2023 DL Serventy Medal Citation

Abstract

Professor Robert Heinsohn’s passion for bird behaviour and conservation began with his honours and PhD projects on white-winged choughs at the Australian National University in the 1980s. Since then, he has conducted ground-breaking research on some of our most challenging and endangered avian species, including Swift Parrots, Orange-bellied Parrots, Palm Cockatoos, Eclectus Parrots, Forty-spotted Pardalotes, Norfolk Island Green Parrots and Regent Honeyeaters. He has published 200 papers and two books with profound impact in academic and conservation spheres, including publications in the highest ranking academic journals (eg Science). Professor Heinsohn’s landmark research in bird behaviour includes his discovery of kidnapping in white-winged choughs, the causes of extreme sexual dichromatism in Eclectus parrots, analysis of tool use and rhythmic drumming in Palm Cockatoos, and the impacts of introduced predators on the mating system and sex allocation of Swift Parrots. His research has established Australian birds as textbook examples of behavioural and evolutionary processes (eg Davies et al. 2012 An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology, Wiley-Blackwell; Lovette & Fitzpatrick 2016 Handbook of Bird Biology, Wiley). His co-edited book Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country explored the adaptations of Australian birds to erratic weather and won Australia’s most prestigious award for zoological publications, the 2009 Whitley Medal (Royal Zoological Society, NSW). He served as Associate Editor for Emu Austral Ornithology for over a decade, and co-edited a special issue on parrots in 2019. Professor Heinsohn’s research has had immense impact on the conservation of Australian birds in four key ways. First, he and his team have discovered a range of previously unknown threats and devised numerous innovative solutions. Examples include his group’s development of hi-tech nest boxes to protect Swift Parrots from catastrophic predation, providing feathers treated with insecticide to Fortyspotted Pardalotes, thereby enabling them to self-fumigate their nests against parasitic flies, and teaching captive reared Regent Honeyeaters to sing the correct song upon release. Second, Professor Heinsohn has used his analytical skills for optimal conservation planning. For example, working with BirdLife and the Regent Honeyeater recovery team in 2021, he led a population viability analysis to identify the levels of nest protection and captive breeding necessary for population recovery. This analysis is an essential part of the blueprint for reviving the fortunes of Regent Honeyeaters over the next 20 years. Further analyses of hard won field data led Professor Heinsohn to advocate successfully for changes in conservation status of Palm Cockatoos (Endangered) and Swift Parrots (Critically Endangered). Third, a high level of media and public engagement, recognised by multiple ANU media awards, has promoted understanding and funding for endangered species. For example, his research has featured in the ABC documentary ‘Australia: Land of Parrots’; multiple BBC productions, The Bird Way by best-selling author Jennifer Ackerman; and dozens of stories for radio, newspapers and web-based media with outreach to millions. With his team he has also run highly successful crowd funding campaigns, generating strong public engagement and hundreds of thousands of dollars for research. Finally, Professor Heinsohn has made huge investments in the next generation of zoologists and conservation scientists. He has been a much-loved supervisor of 30 PhD students, leading to ANU Supervisor Awards, and mentor to nine postdoctoral fellows. Professor Heinsohn’s unwavering dedication to avian research and conservation is inspiring to all who have worked with him and he is richly deserving of Birdlife Australia’s DL Serventy Medal. EMU AUSTRAL ORNITHOLOGY 2023, VOL. 123, NO. 3, 260 https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2226342