Decline of woodland birds in the Mount Lofty Ranges
A Long-term Monitoring Program by the NCS
The Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR) of South Australia is nationally recognised for its ecological significance as one of Australia’s ‘biodiversity hotspots’. The region supports a remote island of native woodland that is separated by 100s of kilometres from similar habitat in south-eastern Australia. These woodlands have been reduced to a tenth of their former extent. This dramatic loss of habitat has devastating implications for the many native birds, plants and animals that depend on intact woodland for survival.
The MLR Woodland Bird Monitoring Program was established in 1999 to observe and understand the changes happening across the landscape. The innovative design and analysis methods were developed by a research team including Professor Hugh Possingham, Professor Andrew Tyre and Dr Scott Field. Since the early years, it has been guided and supported by Associate Professor Patrick O’Connor and Dr Thomas Prowse has played a leading role in the research (both the University of Adelaide).
The NCSSA coordinate the collection of data for the Program with funding from Green Adelaide and the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board. We utilise trained volunteers to conduct three repeat surveys at 165 sites across the Mount Lofty Ranges over Spring/Summer using a standard 2ha 20-minute methodology. Click here for the MLR Bird Sites Map. We are grateful to our volunteers, surveyors and landholders that allow access to their properties year after year.
The Program represents one of the few long-term regional-scale studies of a group of bird species in Australia. It has already provided invaluable conservation knowledge, showing which species are declining in the landscape and the magnitude of declines. From here, the Program has unrivalled potential to help answer important questions for the conservation of woodland birds as well as habitat management and restoration.
Results from the past 23 years show that some large generalist bird species and Cuckoos are becoming more common, while many smaller insectivorous and frugivorous birds are becoming less common. More than half of all species (38/65) have declined, while 11 species have significantly increased.
In addition to bird population data, vegetation condition information has been collected at monitoring sites and can be used to further our understanding of habitat and its influence on woodland birds. The project has established excellent baseline information on the broad range of bird species found in Stringybark and Pink Gum-Blue Gum Woodlands of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is a truly unique and precious dataset.
The data can be used to indicate the success or failure of habitat restoration and rehabilitation, such as fencing, revegetation, prescribed burning, feral control or weed removal. Results from monitoring will also address:
- The drivers of small insectivorous and frugivorous bird decline
- Priority conservation management tools for protecting and restoring woodlands
- The response to fire management including suppression, fuel reduction burns and ecological burns
- The impacts resulting from climate change and land use changes.
Explore the Research Prospectus to learn more about the Program’s research on ecological change and management impact as well as future research topics.
The Program’s data are stored in a purpose-built SQL database developed and managed by NCSSA database and share the data with the Biological Database of South Australia (BDBSA). Over 20 peer-reviewed papers have used data from the Program and the research has been cited in media articles and many other peer-reviewed publications including Xanthopus, Landscape Ecology, Journal of Wildlife Management, Austral Ecology, Conservation Biology, Ecology Letters & Ecological Applications.
∗Photos of Red-Browed Finch and Fairy Wren by Peter Day
‘The Mount Lofty Ranges is like a canary in a coal mine for Australia’s woodland landscapes—what happens here is an early warning for Australia’s other landscapes’ – Professor Hugh Possingham
Adding Value to the Woodland Bird Project
We are always considering other opportunities for increasing knowledge about Woodland Birds in South Australia. This has resulted in the following complementary funded projects:
Baseline Bird Surveys: Regenerating Catchments in the Mid North Farmscape
Working closely with the Northern & Yorke Landscape Board, the NCS have embarked on a project to establish bird monitoring sites and conduct woodland bird surveys in the Gawler and North Para, Light and Wakefield River catchment areas. These surveys will take place across three sites over two years and will provide baseline data which can be used to assess the value of native plant restoration for woodland birds on private properties.
Data from this project will contribute to our MLRWBMP and will also be uploaded into the BDBSA.
This work is funded through the Regional Landscape Board Partnership Grant titled Regenerating Catchments in the Mid North Farmscape.
Photo (Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater) by Chris Burns
Citizen Scientists for Woodland Bird Monitoring
The NCS are improving understandings of South Australia’s woodland birds by supporting and enhancing the capacity of citizen scientists to deliver projects relating to the MLRWBMP. This involves training and certifying citizen scientist bird surveyors from within and beyond the Program.
In collaboration with the Nature Glenelg Trust, citizen scientists are being upskilled in bird identification (visual, calls and behaviour), biology, evolution and ecology. Training involves the use of binoculars and telescopes, field guides, and audio recorders for bird calls.
Improving the capacity of citizen scientists will enhance the accuracy and credibility of woodland bird data and contribute to the established MLRWBMP. Citizen scientist training will have ongoing benefits for the MLRWBMP and beyond; it will enable upskilled individuals to train new citizen scientists in future years and improve the abilities of those who participate in other bird monitoring programs across South Australia.
This project is funded by the South Australian Government’s Citizen Science Fund.
Our project is supported by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board and Green Adelaide, funded by the landscape levy, and Adelaide Hills Council.
Nature Conservation Society of South Australia
5 Milner Street Hindmarsh
South Australia, 5007
Australia
(08) 7127 4630
[email protected]
ABN 40 538 422 811
Follow us on
