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| Magpie Goose |
This is the second post demonstrating changes in the status and
distribution of some birds in South-East Queensland over the 40 years
between 1979 - when my booklet
The Birds of South-East Queensland
was published – and 2019.
See
here for the first post – emu to storm-petrels. Only those species where significant changes are recorded are listed.
Red-footed Booby. In 1979 this species was described as a
“vagrant”, known from two beach-washed derelicts with no
sightings recorded. We now know it to be a scarce visitor to offshore
waters and it seen very rarely from shore.
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| Red-footed Booby |
Masked Booby. Considered in 1979 also to be a “vagrant”
that was “very rarely seen offshore”. These days it is regarded
as a scarce visitor to offshore waters; it is seen occasionally in inshore waters.
Red-tailed Tropicbird & White-tailed Tropicbird. Both
species were described as “vagrant” in 1979 with no sight records
of either; there were four beach-washed Red-tailed Tropicbirds and
six beach-washed White-tailed Tropicbirds known. Both tropicbirds are
now regarded as scarce visitors to offshore waters, with White-tailed
seen more often.
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| White-tailed Tropicbird |
Australian White Ibis. It was considered “very common”
in 1979 in pastures and saltwater and freshwater shallows. It remains
numerous but has since colonised Brisbane and other urban centres,
where it is ever present even in busy central business districts.
Magpie Goose. This species has changed in status and
distribution more than any other in the region. In 1979 it had not
been recorded “for many years” anywhere in South-East Queensland,
although it was “apparently once not uncommon”. Happily the bird
is once again a common resident.
Wandering Whistling-Duck. Considered “rare” in 1979,
the species is now regarded as moderately common.
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| Wandering Whistling-Duck |
Plumed Whistling-Duck. Regarded as “generally uncommon”
in 1979, though locally common. It is now considered to be common and
widespread throughout the region. This is another example of
waterfowl having clearly increased significantly in population. It is
likely some waterfowl have been displaced by the widespread
degradation of wetlands elsewhere, especially in the Murray-Darling
Basin as a consequence of overallocation of water for irrigation.
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| Plumed Whistling-Duck |
Radjah Shelduck. In 1979 there were “no published records
from the region this century”, though its range once extended to
north-east NSW. Another good news story, with the species now known
to be resident in small numbers in a few areas such as Baffle Creek,
Hervey Bay and Tin Can Bay. It is now known to be a rare visitor to
the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
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| Radjah Shelduck |
Australasian Shoveler. Regarded as “rare” in 1979, it
is seen regularly these days, sometimes in substantial numbers,
though considered generally to be uncommon.
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| Australasian Shoveler |
Pink-eared Duck. Also considered “rare” in 1979 and
like the previous species, recorded mostly during inland drought.
While regarded as uncommon now, it is frequently seen, sometimes in
large numbers.
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| Pink-eared Duck |
Australian Wood Duck. The species was described as
“moderately common” in 1979. Its population has clearly increased
substantially and it is considered in 2019 to be very common.
Freckled Duck. It was a “vagrant” in 1979, with just
one sight record of eight birds, from Sandgate Lagoon. The duck is
now thought to be a scarce though regular visitor and can occur in
reasonable numbers.
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| Freckled Duck |
Letter-winged Kite. In 1979 it was a “vagrant”, known
for a handful of records. The species has not been recorded in the 40
years since then in South-East Queensland. Occasional influxes to
coastal areas elsewhere in south-eastern Australia have similarly
stopped. Due to the menace of feral cats in its inland stronghold,
the future of this species is uncertain -
see
here for more.
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| Letter-winged Kite |
Square-tailed Kite. Thought to be “rare” in 1979 and
known from just six sites, it is regarded today as uncommon but
widespread.
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| Square-tailed Kite |
Grey Goshawk. In 1979 it was considered “uncommon to
moderately common in wet sclerophyll and rainforests”. Its status
is unchanged but the bird is now often seen in grassland and other
open habitats which once would have been thought unsuitable.
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| Grey Goshawk |
Spotted Harrier. Considered “rare” in 1979, it could be described as uncommon in 2019, nesting in areas such as the Sunshine Coast where it was previously absent.
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| Spotted Harrier |
Red Goshawk. It was described as “rare” in 1979 with
records known from a handful of sites. Birds were then seen
occasionally in the Conondale Range area, where they nested, but no
confirmed sightings have been recorded from there in recent years.
Other than the Conondales, I am aware of perhaps just two or three
sightings in the region since 1979.
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| Red Goshawk - image by John Young |
Nankeen Kestrel. It was "very common and widespread" in 1979. Today it can best be described as moderately common. There is little doubt that its numbers have declined sharply, possible due to poisoning by rodenticides.
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| Nankeen Kestrel |
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