Captive release trial provides new hope for endangered Regent honeyeater
11/06/2008 13:45:50
The trial release of captive-bred Regent Honeyeaters into the wild could provide new hope for the endangered species. Twenty-eight birds, all fitted with radio transmitters, were released into Australia's Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park.
National Regent Honeyeater Recovery Co-ordinator, David Geering, said the trial was being undertaken in an attempt to curb the species' serious decline.
Mr Geering said "Recent surveys have suggested that the species has declined dramatically during the past five years. Across Australia there could be as few as 1000 birds in the wild, with about 100 of these remaining in Victoria."
Captive breeding
The released birds were bred at seven Australian zoos which participate in the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria's (ARAZPA) captive management program. They underwent quarantine at the Taronga Conservation Society, Australia, which has managed the species' captive breeding program since 1995, before being transported to the release site.
DSE Biodiversity Officer, Sarah Kelly, said Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park was selected as the preferred release site as it provided the best chance of survival for the birds.
"The park provides a relatively large, intact, protected habitat for the species," Ms Kelly said. "The frequency of sightings within the park compared to other areas also indicates that it is the most suitable habitat available in the southern part of its range. The release is also expected to coincide with good ironbark and white box flowering which will provide a critical food source for the birds."
Regent Honeyeater description
The Regent Honeyeater feeds mainly on nectar from a small number of eucalypt species, acting as a pollinator for many flowering plants.
Distribution
Originally found in the Box Ironbark Forests from Brisbane to Adelaide, the Regent Honeyeater is no longer found in South Australia and records from Queensland are now uncommon. The remaining population in Victoria and NSW is patchy, with little information available on the movement patterns of this highly mobile species.
Diet
They spend much of their time feeding on the nectar from eucalypts on which they are reliant.
Population
Listed as nationally endangered, the total known population of Regent Honeyeaters is estimated at between 800 and 1500.
Satellite tracking
Ms Kelly said post release monitoring to determine the survival rate of the birds is a key project objective.
"The birds have been fitted with transmitters and coloured leg bands to assist with post-release monitoring. A monitoring team, which includes specially trained community volunteers, will use a combination of radio tracking and field observations to gauge the success of the trial. Community involvement in the monitoring and reporting of sightings following the release will be a vital part of the project's success."
Regent Honeyeater Conservation
Loss of their woodland habitat is the major threat to this species and to other woodland birds.
Due to expanding agriculture, 85 percent of the box-ironbark woodlands, once extensively distributed across inland eastern Australia, have been cleared, making them one of the most threatened ecosystems in the country.
Special dietary and habitat needs have meant that these reductions in habitat are having a significant impact on the species. Firewood collecting, which many people may see as 'tidying up' the forest, actually results in removal of dead trees and fallen timber crucial to the healthy survival of the forest ecosystem, of which the Regent Honeyeater is an integral part.
Conservation
Through partnerships between government agencies, non-government organisations, community groups and landholders, efforts are being made to protect the Regent Honeyeater's habitat and ensure this species continues to exist in the wild.
Conservation efforts are presently focused on protecting and restoring habitat at all regularly-used sites and on increasing the availability of preferred habitat overall.
Promoting awareness of the Regent Honeyeater and its plight is also an important aspect of conservation measures. Many other plants and animals, such as those mentioned above, will benefit from efforts to save this species.
The trial, which is the first of its kind in Victoria, has been funded through the Federal Government's Natural Heritage Trust program, as part of the species' recovery program.
Project partners include the Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW), Department of Sustainability and Environment, Parks Victoria, Birds Australia Threatened Bird Network, NSW State Forest, the Threatened Species Network (WWF), LaTrobe University, University of New England and Taronga Conservation Society Australia and community volunteer and conservation groups.
Further information about the Regent Honeyeater Recovery Program is available by visiting http://www.environment.gov.au/.
