RECOVERY OUTLINE Hooded Plover (eastern) 1 Family Charadriidae 2 Scientific name Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis (Gmelin, 1789) 3 Common name Hooded Plover (eastern) 4 Conservation status Vulnerable: C2b 5 Reasons for listing 9 Ecology The population of this subspecies contains fewer than Hooded Plovers live on ocean beaches, particularly 10,000 individuals, and is likely to be decreasing. It is wide beaches with large amounts of beach-washed sufficiently mobile to be considered one sub- seaweed, and creek mouths or inlet entrances with population (Vulnerable: C2b). large flat areas of sand and some storm wrack (Schulz, 1988). They also use nearby reef platforms, coastal Estimate Reliability inlets and lakes. They forage in the shore-wash zone, 2 Extent of occurrence 1,500,000 km high taking polychaetes, molluscs, turions, crustaceans and trend stable high seeds (Marchant and Higgins, 1993). They lay 2-3 eggs Area of occupancy 4,000 km2 medium on the upper levels of the beach, in adjacent sand trend stable medium dunes (Marchant and Higgins, 1993), or, less often, on No. of breeding birds 3,000 medium rocky headlands (G. Backhouse). trend decreasing medium No. of sub-populations 1 medium Generation time 5 years low 6 Infraspecific taxa T. r. tregellasi from south-west W. A., a taxon re- established by M. A. Weston (unpublished) on the basis of morphology and plumage (D. Rogers in Marchant and Higgins, 1993), is Near Threatened, as is species as a whole. Genetic samples are to be analysed to verify taxonomy. 7 Past range and abundance Found along coasts of south-east Australia from Wide Bay, south-east Queensland to Fowlers Bay, 10 Threats S. A. and including Tasmania, Kangaroo I., King I., The contraction of range in north-east has partially Flinders I. and other nearby islands (Cameron and coincided with an expansion of the Beach Thick-knee Weston, 1999). in the same area, though no link has been established. 8 Present range and abundance On the mainland, Hooded Plovers are threatened by Only one recent record from Queensland, and there foxes, which take eggs and chicks (Stewart, 1989). have been no other records north of Shoalhaven R. Birds around human settlements are increasingly since 1940s (Morris, 1989, Cameron and Weston, subject to predation by artificially high numbers of 1999, NSW NPWS, 2000). Otherwise distribution as Silver Gulls Larus novaehollandiae (T. Dennis) and above. Regional estimates: Tasmania, 1,700 individuals ravens Corvus spp. (P. Park, M. Weston). Predators are (Newman and Patterson, 1984, Holdsworth and Park, more likely to be successful where there is also human 1993), including 815 birds counted along 391 km in disturbance, and humans often accidentally crush eggs 1996/7 (Woehler and Park, 1997); Victoria, at least or young (Schulz and Bamford, 1987, Buick and 470 and probably as many as 600 birds (Murlis, 1989, Paton, 1989, Hanisch, 1998, Dowling and Weston, Weston, 1995); New South Wales, about 50 birds 1999). At Mornington, before controls were (Morris, 1989), South Australia, 540 birds, including up introduced, over 30% of nests were trampled by dogs to 200 birds in the south-east (Natt and Weston, or people (Dowling and Weston, 1999). Breeding 1995). Declines have been recorded along some success is reduced by off-road vehicles, wandering stretches of coast in Victoria (Weston, 1993), and in livestock and use of Marram Grass Ammophila arenaria eastern Tasmania (Woehler and Park, 1997). in beach erosion management (Buick and Paton, 1989, Park, 1994, M. Schulz, E. Woehler), but is improved by minimising disturbance by people and dogs 235 (Dowling and Weston, 1999), and caging nests against 13.6 A draft Recovery Plan has been prepared fro predators (Baird and Dann, 1999). Though largely New South Wales. secure on islands, the subspecies’ continued decline is 14 Management actions required likely in the absence of appropriate beach management (Schulz and Bamford, 1987, Weston, 1993). 14.1 Implement beach-sharing protocols on frequently-used beaches. 11 Information required 14.2 Manage refuse near beachside towns to reduce 11.1 Determine impact of fox predation on artificially high gull and raven numbers (cost population trends in areas away from human not included below because part of routine disturbance to determine whether control is environmental management). necessary. 14.3 Integrate Hooded Plover management into 12 Recovery objectives beach erosion control. 12.1 Implement beach sharing protocols on heavily trafficked beaches. 15 Organisations responsible for conservation 12.2 Stabilise numbers on mainland. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, 13 Actions completed or under way Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment, South Australian Department of 13.1 Regular surveys of population. Environment and Heritage, Tasmanian Parks and 13.2 Detailed studies of breeding biology. Wildlife Service. 13.3 Development of effective beach-sharing 16 Other organisations involved protocols for Mornington. Australian Wader Study Group of Birds Australia, 13.4 Effective use of cages to protect nests. other bird-watching societies, Parks Victoria, beach protection authorities, local government. 13.5 An Action Statement has been prepared for conservation of species in Victoria. 17 Staff and financial resources required for recovery to be carried out Staff resources required 2001-2005 1.0 Extension Officer Financial resources required 2001-2005 Action Conservation Other funding Total agencies sources Monitoring $0 $50,000 $50,000 Implementation of beach-sharing protocols $250,000 $50,000 $300,000 Investigation of fox predation $0 $20,000 $20,000 Total $250,000 $120,000 $370,000 18 Bibliography Baird, B. and Dann, P. 1999. Breeding biology of Hanisch, D. R. 1998. The effect of human disturbance Hooded Plovers on Phillip Island and methods of on the reproductive performance of the Hooded increasing breeding success. Australasian Wader Plover, Thinornis rubricollis, in the south-east of Studies Group Conference 12-13 June 1999. Tasmania. Hons. thesis., University of Tasmania Buick, A. M. and Paton, D. C. 1989. Impact of off- Holdsworth, M. C. and Park, P. 1993. 1992 survey of road vehicles on the nesting success of Hooded the Hooded Plover in Tasmania. Stilt 22:37-39. Plovers Charadrius rubricollis in the Coorong region of Marchant, S. and Higgins, P. J. (eds) 1993. Handbook of South Australia. Emu 89:159-172. Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 2. Cameron, D. and Weston, M. A. 1999. The Hooded Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press, Plover: first confirmed record in Queensland, the Melbourne. longest movement yet recorded, and a discussion of Morris, A. K. 1989. Hooded Plover survey - New the range contraction in eastern Australia. Aust. Bird South Wales. Stilt 14:37. Watcher 18:8-18. Murlis, M. 1989. Hooded Plover and Pied Dowling, B. and Weston, M. A, 1999. Managing a Oystercatcher survey - Victoria 1988. Stilt 14:33-36. breeding population of the Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis in a high-use recreational environment. Bird Natt, V. and Weston, M. A. 1995. Results of the 1994 Conserv. International 9:255-270. Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis survey for South Australia. Stilt 27:36-38. 236 Newman, O. M. G. and Patterson, R. M. 1984. A Stewart, I. D. 1989. Hooded Plover survey - South population survey of the Hooded Plover Charadrius Australian/Victorian border to Murray mouth. Stilt rubricollis in Tasmania, October, 1982. Occ. Stint 3:1-6. 14:32-33. NSW NPWS 2000. Draft Recovery Plan for the Hooded Weston, M. A. 1993. Twelve years of counting the Plover Thinornis rubricollis. New South Wales National Hooded Plover in Victoria, Australia. Stilt 23:15-19. Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville. Weston, M. A. 1995. Results of the 1994 Hooded Park, P. 1994. Hooded Plovers and Marram Grass. Plover Thinornis rubricollis survey of Victorian beaches. Stilt 25:22. Stilt 27:39-43. Schulz, M. 1988. The Hooded Plover - a natural Woehler, E. J. and Park, P. 1997. Interim report on the beachcomber! Trees and Natural Resources 30:17-18. status of Hooded Plovers Thinornis rubricollis in Tasmania. Report to Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Schulz, M. and Bamford, M. 1987. The Hooded Plover Service, Hobart. - an RAOU Conservation Statement. RAOU Report 35. Comments received from Gary Backhouse, Richard Loyn, Anthony Overs, Priscilla Park, Mike Weston, Eric Woehler. 237 .