Changes in status of South-East Queensland birds over 40 years – Part 1, emu to storm-petrels

The Queensland Conservation Council in 1979 published a booklet I wrote, The Birds of South-East Queensland. It was an annotated list of birds from the state's south-east with a focus on status, distribution, habitat and environmental threats. Forty years later, in 2019, I thought it timely for a “then and now” look at how things have changed for some species listed in the publication. These posts discuss the minority of birds listed where knowledge of status and distribution has changed markedly.

South-East Queensland

The area covered by the list is south-east Queensland: east of the Great Dividing Range and north from the NSW-Queensland border to the Round Hill-Eurimbula area. References to seasonal occurrence are generalised (for instance, describing a bird as a “summer visitor” means only that it is most frequently encountered in the warmer months).

Bribie Island's Eric the Emu

Emu. Listed as “uncommon” in 1979; though regular in the north-west (for instance, the Upper Burnett), it was “scantily distributed” on the coast and declining in numbers. That decline has accelerated. In 2019, the species is very rare in coastal areas. It occurs in small numbers around Woodgate but is probably now extinct in places where it once occurred (such as Beerwah and Bribie Island) and is very scarce in others where it was previously more common (such as Cooloola). Emus had been numerous on Bribie Island, to the point where they were a nuisance in camping areas. The last surviving bird was at home in urbanised parts of the island; known to locals fondly as Eric the Emu, it was killed by a dog on Red Beach in 2015.

Sooty Albatross & Light-mantled Sooty Albatross. Both species in 1979 were described as “vagrant” with one record of Sooty Albatross and two of Light-mantled Sooty Albatross – all beach-washed. While no further records of Sooty Albatross have surfaced, several more Light-mantled Sooty Albatross have beach-washed and the species is seen rarely in offshore waters.

Northern Giant-Petrel

Southern Giant-Petrel & Northern Giant-Petrel. Southern Giant-Petrel is listed in 1979 as a “moderately common” winter visitor, based mainly on observations from Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island. Little was known in those days about identifying giant-petrels and it is likely most birds seen were in fact Northern Giant-Petrel. Northern Giant-Petrel is listed in 1979 as a “vagrant”. Southern Giant-Petrel can best be described as a vagrant these days, with Northern Giant-Petrel considered a scarce winter visitor. Certainly no giant-petrel in the region can be now regarded as “moderately common”. Like many seabirds, their populations worldwide have been seriously depleted by the fishing industry, mainly through competition for food but also from being caught by hooks.

Providence Petrel

Providence Petrel. Described as “rare” in 1979, we now know it is a common winter visitor to offshore waters. It was known from just 5 specimens and no sightings in 1979. As with many pelagic birds, knowledge has improved dramatically with offshore trips to the continental shelf, which did not begin in the region until the 1980s. In the 1970s, however, some us had regularly searched beaches in the region, especially North Stradbroke Island, for derelict seabirds.

Tahiti Petrel

Tahiti Petrel. In 1979 it was thought to be a “vagrant”, with just two beach derelicts known and no sightings. The species is in fact a common visitor to offshore waters, especially in the warmer months.

Grey-faced Petrel

Great-winged Petrel & Grey-faced Petrel. The Great-winged Petrel was described in  1979 as "probably moderately common" on the basis of about 30 beach-washed birds. This species is now thought to be a rare visitor. However, the Grey-faced Petrel, recently split from the Great-winged Petrel (and therefore not recognised as a species in 1979) is uncommon though regularly encountered in offshore waters; many of the earlier "Great-winged" specimens were doubtlessly Grey-faced.

Gould's Petrel. Described in 1979 also as a “vagrant”, with no sightings and a total of four beach-washed specimens. The species is now regarded as an uncommon though regular summer visitor to offshore waters.

Black-winged Petrel. Another “vagrant” in 1979 known from three beach derelicts, with no sightings. It is now considered a scarce summer visitor to offshore waters.

Streaked Shearwater

Streaked Shearwater. Again considered a “vagrant” in 1979, known from three beach-washed specimens, all found on the same day. We now regard it as a scarce but regular summer visitor to inshore and offshore waters.

Fluttering Shearwater

Fluttering Shearwater. Considered a “common” winter visitor in 1979, mainly to inshore waters, it could be regarded today as uncommon, and significantly more so than the following species.

Hutton's Shearwater

Hutton's Shearwater. Described as “rare” in 1979, with just a handful of sightings, it is now considered to be a moderately common visitor at any time of the year.

Wilson's Storm-Petrel. Records were few in 1979, though it was “probably moderately common” as a passage migrant offshore. It is in fact a common visitor to offshore waters, especially as a passage migrant.

Wilson's Storm-Petrel

White-faced Storm-Petrel. A “vagrant” in 1979, known from two specimens. It is today known to be an occasional visitor to offshore waters.

Black-bellied Storm-Petrel. Another “vagrant” in 1979, again known from just two specimens. It is thought today to be an uncommon but regular winter visitor to offshore waters.

Black-bellied Storm-Petrel