27 OCTOBER 2014
It appears as if a live individual of this species has never been photographed. The Queensland Museum kindly gave me access to their collection and I took this photograph. Do you know which species it is…?
More to come…
Citizen science helps conservation
20 OCTOBER 2014
The Aussie Backyard Bird Count starts today. Science events reconnect citizens with nature.The Richmond Birdwing (Ornithoptera richmondia), a butterfly of shimmering colours, was once common in South-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. Urbanization, however, has fragmented its population to the extent that it is now difficult to encounter the species.
The consequences of urbanization are serious. Associate Professor Darryl Jones, a behavioural ecologist at Griffith University, says that “urbanization will be regarded as the primary cause of extinctions, more so than disease, hunting or pollution.”
We’re all aware of the direct effects of urbanization: it can destroy or disrupt natural ecosystems. But could there be other, more insidious effects?
The naturalist Professor Robert Pyles has written extensively on the diminishing connection between people and their immediate natural surroundings. He refers to a time when people planned their daily activities around nature. It was therefore essential to understand and respect the environment.
“One of the greatest causes of the ecological crisis is the state of personal alienation from nature in which many people live … If a species becomes extinct within our own radius of reach … it might as well be gone altogether” writes Pyles.
This phenomenon is called the ‘extinction of experience’, and perhaps its role in conservation is underestimated. Some species, like the Richmond Birdwing, have slipped away relatively unnoticed. If more of us had better understood the dynamics of our immediate natural surroundings, could we have prevented the butterfly’s decline?
Australia’s lists of threatened fauna and flora are long, yet there are encouraging signs that citizens are increasingly challenging the extinction of experience phenomenon.
Take the Glossy Black Conservancy, a not for profit consortium that seeks to increase awareness and promote a collaborative conservation management approach for Glossy Black-Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus lathami) through partnership between government, private enterprise, researchers and the wider community.
In Queensland and New South Wales the species is classified as ‘vulnerable’. ‘Glossies’ are often sighted around the Gold Coast, namely at Nerang, Clagiraba, Ormeau, Coomera, Pimpama, Reedy Creek, Mudgeeraba and Springbrook. You will most likely find one feeding quietly on seeds in a she-oak (Allocasuarina and Casuarina species), their primary source of nutrition. They’re not typically raucous like other cockatoo species, and one of the best ways to detect them is to look for ‘orts’, the discarded, chewed cones that end up on the ground under a she-oak.
On Sunday 19 October 2014 the Conservancy coordinated its annual Glossy Black-Cockatoo Birding Day, an opportunity for everyone to learn about the bird, to discuss the threats it faces, and to participate in a population survey.
Citizen science events, particularly those involving birds, are becoming more popular. BirdLife Australia will hold the Aussie Backyard Bird Count between 20 – 26 October 2014. By downloading a free app, anyone in Australia can participate. The survey takes only 20 minutes.
Events like these play an important role in conservation. The data they generate help to quantify changes to biodiversity and to identify species under threat.
The collective voice of an informed group of citizens can make a difference too. Birds Queensland, for example, has a long and successful history of conservation initiatives. Mike West, a former president of the Birds Queensland spoke recently about a lake habitat near the Port of Brisbane that was earmarked for development: “…the government had already decided to give it the ‘okay’ and we swung them around without any fanfare… we convinced them that it wasn’t such a good idea.” (Listen to the full interview here)
Above all, reconnecting citizens with nature, via membership with specialist organizations or participation in events, raises awareness and fosters an appreciation of conservation issues surrounding all manner of plants and animals. There’s now even a group devoted to the Richmond Birdwing!
Have you ever participated in a citizen science event? If so, which one? (Please let me know using ‘Leave a reply’ below)
Featured photo: S Graham
Myora Springs
20 OCTOBER 2014 Myora Springs on North Stradbroke Island is a tranquil site of environmental and cultural significance. It has a flowing freshwater spring that supports a unique ecosystem. Surrounded by eucalypt forest and fringed by mangroves, the pools of surface water are perfectly clear. 
Photos: S Graham
North Stradbroke Island is home to 18 species of land mammals including wallabies, kangaroos, echidnas, koalas and bandicoots. The springs are an important habitat for many of these, including the vulnerable Water Mouse (Xeromys myoides). The Water Mouse has silky, water repellent fur and is specialised for coastal marine and estuarine environments. It is also known as the False Water Rat and Yirrkoo. Read more about it here. The endangered Lesser Swamp Orchid (Phaius australis) [below] is also found at Myora Springs. Since European settlement, 95% of the original populations of the Lesser Swamp Orchid in North-east NSW and South-east Queensland have become extinct. It faces several threats (read more here) – on North Stradbroke Island these are mainly bushfires, habitat loss (e.g. from sand mining) and competition from invasive plant species (e.g. Lantana camara). 
Photo: Kieran Kinney (https://www.flickr.com/photos/anpc/8740261100/)
Myora Springs is of cultural significance to the Quandamooka people, the traditional owners of the island. It served as an important meeting place, and was a source of a variety of foods, especially shellfish. Today large middens are still visible along the banks.
Sand mining has taken place on North Stradbroke Island for more than 60 years. Mining leases have now been extended until 2035 and the Quandamooka people argue that they were not consulted on this matter. To learn more about the Quandamooka people and how they are challenging the Queensland Government in the High Court, listen to the ABC News radio program the via the tweet below.
Quandamooka people of Stradbroke Island to contest sandmining lease in court http://t.co/eVczh65FFV @amworldtodaypm
— Simon (@ephemeralise) October 22, 2014
Featured image photo: S Graham
Threatened species seen in Brisbane mall
7 SEPTEMBER 2014
National Threatened Species Day is held 7 September each year. It raises awareness about threatened species and conservation efforts. Some species, like the Tasmanian devil, are in a serious predicamentThe shocking plight of one of Australia’s most iconic species was reiterated at a National Threatened Species Day (NTSD) event held in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall.
The population of the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), which has been classified as an endangered species since 1998, continues to decline as result of the incurable devil facial tumour disease. In habitats where the disease has been present for several years, the numbers of devils have decreased by as much as 95%.
NTSD in the Queen Street Mall saw the participation of a number of committed conservation-focussed organizations, including zoos, wildlife sanctuaries and specialist associations. The public’s interest in their activities was clearly apparent, and the presence of live animals, including Tasmanian devils on leads, attracted crowds of onlookers.
Events surrounding NTSD were not only held in Brisbane, but also around Australia. The day is about reflecting on the losses of the past, the threatened species of today, as well as some of the positive results from the many ongoing conservation activities.
Australia has lost more than 100 plant and animal species to extinction, and preventing extinctions can be a costly, intensive process. So why is it important to prevent the extinction of a species? Stacey Thomson (also known as Ranger Stacey from Channel 10’s Totally Wild) offers a response:
NTSD draws attention to all threatened species. Some species, like Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are well known to the public, but as Steve Baines from the Australia New Guinea Fishes Association (ANGFA) explains, there are others in need of our help:
Several organizations play a critical role in conservation. One of these, Birds Queensland, has a large membership and a long and successful history of conservation initiatives. Mike West from Birds Queensland shares some of his experiences:
NTSD was not held under a cloud of pessimism. Rather, its organizers and participants conveyed information in a positive manner, reinforcing the fact that it is possible to make a difference. One of the day’s themes was public engagement in the process of conservation, and the Time To Act fact sheet, produced in association with NTSD, suggests many ways in which this can be done.
Featured photo: S Graham
Attributions in video (filmed and produced by S Graham)
"Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease" by (Photo: Menna Jones) - To Lose Both Would Look Like Carelessness: Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease. McCallum H, Jones M, PLoS Biology Vol. 4/10/2006, e342. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0040342. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - link to source here
Thylacine footage source: http://www.naturalworlds.org/thylacine/index.htm (1911 footage by "Mr. Williamson", 1933 footage by David Fleay. Authors of the 1928 footage are unknown, a file from Wikimedia Commons)
The parrot facing a swift decline
5 SEPTEMBER 2014
It’s early September and the tall flowering eucalypts are teeming with lorikeets. Rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus), Scaly-breasted lorikeets (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus), even Little lorikeets (Glossopsitta pusilla). I’ve been at Brisbane’s Gould Adams Park for over an hour now, and frustratingly I still haven’t found the bird I’m looking for.
I’m relying on Eremea Birdline, a website where citizens can report “rare or unusual birds outside their normal range, unusually high or low numbers, early or late arrivals or departures for migrant species and interesting behaviour or unusual habitat usage”. This excellent website facilitates community interactions with nature and deepens our understanding of the movements of birds. It also gives citizens the opportunity to observe threatened bird species that they otherwise may never have seen.
The bird I am hoping to see today is the endangered Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor), and there were confirmed Eremea sightings at this very location five days ago. Like the lorikeets, which are everywhere, the Swift parrot is predominantly green. My first concern is that is that I have simply overlooked it. With my binoculars I continue to scan the highest of branches. The glimpse a lorikeet elicits yet another false alarm.
Swift parrot. Photo: JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – find it here
The Swift parrot breeds only in Tasmania and some Bass Strait Islands. In late March, the parrot migrates to mainland Australia. A relatively small proportion of the population migrate as far as north as South-east Queensland. This long distance migration is an extraordinary feat that is unusual amongst parrots. The Swift parrot’s breeding season commences in September, so they need to get back to Tasmania…Perhaps I am too late?
Just as I give up, I hear their distinctive call. And there, on the extremity of a branch, are three birds in clear view. I am surprised by the bright intensity of their green plumage, and their sharp, elongated tail feathers clearly differentiate them from the lorikeet species.
It’s a privilege to see this bird, not just because of its beauty, but also because of what it represents. It’s a bird hanging on to its primeval migratory instincts in the face of a multitude of threats to its survival. It is estimated that there are only 1000 pairs left in the wild.
The clearing of eucalypt forest on the Australian mainland is known as a major cause of the parrot’s decline. New research, however, has revealed an additional and previously undocumented threat to its survival. Stojanovic and colleagues have demonstrated that Sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) prey on nesting Swift parrots. The Sugar glider, an introduced species in Tasmania, was shown to have a severe effect on nest productivity. The true likelihood of a nest surviving the 60-day nesting period in areas where Sugar gliders are present was found to be 0.17, and in most cases (83.3%) this involved the death of the adult female parrot. The authors conclude that Swift parrots are “representative of the threats faced by migratory birds” and that their study is “a cautionary tale for the management of other mobile, difficult to study species”.
Read more: Stojanovic, D et al. 2014, Discovery of a novel predator reveals extreme but highly variable mortality for an endangered migratory bird, Diversity and Distributions, vol. 20, pp. 1200-1207.
Conservation of a species is often a costly and intensive long-term process, and success is not guaranteed. What does it mean to you if we lose a species? Is it worth the investment in trying to save it?
{You may also be interested in reading about the Orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), another threatened migratory parrot. Its predicament is even worse than that of the Swift parrot: there are only around 50 individuals left in the wild}.
Introducing the returning cuckoo
5 SEPTEMBER 2014
One of the most well known cuckoos is the Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), which migrates to Europe and Asia after overwintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Its tendency to appear suddenly after months of absence, announcing its presence with a bold and distinct call, has meant that the bird has acquired symbolic meanings in many cultures. Over the centuries it has been regarded as a representation of fertility, a portent of death, even a soul carrier. Above all, it is almost universally known as the harbinger of spring. It’s call even features in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Beethoven’s Sixth.
There are several species of cuckoos within the family Cuculidae. Although they vary markedly in choice of habitat and morphology, many are also migratory and possess an evocative call. These characteristics mean that they too are often linked with symbolism.
For example, the Nage, an indigenous people living on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores, refer to one cuckoo species as a ‘witch bird’ (a bird that manifests as a witch), largely because of its haunting call.
Furthermore, the arrival of cuckoos in some regions coincides with the beginning of seasonal thunderstorms. Each September, the Eastern koel (Eudynamys orientalis) arrives in Australia from its winter habitats on islands to the north. Colloquially the bird is known as the ‘rainbird’ or ‘stormbird’ because its call is often a prelude to a summer thunderstorm. You may have heard it (a Brush cuckoo [Cacomantis variolosus] also calls at 1:14):
Like the rising and setting of the sun or the turn of the seasons, the regular arrival and departure of the cuckoo could also be considered as a symbol of normality. What does it mean if the cuckoo doesn’t return? It may mean that something is wrong with our natural world. Some cuckoo species, including the Common cuckoo, are in decline. They still return to their breeding habitats, but do so in fewer numbers.
The returning cuckoo is also the centrepiece of this website. With it in mind, I hope to be able to (i) raise awareness about the plight of threatened species, (ii) examine the pros and cons of attempting to save them, and (iii) discuss what it means to lose a species forever.
Photo by K Lin (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hiyashi/3610097548/in/photostream/)
returning cuckoo 
