Don Franklin | Guest Contributor
This compilation features a particularly high percentage of articles produced by local ornithologists, and includes four published in Australian Field Ornithology; two in the North Queensland Naturalist; and two in Emu; along with four other journals or magazines.
Outstanding ornithologists
Congratulations Brian Venables on winning the 2024 J.N. Hobbs Memorial Medal (Murphy 2024). “The Hobbs Medal is awarded to an amateur birdwatcher who has made a significant contribution to the knowledge or conservation of birds in Australia.” (Murphy 2024).
Lee Christian (2024) provided a tribute to the late Graham Harrington, well-known to all of us.
Spotted Quail-thrush
Patrick De Geest (2024) conducted a very detailed study of the calls of three pairs of the recently-discovered population of Spotted Quail-thrush in north Queensland. “I distinguished 18 discrete vocalisations and five combinations thereof, comprising two discrete types of song, four contact calls, three agitation calls, four alarm calls, two courtship vocalisations, and three adult–young feeding vocalisations. All adult vocalisations were produced by both the male and the female. A brief comparison of these vocalisations with audio recordings and descriptions of vocalisations from southern populations suggests that there is little difference between the vocal repertoire of this northern population and that of the Spotted Quail-thrush elsewhere.”
Cranes
Cranes normally have two eggs in a clutch. Though three-egg clutches have occasionally been recorded in Brolga, Grant & Scambler (2024) provide the first evidence of successful fledging of all three. Nevard et al. (2024a) report a three-egg clutch in the Sarus Crane, also the first such report.
“This article describes a trial helicopter survey of crane nesting in February 2017, carried out under the auspices of the International Crane Foundation and with the participation of the Normanton Land and Sea Rangers. ... All Australian Sarus Crane nests were found in habitats with trees, whereas only Brolgas were found nesting in treeless tussock grassland and in saline habitats. Since the last nest survey in 1984, numbers of Estuarine Crocodiles Crocodylus porosus have grown to the point where foot surveys are no longer safe, and this study shows that helicopters could provide a useful alternative method for further surveys of crane nests in the Gulf Plains bioregion.” (Nevard et al. 2024a).
“... roadside surveys in the Gulf Plains on 11 days in April–June 2014 showed that breeding success (number of young as a proportion of the number of pairs) was low, at 28% for Brolgas and 21% for Australian Sarus Cranes. This might have resulted from excessive flooding after heavy cyclonic rains during the height of nest initiation in February. At the 90 roadside sites occupied by only one species, Australian Sarus Cranes showed a significant preference for wooded habitats, whereas Brolgas were more likely to prefer open habitats and were the only occupants of saline areas. Both species were present at two grassland (open) sites and three moist woodland sites. Opportunistic observations showed that flocking (aggregations of ≥10 birds, including families) was well established on one cattle station (Miranda Downs), where both species foraged on a recently harvested hay paddock with readily accessible artificial water sources. Other foraging and wetland sites on this property were also shared by both species, suggesting that close association between them occurs more often, and earlier after the breeding season, than previously thought.” (Nevard et al. 2024b).
Bowerbirds
Great Bowerbird “males arrange ... objects to create a positive size–distance gradient, the evenness of which generates a forced perspective visual illusion that is associated with mating success. However, a range of differently sized objects are required to build a high-quality gradient, and it is unclear how local object availability and male ability to place objects in the correct location (i.e. building ability) affect gradient quality. To disentangle these effects, we provided males with a standardized set of court objects after removing their original objects. If gradient quality is associated with male building ability, we predicted that the quality of the gradient constructed with the standardized set of objects would be positively correlated with the male's original gradient quality. Contrary to our predictions, males that built high-quality gradients in their original court did not build high-quality gradients when given a standardized set of objects. We conclude that the bower court may not be a reliable signal of male building ability, and that object availability and/or male ability to locate appropriate objects explains some of the observed variation in gradient quality.” (van Berkel et al. 2024).
“Predation by Feral Cats (Felis catus) could be a threat to bowerbirds that spend frequent short periods of time on or near the ground during their breeding season. To assess this risk, Feral Cat activity at three Golden Bowerbird (Prionodura newtoniana) (GBB) bowers and nine Tooth-billed Bowerbird (Scenopoeetes dentirostris) (TBBB) courts was determined from video footage collected from automated cameras on a single ridge in Wet Tropics upland rainforest. Fifty-five cat events were recorded at GBB bowers over 3179 trap days, and 23 at TBBB courts over 836 trap days. Fifty-three percent of cat records were of a cat walking past a camera and not interacting with a bower or court. Where cats did interact with a bower or court, their most frequent activity was walking over it. Although peak bowerbird and cat detection periods overlapped, cat visits to bowers and courts were infrequent and there was no evidence of bowerbirds being predated.” (Freeman et al. 2024).
Eclectus Parrot
“Here, we analyse the home ranges of male Eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus) to investigate how their use of space facilitates an unusual polygynandrous mating system (where multiple males mate with multiple females). Female Eclectus parrots in the rainforests of northern Queensland, Australia, have limited movements. They remain at their nest trees for most of the year and rely on multiple wide-ranging males to bring them their food. We used light aircraft and VHF transmitters to track the movements of four male Eclectus parrots during the breeding season. We combined data on home range size with molecular analyses of a larger sample of breeding birds. Our analyses demonstrate that male home ranges overlap with each other and encompass multiple (3–14) trees with nesting females. We show that some males divide their time between, and gain reproductive success with, females up to 7 km apart.” (Heinsohn et al. 2024).
Star Finch
“We analysed historical records and undertook regular surveys of the Karumba population [of the Star Finch] from 2016 to 2022. Originally described in 1874, the first published record of the subspecies in the 20th century was in 1964. Since 1991, finches have been sighted 66 times, almost all within 14 km of Karumba Post Office. Although they were recorded in 20 of the 23 years from 2000 to 2022, over one-third of records were during the last three years. Over one-half of records fell from May to July, and few sightings were made during the wet season (November to April). There was some evidence of movements within the Karumba area as various sites dried out over the dry season. Juveniles were reported in nine years, and predominated in flocks of 100 or more birds. An observation of four juveniles being fed by an adult bird constitutes the first probable breeding record. Based on recent records, the Karumba region appears to support a small resident population of 24–70 adult Star Finches.” (Reed et al. 2024).
Button-quail
“We GPS tracked eight painted button-quail individuals near Mareeba in northern Queensland during both dry (May to June 2020) and wet (January to February 2021) seasons. We found no evidence of nomadic or migratory movements; individuals occupied small home ranges (1.38–10.3 ha) and the species was present year-round. Differences in home-range size were detected between sexes and between seasons, likely reflecting the species’ polyandrous mating system. In both wet and dry seasons, painted button-quail occupied open savanna with a groundcover of native perennial tussock grasses. The home ranges of all tracked birds were associated mostly with ridges and slopes, although some use of alluvial flats was observed. The presence of perennial tussock grasses was consistent across the areas used by tracked individuals. ... painted button-quail utilised areas with open groundcover (as low as 5% groundcover vegetation) as well as areas of dense cover (95% groundcover vegetation).” (Webster et al. 2024a).
“... we conducted extensive surveys across the [Buff-breasted Button-quail’s] presumed distribution. We surveyed historical sites where the species was collected, and also where habitat deemed suitable for the species occurred on Cape York Peninsula. We also surveyed sites on the northern Atherton Tablelands where a contemporary population has been reported. Surveys were conducted from 2018 to 2022 and employed a variety of survey methods known to be suitable for detecting button-quail. No evidence of Buff-breasted Button-quail was detected. However, Painted Button-quail Turnix varius where found to be widespread at sites surveyed in the Wet Tropics and Einasleigh Uplands bioregions as well as in southern areas of Cape York Peninsula.” (Webster et al. 2024b).
Other
Anon. (2024) provided an introduction to the South Barnard Islands KBA, which takes in Stephens and Sister Islands off the coast north of Mission Beach. Six species of tern nest in the KBA including up to 2,000 Lesser Crested Terns. Other features include Beach Stone-curlews and many rainforest birds.
References
Anon. 2024. South Barnard Islands KBA. Australian Birdlife 13(2): 68-69.
Christian L. Such is Birdlife. Australian Birdlife 13(3): 62-63.
De Geest P. 2024. Vocalisations and related behaviour of Spotted Quail-thrush Cinclosoma punctatum in Far North Queensland. Australian Field Ornithology 41: 169-186. https://afo.birdlife.org.au/afo/index.php/afo/article/view/2350/2377
Freeman AND, Harrington GN, Moran C, Stoetzel H, Gordon J. 2024. Cat activity at Golden Bowerbird bowers and Tooth-billed Bowerbird courts. North Queensland Naturalist 54: 94-98. https://www.nqnat.org/_files/ugd/003377_ab2b0ff5011942f9bac4d6aace43566d.pdf
Grant JDA, Scambler EC. 2024. First observation of a Brolga (Grus rubicunda) pair attending three young. North Queensland Naturalist 54: 112-114. https://www.nqnat.org/_files/ugd/570194_98cd524a57be46b19f474836bf451075.pdf
Heinsohn R, Appleby D, Wilson D, Legge S. 2024. Large, overlapping home ranges reveal male mating strategies in polygynandrous Eclectus parrots. Emu 124: 261-267. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/01584197.2024.2368006?needAccess=true
Murphy S. 2024. J.N. Hobbs Medal 2024 Citation – Brian Venables. Australian Field Ornithology 41: 148-149. https://afo.birdlife.org.au/afo/index.php/afo/article/view/2346/2373
Nevard TD, Scambler EC, Archibald GW. 2024a. A trial helicopter survey of crane nesting on floodplains in the Gulf Plains Bioregion, north-western Queensland, and the first record of a three-egg clutch for the Australian Sarus Crane Grus antigone gillae. Australian Field Ornithology 41: 122-128. https://afo.birdlife.org.au/afo/index.php/afo/article/view/2339/2367
Nevard TD, Scambler EC, Franklin DC. 2024b. Observations on breeding success and flocking of Australian Sarus Cranes Grus antigone gillae and Brolgas G. rubicunda in the Gulf Plains bioregion, north-western Queensland, Australia. Australian Field Ornithology 41: 115-121. https://afo.birdlife.org.au/afo/index.php/afo/article/view/2338/2366
Reed RP, Herrington DB, Noske RA. 2024. The status of the Cape York Star Finch Bathilda ruficauda clarescens in the south-eastern Gulf of Carpentaria. Sunbird 51: 5-15. https://birdsqueensland.org.au/sunbird_issues/articles/Vol_51/Reed_2024_v51_1_5-15.pdf
van Berkel M, Thornton A, Kelley LA. 2024. The effect of building ability and object availability on the construction of bower courts in great bowerbirds. Animal Behaviour 209: 203-214.
Webster PTD, Leseberg NP, Murphy SA, Watson JEM. 2024. Movements and habitat use of painted button-quail, Turnix varius, in tropical savanna of northern Queensland. Australian Journal of Zoology 72: ZO23039.
Webster PTD, Leserberg NP, Murphy SA, Watson JEM. 2024. Four years of targeted surveys across northern Queensland failed to detect any evidence of Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii. Emu 124: 211-220. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/01584197.2024.2343680?needAccess=true