There is a Bird Observers Club BOCA "Interesting Sightings"
record of the Eastern Bristlebird from Bald Hills Wildlife
Reserve near Tarwin Lower (north-west of Wilsons Prom.). I
checked this record a couple of years ago and it seemed OK
but that was before the this species' similarities with
Pilotbirds in habitat and calls were emphasised in the
Australian Bird Watcher article by Clarke & Bramwell in
January 1998. Co-incidentally, a Ground Parrot was reported
from the same site too but I can't recall the details.
There is also some habitat near Bald Hills in the immediate
hinterland of the Cape Liptrap-Venus Bay area. Anyone game
for an interesting search of the area?
There were comments in Avifauna of Wilson's Promontory by
Roy Cooper (published by the BOC[A]) about bristlebirds at
the Prom.: no firm conclusions were made. I have seen a
bristlebird-like bird at Cotter's Lake at the north end of
the Prom. but it was such a fleeting glimpse that I
couldn't identify it further. The habitat at this last site
is what would probably be described as Sedgeland and
Riparian Scrub.
There's much searching to be done out there!
Regards
George
On Mon, 9 Nov 1998 08:25:08 +1000 Martin O'Brien
<> wrote:
>
> (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:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
----------------------
George Appleby
Arthur Rylah Institute
123 Brown Street
(P.O. Box 137)
Heildelberg
Victoria 3084
telephone 03 9450 8656
fax 03 9450 8799
|
