Grants ideas

[Michael Lenz via Canberrabirds <>]

Hello Ben,

just a few words to your questions.

The COG grants have mainly supported smaller projects within larger projects from the ANU (Superb Fairy-wren, Cuckoos) or conservation motivated (to better understand the biology of Gang-Gang and Superb Parrot).

You don't necessarily need to have a "research project" to make valuable contributions to better understand our birds. 

Bird numbers are negatively affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change etc.etc., as you are no doubt well aware. One of the factors, only more recently identified that impacts not just birds is a decline in insects, well documented in the northern hemisphere, and which has most likely occurred in Australia for some time [see Braby, Yeates and Joseph (2023) Emu 123; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/01584197.2023.2233758?needAccess=true].

I get reports from my friends in Germany, painting a frightening picture, about the increasing rarity of many insectivorous bird species, but even seedeaters will need insects when raising young. If we get (have?) the same scenario in Australia, then we need more than ever proper quantitative documentation of the birdlife we have NOW, so that we can be alerted to population changes.

This could involve: selecting a site/sites where you record birdlife in a more structured way (e.g working out a specific route through the site, and then following the same route during each visit), or a focus on breeding activity (selected species at given site/sites: numbers, breeding success). Of course, many factors will impact survival and breeding success (just take for example the impact of heavy rainfall on breeding activity), but if we want to understand the impacts of any of the negative factors on our birds, we need the numbers.

Now, I have no idea whether spending some of your birdwatching time on any of the above appeals to you. Or perhaps, you are already involved in survey activities. best wishes for whatever you do.

Thanks for asking your questions,

Michael Lenz

On Wed, 24 Jan 2024 at 09:15, ben milbourne via Canberrabirds <> wrote:

Good morning,

Thank you David for your reminder over the weekend as to the opportunity to apply for grants from the Canberra Birds Conservation Fund; the accompanying list of previous programs was also helpful.

In light of being a relative new member of Canberra Birds, indeed a relative new birder, I am hoping to garner the experience of the COG membership.  Specifically, I am curious, in the years you have been birding, what would be some of the top research needs you believe ought to be given attention or investigated.  These could be new ideas, matters which deserve revisiting or following up on, or simply something which intrigues you.

Cheers, Ben

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