian Birds human imagination and remain Birds as indicators a source of enjoyment for many, The state of the nation’s birds feeds into the clearance of native vegetation, the Australian Government’s State of inappropriate fire regimes and introduced food and pests to a few. Their Environment reporting as an indicator of species are common threats to Australia’s national environmental health. Birds can biodiversity. Australian ecosystems that vital functions in nature include be useful surrogates or indicators of have been over-simplified through biodiversity (the variety of all living agricultural practices are often associated seed dispersal, pollination, the things). Monitoring of birds can provide with tree dieback, loss of native species, information on the distribution of soil erosion, salinity and deterioration in regulation of insect and rodent diversity and signal changes to water quality. A greater diversity of birds ecosystems. Importantly, birds—often is generally associated with a greater populations, and the disposal of noisy, colourful and active during the richness of tree, shrub and ground cover day—are relatively easy to observe, species, as well as a greater range of carrion. They herald the passing which makes monitoring accessible, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and unobtrusive, cost efficient and, not invertebrates. So, in addition to being of the seasons and reflect the least, enjoyable. a measure of ecosystem diversity, the Management for birds cannot be state of our birds can act as an indicator health of natural systems. assumed to cover the requirements of all of environmental health and sustainable other life forms. Yet, adversities such as land use. IV The State of Australia’s Birds 2003 (which mainly covers landbirds), response to the identification of species of coordinated by Birds Australia. high conservation concern in the Action The report begins by taking a look at Plan for Australian Birds 2000. continental scale changes in reporting rates 2003 sees much of the country and bird species richness over the past emerging from a severe drought—the Some major threats to 20 years. Over this period we have seen worst in history—topped in the early Australian birds rapid change to habitat through clearance, months by extensive wildfires that burned loss of native vegetation, and intensification much of the High Country and south- • Broadscale clearance of native of agriculture—some of the most pressing eastern wet forests. As late as September, vegetation threats to Australia’s birds. Increasing most regions were still experiencing • Increasing fragmentation of native urbanisation has also brought change. below average rainfall. It is too early to vegetation, degradation and loss of Over 20 years Australia has become detect the overall impacts of this remnants, and lack of recruitment warmer. Hence, the report examines exceptional sequence of events. (few young plants to replace the some unique species that might be This report has been produced by ageing vegetation) expected to be at risk from climate Birds Australia through member and change, a topic of international concern. supporter donation and assistance from • Grazing pressure This is followed by an analysis of the Vera Moore Foundation and the • Changed fire regimes population trends for an indicative list of Australian Government’s Department of • Intensification of agriculture 15 widespread and common woodland Environment and Heritage. The bird • Firewood collection and general breeding birds in the wheat-sheep monitoring programs summarised here ‘cleaning up’ of litter and fallen wood regions, which are among the most were undertaken by thousands of • Changed hydrology—altered flow degraded of major bird habitats. volunteers, regional governments, and regimes, deteriorating water quality The next section presents the institutional and private researchers, with and dryland salinity results of numerous monitoring support from State governments and the programs from around the nation for Australian Government’s Natural • Climate change individual species, most of which are of Heritage Trust. This effort, and the • Introduced animals high conservation concern. willingness to contribute to SOAB, are • Longline fishing Lastly, the performance of compelling testaments of concern by governments is examined by their Australians for the fate their birds. Galah. Photo by Graeme Chapman The State of Australia’s Birds 2003 V I. TRENDS IN COMMON AND WIDESPREAD BIRDS Australian Bustard. Photo by Graeme Chapman Change in the two decades
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