The Bird Emergency

An estimated 8 million migratory shorebirds frequent the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) annually. In recent years, global change has resulted in population declines of up to 80% in some species of this flyway.

To greater understand the threat that pollution poses to migratory shorebirds of the EAAF, Toby Ross, through Deakin University, is studying three relatively common migrants that frequent Australian coasts every Austral summer. Ruddy turnstones, Curlew sandpipers and Red-necked stints act as good indicator species for the health of the flyway due to their diverse migration routes and strategies, foraging behaviours, and conservation status.

The annual presence of these birds along the Australian coast allows us to ascertain population dynamics such as breeding success and rate of decline of these species through counts and continual banding studies, particularly by the Victorian Wader Study Group (VWSG).

These field studies, predominantly along the Victorian coast and on King Island (TAS), have accrued a decade's worth of blood cell and serum samples, allowing us to gain an in-depth understanding of the pollutant loads these birds accumulate. Blood cell and serum samples continue to be analysed for pollutant data by his co-supervisor Prof. Veerle Jaspers and her team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Toby has access to an extensive, unique set of data that allows him to examine accumulation dynamics of pollution in populations of shorebirds, looking into a range of heavy metal pollutants (for example, lead and mercury), as well as persistent, organic pollutants (POPs) which may include (but are not limited to) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).

Thus far, the primary contaminants Toby is looking at in these blood samples are PFASs.

Toby is looking into pollutant load comparisons between his three chosen species to garner a broad understanding of pollutant loads in shorebirds, allowing comparisons to be drawn between their varying foraging and migratory strategies as well as population trends.

Following these PFAS analyses, Toby hopes to further broaden my scope of pollutant analyses to include heavy metal pollutants such as lead and mercury, and other POPs as well – watch this space!

Photo - Ken Gosbell

Photo - Ken Gosbell

Photo - Ken Gosbell

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

The people at Pint of Science asked me to be part of #PintAU21 Takeover - where we takes science and scientists like Elodie Camprasse to the masses and showcase their work and experience! Elodie shares her visits and fieldwork with penguins and albatross on Kergulen Island. Could you work in the sub-antarctic?

Check out the range of activities during #Pint21Au at https://pintofscience.com.au

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

In this episode, Scott Mouat, documentary filmaker from New Zealand - Aoteoroa - who has worked on presenting the plight of the Kakapo, the strange Night Parrot, that teeters on the edge of existence on pest-free offshore islands, supported by the extraordinary work of the Kakapo Recovery Team.

Scott explains the challenges in preserving the Kakapo and the swamphen-like Takahe, and the way remote reserves serve as the last bastions for both these species.

All of Scott's work is on his Elwin Films website - https://www.elwin.co.nz/

Please do take the time to watch Scott's film, The Unnatural History of the Kakapo on YouTube.

There is also a short feature on Takahe on YouTube from Scott.

If you have never seen the famous Last Chance To See BBC footage, here it is...

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

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In this episode, we meet Linda Bell, who manages the Saving Our Species program in the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.

This program has a 100 year horizon and takes a holistic approach to the preservation of species. It is innovative, and if it proves successful, could cause a shift in the focus of conservation efforts in Australia.

Here is what the Saving Our Species website says;

We're working to secure a future for NSW threatened species. We protect, monitor and conserve threatened species in different ways, taking into account what we know about their ecology and threats.

As part of the Saving our Species program, we:

• • consult extensively with experts and apply independent peer reviewed science to our projects
  • provide targeted conservation projects that set out the actions required to save specific plants and animals
  • regularly monitor the effectiveness of projects so they can be improved
  • encourage partnerships with community, corporate and government in threatened species conservation."

Have a look at the comprehensive Saving Our Species website.

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

Did you know that it is World Migratory Bird Day? May 8th

To mark World Migratory Bird Day, this episode features two migratory species that have become loved and important in one of the mega cities of the world, Beijing in China. Terry Townsend has been living in Beijing for many years and is familiar with what makes the city tick, as well as all the facinating birding opportunities in the heart of the city.

Terry tells us how projects to study the Beijing Swift and the Common Cuckoo have solved migration mysteries, and how a suggestion from a school child lead to a change in the construction industry to give the birds new nesting opportunities in a very crowded city.

Follow Terry on Twitter and make sure you check out Birding Beijing.

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

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Without doubt, the best friend the Eurasian Curlew has, from a public relations perspective, is Mary Colwell, Chair of the Curlew Recovery Partnership England and Founder of the charity Curlew Action.

For years, Mary has been raising the issue of when fields should be mown, and the effect early mowing has on the breeding success of the UK population of these graceful birds. 30% of the breeding population frequents the UK and Ireland, and has suffered a massive decline in 50 years. Mary has kept the curlew in the public eye, through public appearances, the media and writing.

Tirelessly working on behalf of the curlews of the UK has given her a lot of insight into how these birds are regarded in the wider community, and how the agricultural can assist in the protection of nests and chicks. Her experiences are available to read in her books, notably Curlew Moon, and her latest, Beak, Tooth and Claw.

Please consider supporting Curlew Action by making a donation.

Contact Mary at her website www.curlewmedia.com or follow her on Twitter.

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

Reliable information is required in the efforts to conserve endangered species, and collecting that information can be expensive to gather, or may need to be gathered at crucial specific times.

This presented a challenge when studying the endangered Glossy Black-cockatoo population on Kangaroo Is.

Daniella Teixeira brought a new approach to collecting vital information, and using sounds to inform her research.

Hear Danielle explain her work on Glossy and Red-tailed Black-cocktoos and the Malleefowl (she is currently Chair of the National Mallefowl Recovery Team).

Daniella posts updates on Instragram @blackcockatooproject and maintains her own website here.

Daniella has also recently been featured as Scientist of the Month in the Lyric, Poetic, Scientific edition of the beautiful art-science project, Science Write Now. You can check out that feature here.

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

Do you sometimes marvel at the stunning photography where birds are the subject? I am always amazed at the clarity and the action shots, or the perfect balance between scientific study and artfulness that many people can achieve.

This episode features Ewen Bell, a photographer with an affinity for avian subjects.

Ewen tells us how he got into photography, how his interest in birds has grown, and how he moved into tourism thanks to his camera! He has worked in some fabulous locations, so if you yearn to go birding in some remote locations, you will enjoy listening to Ewen.

Check out Ewen's work here;

https://ewenbell.com

And the Cabin Fever Cookbook, inspired by the recipies on Iceland and Scandinavia is here;

https://ironchefshellie.com/cabinfever/

Ewen mentionened Georgina Steydler - here is her site;

https://www.georginasteytler.com.au/

and Leila Jeffries - her work is here:

https://www.leilajeffreys.com/

Of course, we have a link to Bhutan Scenic Tours, who partner with Ewen for birding tours. Have a look at Bhutan here;

https://bhutanscenictours.com/

And we talked about the drone that Ewen uses. Here is the link for that drone from an Australian supplier;

https://www.teds.com.au/dji-mavic-air-drone-white

As we are coming up to the 2021 surveys for the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle - the Where, Where Wedgie project - Here is an update on last year's results. Hopefully this will get you excited to get involved, register and select an area!

It's coming up soon, but it is an ideal reason to take a trip to Tasmania and do some citizen science.

Here is where you can get involved;

https://naturetrackers.com.au/indexWWW.php

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

Meet the Plains-wanderer, one of the oddest birds in Australia, living in the last remaining intact tracts of grassland habitat in south east Australia. Daniel Nugent is trying to unlock the many secrets held by this bird, in an effort to develop effective strategies to preserve the last populations.

Female Plains-wanderer

Daniel Nugent undertaking fieldwork with the Plains-wanderer

Photos courtesy of Julain Teh

Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!