Corella,1995, 19(2): 5F60

ABUNDANCE,SITE FIDELITY,MORPHOMETRICS AND SEX RATIOSOF SCARLETHONEYEATER Myzomela sanguinolenta AT A SITE IN SOUTH.EASTQUEENSLAND

S.J. M. BLABER 33 wuduru Roa,.I.Cornubia- Quecnsland'll3(l

Reftifttl 5 ADtil. I9I)1

Scarlet Honeyealerswere banded at a study site at N/ounlCotton, souih-east Queensland from 19861o 1993. The sileconsisted of sclerophyllwoodland, creek vegelation and a ruralgarden. There was a markedseasonal change in ScarletHoneyeater abundance, with numbersincreasing lrom a minrmumin Marchto a maximumin August followed by a declineto December.No birdswere recorded In Januaryor February.There was no significantinterannual variation rn meanlrapping rales. The numbersof birdscaught each month were significantly and negatively correlated with ralnfall. Changes in abundancemay nol be relatedlo availabilityof blossoms.Morphomelric data indicatelhat males havesigniJicantly greater wing, lail and tarsuslengths than females, and are heavier.The sex ralio was skewedin favour ol males (3:2) and this phenomenonis discussed.Rekap data show that a small proportionof birdsreturn annLrally to the studysile and areresident for partof theyear. The remaining birdswere assumed 1o be passagemigranls, possibly moving lnland to lhe DividingRange during the wel season.

INTRODUCTION bccn rcportcd (I-ongrnorc l99l). Outsiclc Aust- ralia, publishcd information is limitcd to casual The nominate of thc scxually observations(e.g. Forbes l{ttt5) and trrief studies dinrorphicScarlet M_vzom - eI a sanguino (c.g. Ripley 1959). lentu sanguinolentaoccurs along most of the east coirstof .with an additionall0 subspccies As part of ir long-tcrrn banding study in sub- extending in an arc through the Lesser Sundas coastalsouth-cast Oueensland, particular attention (e.g. Tanimbar Is., SeramIs.) to the Molluccas was paid to Scarlet Honcycatcrs. The main and Sulawesi(White and Brucc 1986).It doesnot o[.rjectivesof the study were to (a) monitor occurin New Guinea. monthly and annual cycles of abundance. (b) to obtain detailed information on morphomctric In Australia the spccies is nomadic in the differences between the sexes and accuratcly southcrn part of its rangc, particularly around describethe sex ratio, (c) to cxaminc interannual Sydney, but northcrn populations may bc more site fidclity, and (d) to relate thesc to thc life resident (Longmore 1991). Despite its broad history and ecology of the species. geographicrange and abundancein casternAust- ralia, the species has received relatively little METHODS attcntion.The sparse information on itsseasonal Thc studysite (27"39'30'5. 153'13',15"E; l5 m abundancc was summarized by Keast (1968), ASL)ncar Mount Cotton consistsof a 4.5 ba area of primary sclcrophyll while its gcneral food requirements and habitat torcst. some creek vegcution and a rural gardcr plnntcd wirh preferencesin relation to other mcliphagidshave numerous Ca1l^/crbn, Greyillca .trul Meloleutu specics.Thc site bcen discussedby Ford and Paton (1985). The is contiguouswith l:rfgc arcas o{ sclcrophyll forest although adaptive radiation and morphometrics of thc these xrc {radually bcconling fragmcntcd by dcvebpmenl. genus were compirred with African counterpafts Mist nets!'ere uscd to capluro at estat)lishcdncr si1cs. by Keast (1984) and isolated observations on Thc sampling strategy was brsed on the constant clrorl breeding, such as that of Wolstenholmc (1930), principlc (Underhill and Oatley 1989)rnd ncls wcrc ser(from have been summarisedby Longmore (1991). sunisc 1()sunset) as olten as possiblefrom March 1986until An Dcccrrbcr 1993.A tolal of 5il6 anomaly in d{ys ne ing w:rsconduclcd in the sex ratio, with colourcd males thc 2i125-daysampling period (21%). The numbcr of days greatly outnumbering brown females, has also nettjn8 each mon(h nd ycar arc shown in Tablc L

55 S. J. M. Blabet: Bandingsludy of ScarletHoneyeater Corella19(2)

TABLE ]

Numbcr ol days mist nctting each monrh and ycar al Mount Cotbn study sitc.

EE fl9 9l Month

u12 5126.1 653 2512',7rJ12.10 March 139u2227 April - 2 6 5 20 10',7 t2 69 Mrv tJ 910 lt'7 u 9.l 66 1 / 8 l0 2 - 37 July 1 I 5 ll rr 6 8 .19 Augusr 5 4 7 E E l0 I 19 Scplcmber 5667826,16 Octobcr 7 612 9 6ti ll 359 Novcmber 2 263 74237 Dcccmber 5 7 u 13 3 6 1 8 5.1 Tolal 5l 5,r lr4 90 I I l 71 62 57 5116

TABLE 2 Trap ratc per day of ScarlctHoncycnters (including relraps) for eachmonth of eachycar and ovcrrll Drerntrap ratc f//l (includingrelraps) rr the MountCotton study sitc (-: no trappinS;0= no birds caught;S.E. = StandardError).

Month S.E.

Januafy 00(J (l 000.00 0 0000000.00 March 0 0-000 0.5 0.06 0.06 April 0.r.1 0 0.1'7 0.4 000.29 0.5 0.19 0.07 N{rv 00o.2 t) 000.56 0.75 0.19 0.l0 li (l 0.i16 t.25 0.lt,l 0..llt .lulv 0.29 L0 o.2 0.61 0.16 3.33 2.11 0.99 0.41 r\ugusl 1.0 1.0 0 2.t) l.18 l.6l t .l 2.25 1.57 0.34) Scptcmber r.0 0..1 0.17 L fJ3 0.13 2.811 L0 2.33 t.26 0.35 October r).29 0.17 0.1'7 l.1'1 0.61 0.13 0.18 0 0.41 0.16 L] tJ UU0 0.1.1 L25 0 0.t'7 0.15 u0000 0.25 0(l 0.03 0.03

All birds *,ere bandcd using bands supplied by thc Austra- abundance were from June to Septcmbcr. Thc liln and Bal tsanding Schcme. All rrorphomelric mcan trap rates per month in each ycar arc itlso mersurcmcnts a d agcing wcre pcrfofincd using srandrrd shown in Tablc 2. lechniqucs. as de\cribed in thc Australian Bird Brnclcrs Manual (Lowc i9u9). RaiDirll has beeo monilored daily at The overall nrcan trap rates (based on mean lhc studt sile since 1977. monthly trap rates) for each ycar frorn 1986 to 1993are shown in Figure 1 Although this mcan RESULTS shouerl marktd interannualvariation. vrrilnccs within years were high and hencc intcrannual Seasonul orul interannuul ubunclance meanswere not signiliEantlydifferent. Scarlct Honeyeaterswere caught in all months cxcept.lanuaryand February. The mean trap rate Correlations with ruinfull increascdfrom 0.06 birds per day in March to a Annual rainfall totals at the study sitc from high ol 1.57 in August. thereafterdcclining to 1978to 1993are plotted in Figure 2. Theseranged 0.03 in December (Table 2). The months of pcak from 693 mm in 1993 to 1 875 mm in 1988. June,1995 S. J. lt4.Blaber Bandingstudy of ScarlelHoneyeater 57

t.6

, 1.4 * 1.2 pr o z 0.8 e 5 0.6 3 0.4 o.2

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Doc 1986 t987 1988 1989 1990 t99l 1992 1993 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Month

Figurc l. a)r.rdi1 u\ot liS.E.) nrp rut( ol S&rk,t llone| IrigurcL M.rxll,ry1-t-rer 11978199.1)iri'1ull ttrctns(xS.lt.) ?ut?tstr trlt Calon stud\ sit( ut Mt (otton ttutll titc.

Monthly l5-year meansare shown in Figure 3 and variable which shows high variation bctwccn indicate that most rilin lalls between Decentber months and ycars, whcrcas tcmpcrurturc and day- rnd May with a low in September. although the lcngth follow the same pattern every year. The montlrly variancesare verv high. monthly trap ratc of lrirds was significantly negatively corrclatcd with nonthly rainfall Multiplc rcgression analyscs were used to (r = - 0.322, n : 89. P < 0.001). Similarly, cxanrinc any correlationsbctween the abundance monthly mean trap rateswere negativelycorrelated of Scarlct Honeyeatersand rainfall. Rainfall was with 15 year monthly mcan rainfall (r : 0.i194, chosenbecause it is the only major environmental n : 12. P < 0.001).Mcan ycarlytrap rateswere not significantly correlated with yearly rainfall 2000 totals. 1800 Feeding 1600 Scarlet were seen teeding on 1400 blossoms of the following trccs and shrubs in the stLrdyarea (I: known to havebeen introduced = 1200 into thc arca): Calliandra haemutocephafu(1), 1000 Callistemon viminalis, Grevillea ptcridifolia, E G. robusto, G. sessl/r'.r,G. venusta, Grevillea spp. E E 800 (various hybrids) (l), Lophosternon <:onfertus, Melaleuca leucodentlron, M. linariifolia, M. 600 quinquenerviu, M. viridtfora Lrrd Westringia gretndiJoliu(I). fccding on 400 They were not sccn the blossomsof any Eucalyptusor Acccln species, 200 both of which outnumber the generalisted above. 0 Morphometrics oooq)oooo Measurements of wing lcngth, tail length, Y€ar tarsus Icngth and weight of male and fcmale Filnre 2. Annutl rantlill toalls ( 1978-199.1)ut Mt Colon ltud! Scarlet Honeyeaters are shown in Table 3. Altlrough there is some ovcrlap. males hirve S. J. M. B/aberi Bandingstudy of ScarteiHoneveater Corella19(2) TABLE 3 60 Mcasu|cmcntsof rvin,tlcngrh_ tail lcngth.trrsus lcngth and weighrof ScarlclH()ncycrrer\ from \,lounlCbtron study silc. 50

Iiemalc

WING(rJrm) |5 .13 I 5lt.l 51.6 SI: 0.l6 0.22 nrin-r]rilx 51 6l 5l 59 TAll- (nrnr) I 1.1 62 i 37..1 11.I Stl 0.l9 t).l9 rninmr\ -tl-!7 l(tl7 TARSUS(mm) lll 'll Mc. Apr May Jun J u I Aug Sop Oct llovO€c i l-1..1 l.r.l SIl 0.05 tJ.Oti Monlh Il. t 16.5 I3.2 l6.rJ WF IC;lI I (g) 166 fi8ure.l. M.)rr?1r'!?t tu!i1)s(t98() 199.t)ol S& 14 llon(:". (Dtul6: i it.59 u.t2 tukt:i ut Mt aoxan stud! lt( hlkk, l(Dkllc\: t|hitc). s t.j 0.0u 0.1l 6.(llL0 6.(f 10.{) birds. Thc sitc fidclity of indiviclual birds is plotted in Table 4. A small proportion of birds return to thc study sitc on a rcgular trasis.with the = significantlvlonger wing (t l2.il. P < 0.001), oldcstrctrap beingat leastseven years old. Multiplc : = tail (t 11.2.P < 0.001)and tarsus(t 2.9. retrap data within the s me yerr showsthat some 1'< 0.01)than fcnralcs.and are usuallyheavier. birds spcnd up to four months in or around the study arca (Tablc,1). Howcvcr, the majority of birds that were banded were not retrappcd. Thc overall scx ratio. comparing males and DISCUSSION fcmalcsfrom eitherall ncwlvcaptured individuals (ll9 males, 80 fcmales)or all traps (including Although Scarlct Honcycaters were recorded retraps) (l7l males. ll2 fcmalcs),was 3:2 in at thc studysitc in all but two monthsof thc vcar, favour ol males. Thc monthly numbers (all ycars the)' show a regular seasonalcyclc of abundance, combined) of crch sex nre shown in Figure 4. appearing first in March/April ancl disappearing Morc nralcs than females wcrc caught in most aftcr December. Keast (1968) proposed a months but both sexesshowcd similar monthly rclationship between the amount and reliability plttcrns of abundancc.Juyenile birds of unknown of rainfall and the degree of residencyshown by sex were rarcly captured (four individuals) and specieswithin a commurity of honeyeaters.Pcirk wcrc recorded onlv in October and November. numbersof ScarletHoneyeaters in the Mt Cotton area were in the winter or dry season, and the Ncsting was recordcd only twice in thc study present results indicatc that their abundancewas area, once at about 10 m high in a Lophostemon significantlynegatively correlated with rainfall. A <'onJartus,and once in a Leptospermul?l sp. at a similar pattern of d11' season abundance was height of about 5 m. both during winter. No rccordcd on Peel Island, south-castQueensland further detailson breedingare available. by Agnew (1921) ancl at Wellington Point by Robcrtsonand Woodall (1983). R?trops und site fidclit| Scarlet Honeyeaters zlrc ncctar feeders Thc number of rctraps showed the same (Longmorc 1991)and were classifiedas'blossom monthly abundancc pattern as thc ovcrall trap nomads' by Kcast (1968) and hence their ntovc- ratc, rs well as thc trilp r.lte for newlv captured flents may also bc influenced by the availability June,1995 S. J. M. Blabet: Bandingst!dy of ScarletHoneyeater

TABLL.l Sitc1l(lclili'. nrirxinrurrl rccorded residcncc iirnc ilnd ninirnuDr linal arc of fctrilppcdScarlcl Honc!ealeb i|t Mount(i)11()n \tu(lv sitc (x : caplured.- = no( caught.m : Inalc.f: fenlitlc)

Ycru ti6 ll7 It8 u9 90 91 92 93 M.rximunr Mininrunralc rc\idcnc! in years/scx Numbcr

0.r.1ll 3/n1 0 ll xxl-l 5/nr 0lll9 X_ 5/f 0t-111 xxxxtt.l ltl 0l-177 xxx- {/m llllS xl 5/n l |17 XX.I 2/l t.r331 _XX- 2/m t08t0 x-5/rr :01J66 xxxx,l 5/In t0ii68 XX 5/nr t0iiii I ....xxx2 ,l/m lofiti3 ^X 3/1 10899 xxxl ,l/m 16161 xxl 2tf 9t971 xx 2/m 9l0.il -xx2 2/m 91018 2lm of bkrssoms.However. thcy wcrc observedfeed- the Dividing Rangc. Hcncc it is possiblethat the ing on a wide rirngeof blossonrsin the study area, Mt Cotton birds movc inland during times of peak sone of which wcrc available during periods rainfall in the summer. They may also rcprcscnt when M. sunguinolentawas absent. Thcy havc southerr birds moving north, but this seemsless also bccn rccorded feeding oD both insects and likely as the spccicsoccurs in coastalNcw South sccds (Blakcrs et al. 1984).There was consider- Wales in winter and spring (Kcast 19611)and able site ndeliry with a small proportion of birds reporting rates lbr thc Atlas showcd littlc change remaining in thc study site for several months. bctwccn summer and winter (Blakers ct al. 1984). feeding on a variety of blossoms. These data suggest that absencc of blossoms was not a The morphometric data from this study primary factor influencing the seasonality of confirns thc general measurements given by Scarlct Heneyeatersin the study arca. Longnorc(1991) (wing-6()mmt tail 38rnrl; weight - 8-9 g; females slightly smallcr than The prcscnt study shows that at the study sitc males) with the exception of thc tarsusmcasure- the population of Scarlet Honeyeatersconsists of mcnt. Longmore's (1991) value of 17 mm for a snrall number of regular migrants that rcturn to tarsus is greatcr than the maximum of 16.5 mm the site for several months, plus a largcr number recorded in this study. This discrepancycould be of birds caught only once suggestingthat they due to diflerent methods of measuring tarsus were passing through the area. This pattern length - that used in this study was tarsuslenllth accords with the observation by Blakcrs et a/. with lbot (TZ) (Lowe 1989) bccausc it is the (19u4) that some birds in south-eastOuccnsland easiestk) perform and most consistent. may be wintcr visitors and others passage migrants. It is interesting that at times of Thc biascd sex ratio of 3:2 in favour of males minimum abundancein the Mt Cotton area, thc in the study area is difflcult to cxplain without species is at its most abundant on the eastern [urthcr drta. but connrms previ,'usiuggeslions slopcsof the Dividing Range in thc Toowoomba that malcs nrakc up a greater proportion of the region (Lord 1956). Similarly, I have recorded population than females (Longrrore 199l). Scarlet Honcvcaters in the summer months, but A similar sex rirtio bias has been recorded lor not the wintei months, in the Mt Barney area of Eastern Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris 60 S. J. M. Blaber:Banding study of ScarletHoneyeater Corella'19(2)

'A (Farrell and Hardy 1993). Different susceptibilities Forbes, H. O. (1885). naturalistswanderinss in the eastern to trapping would not seem to be a factor with archipelago, a narrative of travel and explorution from lUTg Scarlet Honeyeaters, as both sexes feed on the to 1883'. (Harper and Brothers: New york.) Ford, H. same blossoms, and there is no evidence that A. and Paton, D. C. (1985). Habitat selecrionin Australian honeyeaters, with special refcrence to ns.1r. females fly or feed higher than males. The wide 'Habitat productivity. In selection in birds' (Ed. M.L. variety of factors influencing sex ratio in birds was Cody). (AcademicPress: Ncw York.). reviewed by Clutton-Brock (1986), and in a Keast, A. (1968). Seasonal movements in the Australian recent review of the effects of sexual size honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) and their ecological signifi- dimorphism and biasedsex ratios, Stamps(1993) cance. Emu 67: l5q-219 stated that age structure and maturation patterns Keast, A. (1984). The origins of adaptive zone utilizarrons and adaptive radiations, as illustratcd bv rhe (for which no data are available for- Scarlet Australian Meliphagidae. I6th Internoilonal Ornirhilogit.ul Congress Honeyeaters) were essential for studies of taxa 7l-82. 'Honeyearers with asymptotic growth after maturity. Longmore, W. (1991). and their alliesof Aust- ralia'. (Angus and Robertson: Sydney.) Lord, E. A. R. (1956). The birds of Murphy's Crcek district, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS southern Queensland. Emu 56: 100-128. 'The Lowe, W. (1989). Australian Bird Banders Manual'. The Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme supplied (Australian Bird and Bat Banding Schemes, ANpWS: bands for this study. I am very grateful to Tessa Blaber for Canberra.) assistancein the field and to Geoff Smith for commentins on Ripley, S. D. (1959). Competition between sunbircl an