Pub Date : 2022-07-28DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2105722
Ian R. Hoppe, Allison E. Johnson, E. VanWormer
ABSTRACT Haemosporidian parasites of birds are geographically widespread, have been detected in a phylogenetically diverse array of hosts, and have been the focus of extensive research due to both their impacts on birds and their similarity to vector-borne diseases of humans. Advances in molecular diagnostic tools have created a greater awareness of the genetic diversity of haemosporidian infections. Yet in spite of their more or less global distribution, comparatively little is known about the haemosporidians affecting birds in Australia. We screened blood from 889 birds (23 species) for haemosporidian blood parasite infections during the 2019 breeding season at Brookfield Conservation Park, South Australia. We examined the genetic (lineage) diversity of haemosporidian infections in this behaviourally and ecologically diverse host assemblage and examined the congruence between parasite and host phylogenies. We identified seven Haemoproteus mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages, five of which were novel. Four birds had simultaneous co-infections by two Haemoproteus lineages each. The Haemoproteus lineages clustered at the host family level. Two Plasmodium lineages were also identified, each of which had been previously detected in different avian host species in Australasia. We did not detect any Leucocytozoon infections in our sample. This study supplies critical baseline data on host–parasite associations in a poorly-surveyed geographic region.
{"title":"Haemosporidian parasite diversity in an under-surveyed Australian avifauna","authors":"Ian R. Hoppe, Allison E. Johnson, E. VanWormer","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2105722","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2105722","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Haemosporidian parasites of birds are geographically widespread, have been detected in a phylogenetically diverse array of hosts, and have been the focus of extensive research due to both their impacts on birds and their similarity to vector-borne diseases of humans. Advances in molecular diagnostic tools have created a greater awareness of the genetic diversity of haemosporidian infections. Yet in spite of their more or less global distribution, comparatively little is known about the haemosporidians affecting birds in Australia. We screened blood from 889 birds (23 species) for haemosporidian blood parasite infections during the 2019 breeding season at Brookfield Conservation Park, South Australia. We examined the genetic (lineage) diversity of haemosporidian infections in this behaviourally and ecologically diverse host assemblage and examined the congruence between parasite and host phylogenies. We identified seven Haemoproteus mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages, five of which were novel. Four birds had simultaneous co-infections by two Haemoproteus lineages each. The Haemoproteus lineages clustered at the host family level. Two Plasmodium lineages were also identified, each of which had been previously detected in different avian host species in Australasia. We did not detect any Leucocytozoon infections in our sample. This study supplies critical baseline data on host–parasite associations in a poorly-surveyed geographic region.","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84334351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-26DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2105236
P. Olsen, R. Cunningham
ABSTRACT Species on small, isolated islands are particularly prone to extinction from human-related threats including climate change. As a case study, we investigated body condition of nestlings of the critically endangered, conservation-dependent subspecies of Tasman Moreporks Ninox novaeseelandiae on Norfolk Island. Annual productivity is low, with only 53 fledglings produced on the island 1989–2007, two in 2019 and an unknown number between. As predicted under climate change, the island is experiencing increasingly drier conditions and more extreme precipitation events. It was postulated that this would negatively impact on body condition. A condition index for 48 nestlings was positively correlated with typical annual rainfall (<1500 mm), but depressed in years of extreme precipitation (>1871 mm). Optimal nestling condition coincided with long-term, median annual rainfall and female nestlings were in better condition than males. The timing of breeding became progressively later over the study period. These results are interpreted as food resource-related, via prey availability and hunting conditions. Implications include that in dry years and under very wet conditions, some adult females may be unable to put on sufficient weight to attempt to reproduce and those that do breed may produce fewer nestlings, and, importantly, that the current population may be around capacity. Conservation efforts should take into consideration the impacts of climate change, particularly on small, human-impacted islands, where species face interacting threats, and resources and options for adaptation are severely limited.
{"title":"Influence of extreme and typical rainfall on nestling body condition of the endangered Norfolk Island Morepork: conservation implications of climate change","authors":"P. Olsen, R. Cunningham","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2105236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2105236","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Species on small, isolated islands are particularly prone to extinction from human-related threats including climate change. As a case study, we investigated body condition of nestlings of the critically endangered, conservation-dependent subspecies of Tasman Moreporks Ninox novaeseelandiae on Norfolk Island. Annual productivity is low, with only 53 fledglings produced on the island 1989–2007, two in 2019 and an unknown number between. As predicted under climate change, the island is experiencing increasingly drier conditions and more extreme precipitation events. It was postulated that this would negatively impact on body condition. A condition index for 48 nestlings was positively correlated with typical annual rainfall (<1500 mm), but depressed in years of extreme precipitation (>1871 mm). Optimal nestling condition coincided with long-term, median annual rainfall and female nestlings were in better condition than males. The timing of breeding became progressively later over the study period. These results are interpreted as food resource-related, via prey availability and hunting conditions. Implications include that in dry years and under very wet conditions, some adult females may be unable to put on sufficient weight to attempt to reproduce and those that do breed may produce fewer nestlings, and, importantly, that the current population may be around capacity. Conservation efforts should take into consideration the impacts of climate change, particularly on small, human-impacted islands, where species face interacting threats, and resources and options for adaptation are severely limited.","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82898281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-18DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2071122
B. Baker, S. Garnett
{"title":"Dr Eric Woehler OAM","authors":"B. Baker, S. Garnett","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2071122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2071122","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75937416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2096074
S. Garnett, G. Maurer, G. Garrard
ABSTRACT The common names of birds have always been changed to reflect societal trends in language usage. We suggest that guidelines should be developed for assessing the current acceptability of names associated with people from Australia’s past, particularly from colonial times.
{"title":"Why Australian common bird names should respond to societal change","authors":"S. Garnett, G. Maurer, G. Garrard","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2096074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2096074","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The common names of birds have always been changed to reflect societal trends in language usage. We suggest that guidelines should be developed for assessing the current acceptability of names associated with people from Australia’s past, particularly from colonial times.","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87233846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2072347
Kazuhiro Eguchi, Katsura Mikami, Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, R. Noske
ABSTRACT The Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis is a group-living, cooperatively breeding species in which offspring of both sexes are equally philopatric, but only male helpers inherit the natal territory. We quantified helping efforts in a tropical population of the babbler, and tested the hypothesis that inter-sexual differences in helping efforts are related to the chance of inheriting their natal territory. We found that the total nest visiting rate during the nestling period and fledging success were higher among larger groups, but dominant birds (breeders) did not decrease their effort with group size. The total nest visiting rate during the nestling period increased with the number of female helpers, and fledging success was higher in groups with a female-biased sex ratio. In contradiction of the above hypothesis, female helpers contributed more towards nestling care than male helpers, although the latter contributed more towards nest building. There was no tendency for helpers to contribute more care towards nestlings of related breeders than those of unrelated breeders, suggesting that indirect (kin selection) benefits for helpers may be less important than direct benefits in explaining helping behaviour in this population. Our study suggests there may be sex-specific differences in the costs and benefits of helping behaviour.
{"title":"Inter-sexual differences in contributions of helpers in a tropical population of the cooperatively breeding Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis","authors":"Kazuhiro Eguchi, Katsura Mikami, Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, R. Noske","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2072347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2072347","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis is a group-living, cooperatively breeding species in which offspring of both sexes are equally philopatric, but only male helpers inherit the natal territory. We quantified helping efforts in a tropical population of the babbler, and tested the hypothesis that inter-sexual differences in helping efforts are related to the chance of inheriting their natal territory. We found that the total nest visiting rate during the nestling period and fledging success were higher among larger groups, but dominant birds (breeders) did not decrease their effort with group size. The total nest visiting rate during the nestling period increased with the number of female helpers, and fledging success was higher in groups with a female-biased sex ratio. In contradiction of the above hypothesis, female helpers contributed more towards nestling care than male helpers, although the latter contributed more towards nest building. There was no tendency for helpers to contribute more care towards nestlings of related breeders than those of unrelated breeders, suggesting that indirect (kin selection) benefits for helpers may be less important than direct benefits in explaining helping behaviour in this population. Our study suggests there may be sex-specific differences in the costs and benefits of helping behaviour.","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75817682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2092751
J. T. Draper, P. Deo, P. Weinstein, B. Simpson
ABSTRACT Food resources in arid habitats are important for the survival of native fauna, especially where resources provide water or key nutrients during dry periods. However, food resource plants can be susceptible to grazing species or may not be suitable for revegetating arid areas. Pimelea microcephala subsp. microcephala (P.m.microcephala) is an Australian dioecious shrub bearing bright fruit that are likely to attract birds. The plant is also noted for its production of simplexin, a compound toxic to mammals. The aims of our study were 1) to assess the nutrient and simplexin content of P.m.microcephala fruits, and 2) to confirm the identity of native avian species that consume the fruits. With both pieces of information, we could then determine the conservation utility of P.m.microcephala. Combining chemical analysis of fruit nutrients with field observations, we found that ripe fruits contain 60.5% water, 2.8% sugar, and potent antioxidants, which would likely be of nutritional benefit to consuming frugivores. The fruits also contain high levels of the toxin simplexin, which comprised 3.6% of ripe fruits by weight. We identified eight bird species interacting with P.m.microcephala, with at least five of these consuming ripe fruits. Our study demonstrates the potential for P.m.microcephala to contribute to revegetation and provide a food resource for arid zone birds, whilst being protected from grazing by the presence of simplexin. Further studies are needed to establish the species’ absolute significance in terms of fruits as a source of water and nutrients to arid zone bird diets.
{"title":"Not-so-forbidden fruit: the potential conservation role of toxic Pimelea microcephala subsp. microcephala fruits for native arid zone birds","authors":"J. T. Draper, P. Deo, P. Weinstein, B. Simpson","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2092751","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2092751","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Food resources in arid habitats are important for the survival of native fauna, especially where resources provide water or key nutrients during dry periods. However, food resource plants can be susceptible to grazing species or may not be suitable for revegetating arid areas. Pimelea microcephala subsp. microcephala (P.m.microcephala) is an Australian dioecious shrub bearing bright fruit that are likely to attract birds. The plant is also noted for its production of simplexin, a compound toxic to mammals. The aims of our study were 1) to assess the nutrient and simplexin content of P.m.microcephala fruits, and 2) to confirm the identity of native avian species that consume the fruits. With both pieces of information, we could then determine the conservation utility of P.m.microcephala. Combining chemical analysis of fruit nutrients with field observations, we found that ripe fruits contain 60.5% water, 2.8% sugar, and potent antioxidants, which would likely be of nutritional benefit to consuming frugivores. The fruits also contain high levels of the toxin simplexin, which comprised 3.6% of ripe fruits by weight. We identified eight bird species interacting with P.m.microcephala, with at least five of these consuming ripe fruits. Our study demonstrates the potential for P.m.microcephala to contribute to revegetation and provide a food resource for arid zone birds, whilst being protected from grazing by the presence of simplexin. Further studies are needed to establish the species’ absolute significance in terms of fruits as a source of water and nutrients to arid zone bird diets.","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76881280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2090962
P. Webster, Nick Leseberg, S. Murphy, L. Joseph, J. Watson
ABSTRACT The Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii is arguably the rarest, most threatened bird species in Australia. Despite many reports over the last four decades, the species has never been reliably photographed nor its vocalisations definitively recorded. No records in contemporary literature are supported irrefutably. Consequently, examining historical museum specimens of skins and eggs is critical to ascertain the species’ distribution and autecology, understand potential threatening processes, and ultimately determine the species’ conservation status. We review all known specimens of Buff-breasted Button-quail and contextual information where available. Current literature suggests the holotype was collected in 1899, while the last collected specimens (six skins, four clutches of eggs) were collected by William Rae McLennan near Coen in 1921 and 1922. We found a total of 15 specimens: seven skins and eight clutches of eggs. Two specimens collected by McLennan previously documented as ‘missing’ were located in the Natural History Museum, Tring. An additional four clutches of eggs not previously reported were located. Two represented verified specimens while the other two require further analysis to determine identity. All specimens were collected in the Cape York Peninsula bioregion. There are no specimens from the more southern Wet Tropics and Einasleigh Uplands bioregions, where the majority of contemporary observations have been made. As there have been no verified specimens collected for nearly a century, we argue that considerable concern and urgent action are warranted to improve the conservation outlook of this species. The species should be listed as critically endangered in both state and federal legislation.
{"title":"A review of specimens of Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii suggests serious concern for its conservation outlook","authors":"P. Webster, Nick Leseberg, S. Murphy, L. Joseph, J. Watson","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2090962","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2090962","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii is arguably the rarest, most threatened bird species in Australia. Despite many reports over the last four decades, the species has never been reliably photographed nor its vocalisations definitively recorded. No records in contemporary literature are supported irrefutably. Consequently, examining historical museum specimens of skins and eggs is critical to ascertain the species’ distribution and autecology, understand potential threatening processes, and ultimately determine the species’ conservation status. We review all known specimens of Buff-breasted Button-quail and contextual information where available. Current literature suggests the holotype was collected in 1899, while the last collected specimens (six skins, four clutches of eggs) were collected by William Rae McLennan near Coen in 1921 and 1922. We found a total of 15 specimens: seven skins and eight clutches of eggs. Two specimens collected by McLennan previously documented as ‘missing’ were located in the Natural History Museum, Tring. An additional four clutches of eggs not previously reported were located. Two represented verified specimens while the other two require further analysis to determine identity. All specimens were collected in the Cape York Peninsula bioregion. There are no specimens from the more southern Wet Tropics and Einasleigh Uplands bioregions, where the majority of contemporary observations have been made. As there have been no verified specimens collected for nearly a century, we argue that considerable concern and urgent action are warranted to improve the conservation outlook of this species. The species should be listed as critically endangered in both state and federal legislation.","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87746403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2063746
Skye Davis, Julia Ryeland, Shannon M. Smith, G. Hart, A. Stow
ABSTRACT Conserving evolutionary processes is becoming increasingly important in conservation management as environmental changes continue to threaten wild populations. Characterising genetically distinct populations and assessing connectivity across the landscape enables wildlife managers to prioritise conservation efforts with limited resources. In the NSW North Coast bioregion of Australia, one of the last remaining coastal populations of the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) has been state-listed as an Endangered Population, owing to its geographic isolation and small census size. Using mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers, we examined the spatial genetic structure and diversity of Emus across south-eastern Australia. For the NSW North Coast population, we estimated the effective population size ( ) and carried out simulations to predict future levels of genetic variation. We show significant genetic divergence between the NSW North Coast Emu and other localities based on thousands of highly resolving nuclear markers. Among NSW North Coast Emus, we found less genetic diversity and a critically low-effective population size ( = 14.84 and 22.49 based on independent methods). Our simulations predict that the of the NSW North Coast Emu population is insufficient to maintain genetic diversity and the population may be at risk of inbreeding depression. Incorporating genetic data into the design of captive-release and translocation projects would refine management plans for this locally important population and monitor risks to its long-term survival.
{"title":"Divided by the range: evidence for geographic isolation of the highly mobile Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)","authors":"Skye Davis, Julia Ryeland, Shannon M. Smith, G. Hart, A. Stow","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2063746","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2063746","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Conserving evolutionary processes is becoming increasingly important in conservation management as environmental changes continue to threaten wild populations. Characterising genetically distinct populations and assessing connectivity across the landscape enables wildlife managers to prioritise conservation efforts with limited resources. In the NSW North Coast bioregion of Australia, one of the last remaining coastal populations of the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) has been state-listed as an Endangered Population, owing to its geographic isolation and small census size. Using mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers, we examined the spatial genetic structure and diversity of Emus across south-eastern Australia. For the NSW North Coast population, we estimated the effective population size ( ) and carried out simulations to predict future levels of genetic variation. We show significant genetic divergence between the NSW North Coast Emu and other localities based on thousands of highly resolving nuclear markers. Among NSW North Coast Emus, we found less genetic diversity and a critically low-effective population size ( = 14.84 and 22.49 based on independent methods). Our simulations predict that the of the NSW North Coast Emu population is insufficient to maintain genetic diversity and the population may be at risk of inbreeding depression. Incorporating genetic data into the design of captive-release and translocation projects would refine management plans for this locally important population and monitor risks to its long-term survival.","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77204242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2071632
P. Olsen, B. Baker
With the death of Henry Nix in February, Australia lost an influential and inspiring ornithologist-ecologist and a great enthusiast for birds. Henry was gentle, generous and charming, with an outstanding intellect and wicked sense of humour. A natural, communicator and ideas man, he developed and maintained networks of scientists and amateurs, and inspired and mentored many researchers both in Australia and internationally. Henry grew up in suburban Ipswich, Australia, in a street surrounded by industrial mills, but developed a passion for nature, birds in particular. His family may have subscribed to Wild Life magazine, which had a section for ‘Boys and Girls’, to which, in July 1950, ‘Hal Nix’ contributed an article on the domed nest of a Nutmeg Mannikin, set on a branch about 5 m from the ground. Expecting to see young mannikins, Henry climbed to the nest, instead flushing a rat which ran over him to escape, leaving its two pups. ‘Did rats normally nest in such situations?’, he asked, winning one of several monthly prizes of 5/-. He also wrote asking where he might learn more about birds and was chuffed to receive a letter from Alec Chisholm, urging him to join the Royal Australasian Ornithologist’s Union (subsequently Birds Australia and now BirdLife Australia, (BLA)). This he did early in 1951, when he was 13 years old. The five shilling prize would not have gone far towards the 25 shilling membership fee and he was challenged by the papers in Emu, but he persisted. In 2001, the year the organisation was celebrating its centenary, Henry was elected President, having served on Council since 1999 and a Fellow, the organisation’s highest award, in 2006. In between joining BLA and his stint as President, he had a distinguished career, first as an agricultural communicator and scientist at CSIRO, later in academia (detailed elsewhere, e.g. Anon. 2019; Saunders et al. 2022). He also received many prestigious awards, including Officer of the Order of Australia: ‘for service to the environment, particularly the conservation of natural resources, and to land management through the development and application of simulation models for ecologically sustainable land utilization’. Henry’s final President’s column ended with a plug for what was another of his life’s passions and one of his greatest contributions to science: ‘Reliable data, information and knowledge are central to the development of policies and management strategies to save our birds’ (Nix 2005). From early in his career, he pioneered and promoted the importance of computer-based inventory and evaluation systems to guide policy and management approaches to large-scale ecological challenges. In the 1970s, with colleagues, he developed BIOCLIM, a climatic database package that has found wide application, from agriculture to dung beetle introduction and climate change prediction, particularly through species distribution models (SDM). The principles and ideas behind BIOCLIM have influenced mu
{"title":"Vale Emeritus Professor Henry Allan Nix AO (8 July 1937 – 2 February 2022)","authors":"P. Olsen, B. Baker","doi":"10.1080/01584197.2022.2071632","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2071632","url":null,"abstract":"With the death of Henry Nix in February, Australia lost an influential and inspiring ornithologist-ecologist and a great enthusiast for birds. Henry was gentle, generous and charming, with an outstanding intellect and wicked sense of humour. A natural, communicator and ideas man, he developed and maintained networks of scientists and amateurs, and inspired and mentored many researchers both in Australia and internationally. Henry grew up in suburban Ipswich, Australia, in a street surrounded by industrial mills, but developed a passion for nature, birds in particular. His family may have subscribed to Wild Life magazine, which had a section for ‘Boys and Girls’, to which, in July 1950, ‘Hal Nix’ contributed an article on the domed nest of a Nutmeg Mannikin, set on a branch about 5 m from the ground. Expecting to see young mannikins, Henry climbed to the nest, instead flushing a rat which ran over him to escape, leaving its two pups. ‘Did rats normally nest in such situations?’, he asked, winning one of several monthly prizes of 5/-. He also wrote asking where he might learn more about birds and was chuffed to receive a letter from Alec Chisholm, urging him to join the Royal Australasian Ornithologist’s Union (subsequently Birds Australia and now BirdLife Australia, (BLA)). This he did early in 1951, when he was 13 years old. The five shilling prize would not have gone far towards the 25 shilling membership fee and he was challenged by the papers in Emu, but he persisted. In 2001, the year the organisation was celebrating its centenary, Henry was elected President, having served on Council since 1999 and a Fellow, the organisation’s highest award, in 2006. In between joining BLA and his stint as President, he had a distinguished career, first as an agricultural communicator and scientist at CSIRO, later in academia (detailed elsewhere, e.g. Anon. 2019; Saunders et al. 2022). He also received many prestigious awards, including Officer of the Order of Australia: ‘for service to the environment, particularly the conservation of natural resources, and to land management through the development and application of simulation models for ecologically sustainable land utilization’. Henry’s final President’s column ended with a plug for what was another of his life’s passions and one of his greatest contributions to science: ‘Reliable data, information and knowledge are central to the development of policies and management strategies to save our birds’ (Nix 2005). From early in his career, he pioneered and promoted the importance of computer-based inventory and evaluation systems to guide policy and management approaches to large-scale ecological challenges. In the 1970s, with colleagues, he developed BIOCLIM, a climatic database package that has found wide application, from agriculture to dung beetle introduction and climate change prediction, particularly through species distribution models (SDM). The principles and ideas behind BIOCLIM have influenced mu","PeriodicalId":50532,"journal":{"name":"Emu-Austral Ornithology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88678666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2075395
J. Pedrana, Antonella Gorosábel, Laila D. Kazimierski, Klemenes Pütz, L. Bernad, K. Laneri
ABSTRACT The Ruddy-headed Goose (Chloephaga rubidiceps) has two separate populations: one sedentary, which resides in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands and one migratory that overwinters mainly in the Pampas region (Argentina) and breeds in Southern Patagonia (Argentina and Chile). The migratory population has decreased considerably to less than 800 individuals and is categorised as Endangered in Argentina and Chile. Knowing the dates at which birds leave the wintering grounds might help to predict the arrival date at stopover sites and breeding areas. We aimed to examine the effect of meteorological conditions on the decision of Ruddy-headed Geese to start spring migration and their migration strategy. We used data from six adults, equipped with satellite transmitters, over 4 years (2015–2018), giving 12 individual departure dates. Weather conditions on departure dates were compared with that during the 15 preceding days. We tested the influence of weather conditions on the response variable measured as a comparison of pre-migration dates versus departure dates. Our results showed that Ruddy-headed Geese departure from their wintering grounds is in association with high wind speed, good visibility and low percentage of cloud cover. The relationship between meteorological conditions and the species decision to start spring migration is essential information for future management plans to prevent potential human-sheldgeese conflicts to escalate along their migration route. Recommendations for the conservation of this species that include implementing mitigation measures to reduce bird collision at human infrastructure, could be applied more specifically during the periods when birds are expected to arrive in each area.
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