(unnamed author) asks about Eastern Bristlebirds Dasyornis
brachypterus at Wilsons Promontory in southern Victoria. I would be keen
to hear about any records of the species this far south for the following
reasons.
The Atlas of Victorian Birds has no records of the species any further
south than the Bemm River-Marlo area East Gippsland. There have, however,
been unconfirmed reports of the species from South Gippsland and "the
Prom." (Dorward 1976).
The draft Action Statement for Eastern Bristlebird notes that the species
was historically distributed in discrete pockets of habitat from the
Conondale Ranges se Queensland along the coast and adjacent ranges to Marlo
in East Gippsland, Victoria. Currently, it appears that only six
populations remain in Australia. The species is listed as endangered or
critically endangered in the states where it occurs and the current total
known population is thought to be less than 2 000 birds. In Victoria it is
probably one of the rarest resident birds.
The main threats to the species inlcude:
- inappropriate fire regimes (especially "wildfires") which alter the
structure and composition of habitat, and
- habitat fragmentation, loss and isolation.
Other threats include:
- predation by feral cats and Red Fox,
- human interference during breeding causing nest abndonment, and
- the overuse of call playback, distracting birds from breeding or nesting.
I am interested to here of peoples experiences of the species any where in
its range and also how many subscribers have used playback to call up the
species.
Martin O'Brien
Executive Scientific Officer
Scientific Advisory Committee
Threatened Species Program
Department of Natural Resources and Environment
4/250 Victoria Pde.,
East Melbourne, 3002
Victoria, AUSTRALIA
tel: +61 3 9412 4567
fax: +61 3 9412 4586
e-mail:
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