birding-aus

Bittern Surveys

To: "'Birding Aus'" <>
Subject: Bittern Surveys
From: "James O'Connor" <>
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:42:22 +1100
Hi all,

This spring and summer Birds Australia is undertaking a national survey of wetlands looking for both Australasian and Australian Little Bitterns. This is being done for two reasons. Firstly, because it appears that the Australasian Bittern population and distribution are declining. If you look at the BA website you will see atlas maps showing just how dramatic this decline appears to be. While numbers of birds from some areas are still high, in others the birds appear to be missing altogether.

Secondly, very little is known about the Australasian Bittern life cycle, feeding requirements and seasonal movement and without this information conservation strategies are difficult to formulate. All information would be helpful. Do you know a wetland that used to have Aust Bitterns, but no longer does? Have Aust Bitterns recently arrived at a wetland in your area? Have irrigation changes in your area, past and present, affected Bittern numbers? Do you know of Aust Bitterns breeding in your area?

More information about Aust Bitterns, the survey and a survey kit can be downloaded from the Birds Australia website at
<http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/our-projects/bittern-survey.html>http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/our-projects/bittern-survey.html
or you can email the survey team at <> if you want a hard copy of the survey kit sent out or have any information.

Surprisingly, observers report Australian Little Bitterns to blogs and the BA Atlas more often than Australasian Bitterns. While the Australasian Bittern is the main target of the survey, BA would like to get a better understanding of the Australian Little Bittern as well. It appears that they may be taking advantage of the small suburban wetlands that are being placed in new developments as well as urban storm water retarding basins. It would also be interesting to know if any of them are resident in Australia all year round, as they are believed to migrate to New Guinea from March to about October, but this may not be the case for all birds, especially those in northern WA, NT and FNQ.

Thanks

Andrew Silcocks




James O'Connor
Research Manager
Birds Australia
Suite 2-05
60 Leicester St
Carlton 3053

email: 
Ph (03) 9347 0757
Fax (03) 9347 9323
Toll free: 1300 730 075

Website address: http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au
Atlas website: http://www.birdata.com.au
ABN: 87 004 076 475
Australian Partner of BirdLife International. Are you a member of Birds
Australia? If not, why not join us?
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