http://search.informit.com.au/browsePublication;py=2013;vol=19;res=IELHSS;issn=1038-2097;iss=3%2F4 Which includes a few interesting bird and general conservation articles, including the two below and others…: Pacific Conservation Biology Volume 19 Issue 3/4 (Dec 2013) Are we underestimating the threat to Australia’s migratory land birds? Ford, Hugh A1 Abstract: Few migratory land birds in Australia are currently regarded as threatened or near threatened. In contrast, many of Australia’s migratory seabirds and shorebirds are threatened or near threatened, with most of the latter being added over the last two decades. Furthermore, many long-distance migratory land birds that breed in North America and Europe have experienced major declines, probably due to threats in their breeding or wintering grounds or both. I suggest that knowledge of our migratory land birds is limited, and almost non-existent outside their breeding areas. Some are already declining and I predict that others will decline in the near future. The priority now is to increase our knowledge of the locations of major wintering areas in northern Australia of land birds that breed in the south, and to study their ecology and behaviour outside the breeding season. We also have limited knowledge of how migrants in Australia prepare physiologically and behaviourally for migration. If they migrate in large hops, then we need to find and protect departure, refuelling and arrival sites. Conservation of waterbirds in Australia Kingsford, RT1 Abstract: There are 93 species of Australian waterbirds, predominantly dependent on freshwater, inland saline or estuarine ecosystems. They include diverse species predominantly from six major groups: grebes (Podicipediformes); ducks, geese and swans (Anseriformes); pelicans and cormorants (Pelecaniformes); egrets, ibises, spoonbills (Ciconniiformes); cranes, rails and crakes (Gruiiformes) and shorebirds (Charadriiformes). I analysed the content of 382 publications on Australian waterbirds in relation to life history and threats. There were 4.08 publications per species, with most publications biased towards the Anseriformes (6.95 publications per species). There were relatively few publications on Gruiformes (1.13 per species) or Podicipediformes (0.33 per species). There is reasonably good knowledge of distribution, abundance, diet and foraging and habitat use, but there were generally few examples of integration of these data into population modelling, a particularly useful tool for conservation of species. Significant gaps exist in the understanding of basic life history and movement patterns, critical for conservation; these are particularly accentuated for cryptic species. Opportunities exist to collection basic information, directed towards modelling population dynamics. As with most of the world’s organisms, habitat loss and degradation remain the major threat to waterbirds in Australia. The ongoing pressure on water resources and developments of estuaries continue to cause decline of waterbirds, exacerbated by secondary threats including climate change, disease, hunting, pollution and disturbance. Hunting continues to have an impact, but it is relatively poorly modelled, requiring more investment by governments charged with its management. Effective conservation of Australian waterbirds and their wetland habitats depends on mitigating habitat loss and degradation, primarily dependent on political will not knowledge. In _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
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