Creating a Future for the Western Ground Parrot: Workshop Report September 2016 Editors: A.H. Burbidge*, S. Comer*, C. Lees #, M. Page*, & F. Stanley* *Department of Parks and Wildlife #IUCN SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Creating a Future for Western Ground Parrot Workshop Contributors David Algar, Keith Armstrong, Ken Atkins, Barry Baker, Mandy Bamford, Mike Bamford, Abby Berryman, Neil Blake, Anne Bondin, Kay Bradfield, Allan Burbidge, Margaret Byrne, Lucy Clausen, Sarah Comer, Peter Copley, Allan Danks, Tegan Douglas, Arthur Ferguson, Daniel Gowland, Merril Halley, Neil Hamilton, Karl Hansom, Carolyn Hogg, Mark Holdsworth, Paul Jansen, David Keith, Caroline Lees (Facilitator), Shapelle McNee, Keith Morris, Steve Murphy, Simon Nally (Co-facilitator), Brenda Newbey, Manda Page, Jeff Pinder, Dave Taylor, Fran Stanley, Deon Utber, Samantha Vine, John Woinarski. Workshop Sponsors The workshop was hosted by the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife in conjunction with the South Coast Threatened Birds Recovery Team. The event was generously supported by World Wildlife Fund Australia (WWF), BirdLife Western Australia, South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc., Friends of the Western Ground Parrot (FWGP) and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme. Additional support was received from Perth Zoo, Bush Heritage Australia, BirdLife Australia and the National Environmental Science Programme Threatened Species Recovery Hub. For further information on the outcomes of this workshop and related progress with Western Ground Parrot conservation, contact the Chair of the WA South Coast Threatened Birds Recovery Team, Sarah Comer ([email protected] ). For further information on IUCN SSC CBSG workshops and other CBSG conservation-support tools, go to: www.cbsg.org Citation : Department of Parks and Wildlife (2016). Creating a Future for the Western Ground Parrot: Workshop Report . (Eds. A.H. Burbidge, S. Comer, C. Lees, M. Page, & F. Stanley). Department of Parks and Wildlife, Perth, Australia. Cover photograph : © Jennene Riggs (Western Ground Parrot) © Department of Parks and Wildlife on behalf of the State of Western Australia 2016 Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre WA 6983, Ph: (08) 9219 9000, Web: www.dpaw.wa.gov.au This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 , all other rights are reserved. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Department of Parks and Wildlife. Disclaimer The State of Western Australia and its employees do not guarantee that this publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence that may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. i Creating a Future for Western Ground Parrot Abstract Despite significant conservation effort over the past 15 years, the Western Ground Parrot remains critically endangered and continues to decline. Currently numbers are estimated at no more than 150 individuals, with most found in a single location on the south coast of Western Australia. In late 2015, bushfires destroyed an estimated 90% of known occupied habitat and the impact of this is not yet fully understood. Urgent, effective action is required to prevent extinction of this little known species. On 30 March 2016, 39 delegates from 19 organisations gathered in Western Australia to help create a future for this rare Australian bird and for other species that share its habitat. Discussion and development of recommendations focussed around protection of extant populations, establishing additional populations, securing long-term support for recovery efforts, and optimising the value of the captive program. Acronyms and Abbreviations ARU – Autonomous Recording Unit CANP – Cape Arid National Park CBSG – Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (of the IUCN SSC) DFES – Department of Fire and Emergency Services DPaW – Department of Parks and Wildlife EGP - Eastern Ground Parrot FRNP – Fitzgerald River National Park FWGP – Friends of Western Ground Parrot IFRP – Integrated Fauna Recovery Project IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature NRM – Natural Resource Management OBPRT – Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team Pc - Phytophthora cinnamomi South Coast NRM - South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc. SCTBRT – South Coast Threatened Bird Recovery Team SSC – Species Survival Commission UWA – University of Western Australia WGP - Western Ground Parrot WWF - World Wildlife Fund Australia ii Creating a Future for Western Ground Parrot Content Creating a Future for the Western Ground Parrot: Workshop Report ...................................... i Foreword ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... ii Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... ii Content ..................................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... iv Introduction to the Western Ground Parrot and its Conservation ........................................... 1 The Workshop .......................................................................................................................... 14 Vision and Goals ....................................................................................................................... 16 Vision .................................................................................................................................... 16 Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Development of Issues, Objectives and Strategies .................................................................. 18 Working Group 1. Predators (introduced and native) ............................................................. 20 Issues and objectives and strategies .................................................................................... 20 Working Group 2. Habitat Quality ........................................................................................... 26 Issues, objectives and strategies .......................................................................................... 26 Working Group 3: Enabling Mechanisms ................................................................................ 33 Issues, objectives and strategies .......................................................................................... 33 Working Group 4. Captive Breeding and Small Population Management ............................. 38 Small population management ............................................................................................ 38 Captive management ........................................................................................................... 41 Evaluation of Potential Strategies............................................................................................ 47 Recommended Priorities ......................................................................................................... 54 Goal 1. Recover and protect wild populations of WGPs ...................................................... 55 Goal 2. Establish additional populations of WGPs ............................................................... 58 Goal 3. Secure awareness, support and long-term resourcing for conservation of WGPs and the species that share their habitats. ........................................................................... 59 Goal 4. Optimise the value of the captive program to WGP recovery and conservation ... 60 Next Steps ............................................................................................................................ 62 References ............................................................................................................................... 63 Appendix I. Participants and collaborators .............................................................................. 68 Appendix II. Western Ground Parrot listening survey effort since 2001. ............................... 70 Appendix III. Alternative strategies for the captive program costings .................................... 71 Appendix IV: Prioritisation Exercise ......................................................................................... 72 Appendix V. Excluded Strategy Ideas ....................................................................................... 74 Appendix VI. WGP Fire Management Guideline ...................................................................... 75 Appendix VII. Department of Parks and Wildlife Site Selection Criteria for Single Species Conservation Translocations .................................................................................................... 88 iii Creating a Future for Western