Threatened Species Strategy – Year 3 Priority Species Scorecard (2018) Western Ground Parrot Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris Key Findings Western Ground Parrots are currently known from only two locations in south-western WA. Initial declines caused by habitat loss and degradation are now exacerbated by higher fire frequencies, predation from introduced carnivores and sustained reductions in rainfall. Recovery actions have averted extinction through protecting wild populations from fire and introduced predators, however, this species’ limited numbers and the vulnerability of their small area of occupied habitat to fire is challenging and the outlook is perilous. Photo: Abby Berryman Significant trajectory change from 2005-15 to 2015-18? No, ongoing decline Priority future actions • Ongoing effective cat and fox control • Ongoing phytophthora quarantine • Sucessful captive breeding and reintroduction to previously occupied areas Full assessment information Background information 2018 population trajectory assessment 1. Conservation status and taxonomy 8. Expert elicitation for population trends 2. Conservation history and prospects 9. Immediate priorities from 2019 3. Past and current trends 10. Contributors 4. Key threats 11. Legislative documents 5. Past and current management 12. References 6. Support from the Australian Government 13. Citation 7. Measuring progress towards conservation The primary purpose of this scorecard is to assess progress against the year three targets outlined in the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Strategy, including estimating the change in population trajectory of 20 bird species. It has been prepared by experts from the National Environmental Science Program’s Threatened Species Recovery Hub, with input from a number of taxon experts, a range of stakeholders and staff from the Office of the Threatened Species Commissioner, for the information of the Australian Government and is non-statutory. It has been informed by statutory planning documents that guide recovery of the species, such as Recovery Plans and/or Conservation Advices (see Section 11). The descriptive information in this scorecard is drawn from Department of Parks and Wildlife (2014), unless otherwise noted by additional citations. The background information aims to provide context for estimation of progress in research and management (Section 7) and estimation of population size and trajectories (Section 8). 1 Information current to December 2018 Threatened Species Strategy – Year 3 Priority Species Scorecard (2018) 1. Conservation status and taxonomy Taxonomy: Conservation status 2018 Species P. wallicus is Least Concern, eastern subspecies, P. wallicus wallicus is Near IUCN Critically Endangered Threatened. Taxonomic distinctiveness EPBC Critically Endangered medium: 79 genera/family, 2 species/genus, 3 subspecies/species. WA Critically Endangered 2. Conservation history and prospects Much Western Ground Parrot habitat was burnt repeatedly or cleared for grazing before the rarity of the parrot was appreciated. In the mid-1980s, however, habitat on the northern margin of the Fitzgerald River National Park was deliberately conserved for the parrot. However, this was not enough to prevent declines in the area, which are now thought to have been caused by feral cats after fox numbers were reduced by baiting (Burbidge et al., 2018). As a result, the parrots are now only known from Cape Arid National Park and Nuytsland Nature Reserve to the east where, in 2015, they were subject to devastating fires that burnt 90% of the known Western Ground Parrot habitat. Priority actions revolve around protection of extant populations from fire and introduced predators, working towards establishing additional populations, optimising the value of the captive program, and securing long-term support for recovery efforts (Burbidge et al. 2016), but the situation for the parrot remains perilous. 3. Past and current trends At the time of colonisation, the Western Ground Parrot was distributed in coastal areas from Cape Arid, west along the south coast and north possibly to the Dongara-Watheroo area of WA. In 1990 the population was estimated to be 378 birds but had fallen to fewer than 200 individuals by 2004 by which time they were known to exist only in the Fitzgerald River and Cape Arid National Parks and nearby parts of Nuytsland Nature Reserve. By 2015 it had disappeared from all but Cape Arid NP and Nuystland Nature Reserve of which 90% of the habitat was burnt in 2015 (Burbidge et al. 2018). Because the birds are cryptic, absolute numbers cannot be determined, but there were thought to be about 120 birds surviving in 2012 (J. Blyth in Garnett and Franklin 2014). Despite the 2015 fire, the upper limit on the number of individuals is still 150 (WA Govt. in litt. 2018). Monitoring (existing programs): Acoustic monitoring of known populations and survey of potential and previously occupied habitat has been undertaken regularly from 2003 to 2018. Monitoring data is converted to a call activity index for the population at Cape Arid National Park and Nuytsland Nature Reserve, and the birds are searched for in Fitzgerald River National Park every few years (Burbidge et al. 2018). In addition, the efficacy of cat control has been monitored as part of adaptive management research. 2 Information current to December 2018 Threatened Species Strategy – Year 3 Priority Species Scorecard (2018) Population trends: Tables 1 and 2 summarise the overall trend and status of the Western Ground Parrot. The information provided in these tables is derived from the Recovery Plan (2014) and Conservation Advice (2013), with some amendments made by contributing experts based on new information. Table 1. Summary of the available information on Western Ground Parrot distribution and population size, and (where possible) trend estimates between 2015 and 2018 for each parameter. Confidence in Population parameters Published baseline 2015 Estimate 2018 Estimate estimates WILD* Extent of Occurrence 1400 km2 2842 km2 530 km2 High Low 2 2 2 Area of Occupancy 100 km 68 km 116 km (2018 AOO largely burnt in 2015 fires) All presence data for All presence data for 2012 used, 2018 used, Dates of records and As per Bird Action calculated using calculated using methods used Plan geocat.kew.org geocat.kew.org (n=53) (n=279) No. mature individuals 110 <150 <150 Medium Any other measure of Call activity index, area occupied on monitoring grids relative abundance No. of subpopulations 2 1 1 High No. of locations 2 1 1 High High; based on recent global Generation time 3.9 n/a n/a modelling by BirdLife International CAPTIVE MANAGEMENT No. mature individuals 6 6 4 High No. locations 1 1 1 High *Including translocations 3 Information current to December 2018 Threatened Species Strategy – Year 3 Priority Species Scorecard (2018) Table 2. Estimated recent (2005-2015) and current (2015-2018) population trends for the Western Ground Parrot Est. % of Est. % of total 2005- Confidence in 2015- Confidence in Sub- total pop’n 2015 2005-2015 2018 2015-2018 Details population pop’n (pre- trend trend trend trend (2018) 2015) Taxon was last recorded in Fitzgerald Fitzgerald River National River National 70 High N/a N/a 0 Park in 2012. Survey effort Park – Two has been significant but Peoples Bay no birds detected. Taxon was last recorded in Nuytsland Nuytsland Nature Reserve in 2006. Small population Nature 10 High High 20 Reserve found following 2015 fires. Despite fire in 2015 burning 90% of known habitat in Cape Arid NP this remains the Cape Arid stronghold Intensive 20 High Medium 80 National Park management of introduced predators has been conducted around pockets of unburnt habitat and Whole 100 High Medium 100 population KEY: Improving Stable Deteriorating Unknown Confidence Description High Trend documented Medium Trend considered likely based on documentation ? Low Trend suspected but evidence indirect or equivocal 4. Key threats The threats listed here are derived from the Recovery Plan and Conservation Advice with some amendments from contributing experts based on new information. Note that this is not a list of all plausible threats, but a subset of the threats that are likely to have the largest impact on populations. 4 Information current to December 2018 Threatened Species Strategy – Year 3 Priority Species Scorecard (2018) Habitat loss and degradation Historical clearance of habitat for grazing and agriculture is considered responsible for the contraction in Western Ground Parrot distribution, but only the legacy of that loss remains as all parrots occur in Conservation Reserves (Burbidge et al. 2018). Inappropriate fire regimes Too frequent and extensive fire may have eliminated the species from many vegetation remnants and continues to be a significant threat; e.g. habitat supporting >30% of the total population was burnt in 2004 and 90% of remaining habitat was burnt in 2015 (Burbidge et al. 2018). Predation Predation by introduced mammalian carnivores, i.e. feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), is also believed to be a major threat and one that is likely exacerbated by fire and could lead rapidly to extinction of the species unless baiting programs are continued or extended (Burbidge et al. 2018). Disease Dieback associated with phytophthora (Phytophthora cinnamomi) kills many of the plants within specific vegetation communities containing ground parrot habitat. Although there is no research directly linking this plant disease with parrot abundance, the impact