Changes in status of South-east Queensland birds over 40 years – Part 2, boobies to falcons

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nankeen Kestrel