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Marbled Frogmouth |
This is the fourth post demonstrating changes in the status and
distribution of birds in South-East Queensland over 40 years between
1979 - when my booklet
The Birds of South-East Queensland was
published – and 2019. The list covers only those species where a
significant change has been noted over the intervening period. Some
changes are doubtlessly influenced by an increased number of
observers and technological advances (especially with playback) but
many can not be explained by these factors.
See
here for Part 1 (emu to storm-petrels)
and
here for Part 2 (boobies to hawks); Part 3 (brush-turkey to
terns)
is
here.
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Superb Fruit-Dove |
Superb Fruit-Dove. Thought to be “rare” in 1979 and
recorded from just five sites, it continues to be considered scarce
but is known now to be a summer visitor. It is recorded from several
other localities, especially around the Sunshine Coast where it is a
regular visitor in small numbers.
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White-headed Pigeon |
White-headed Pigeon. Considered “uncommon” in 1979, it
could now be described as moderately common generally and common
locally. It seems to have benefited from an abundance of introduced
camphor laurel trees and has become a frequent visitor to bird feeders.
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Brush Bronzewing |
Brush Bronzewing. It is described as “rare, possibly
vagrant” in 1979: known from two records in Cooloola and one on
Fraser Island. It is now known to be a scarce resident but has not
been recorded beyond these two sites (known collectively today as the
Great Sandy World Heritage Area) despite an abundance of seemingly
suitable habitat elsewhere.
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Red-tailed Black Cockatoo |
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. This species was thought to be
“generally rare, though uncommon and regular in northern areas”
such as Gayndah and Gin Gin. It remains uncommon in the region but is
now known to occur more often further south - being resident in small
numbers around Gympie, for instance, and a regular visitor to the
foothills of the Conondale and Jimna ranges.
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Little Corella |
Little Corella. Not recorded at all by 1979, it is now a
common resident throughout the region. Like Galah and Crested Pigeon,
it has extended its range from the inland to the coast, although for
unknown reasons it took its time.
Double-eyed (Coxen's) Fig-Parrot. In
1979 it was described as “possibly extinct” with recent reports
unconfirmed. That could be
downgraded to “probably extinct” today with recent records still
unconfirmed. Many reports of
sightings are
accepted as valid by Queensland Government authorities that should
know better. As I have
reported
elsewhere, not a single one of these records has been
corroborated by follow-up sightings, a photograph, specimen or
sound-recording. It is remotely possible (but unlikely in my view)
that it survives in very small numbers.
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Eastern Ground Parrot |
Eastern Ground Parrot. Its status of “rare” remains
essentially unchanged from 1979 but it is now extinct in two
localities – Calounda and Beerwah – where it was present but
rapidly declining at that time. It is hanging on
in
very small numbers at a couple of other sites on the
Sunshine Coast but its stronghold remains further north in the Great
Sandy World Heritage Area, especially the Noosa Plain of Cooloola. In
1979, that area was threatened by the planned expansion of introduced
Pinus plantations; happily that move was repelled and the
Noosa Plain is protected these days as national park.
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Crimson Rosella |
Crimson Rosella. This was described as “common” in 1979
in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest. It remains common today but
only locally at higher altitudes. It is today much more uncommon than
previously in low-lying sites such as the foothills of the Conondale
and Blackall ranges. I've suggested this is one of a number of
species whose status and distribution in the region may be influenced
by
climate change.
Paradise Parrot. Described as “possibly extinct” in
1979, it can safely and regrettably today be deemed extinct. I
reported back then that the last published observation was in 1927 in
the upper Burnett. I've
since
reported that the last authentic sighting was in fact by Eric
Zillmann in 1938 in the Gin Gin area of the Burnett Valley.
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Channel-billed Cuckoo |
Channel-billed Cuckoo. It was considered “moderately
common” as a summer visitor in 1979 but can fairly be regarded as
common today; its numbers have clearly increased.
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Powerful Owl |
Powerful Owl. The species was thought to be “rare” in
1979, recorded from heavily forested areas and streamside thickets.
It continues to be regarded as scarce but is now known to be resident
in small numbers in the suburbs of Brisbane, where it had previously
not been recorded.
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Southern Boobook |
Southern Boobook. This was “common” in 1979 and while
these days it is not uncommon, there is little doubt that numbers are
substantially reduced. This may be due to rodenticides, which have
impacted populations elsewhere.
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Masked Owl |
Masked Owl. It was considered “rare” in 1979 in open
forest and lightly-wooded country. While it frequents woodland in
areas such as the Brisbane Valley, we now know that its favoured
haunts are the wet sclerophyll and tall open forests of the region's
mountain ranges, where it is uncommon.
Marbled Frogmouth. In 1979 it was thought to be “rare”
in the rainforests of the Conondale Range. This was relatively not
long after I rediscovered the
plumiferus race of the species
in the
Conondale Range in 1976. It can best be described as uncommon
today though moderately common in suitable habitat. It is known also
from various sites extending from the McPherson Range in the south to
Cooloola in the north.
Large-tailed Nightjar. It was also considered “rare” in
1979 and confined to northern areas – Gin Gin, Bundaberg and
“probably” Fraser Island. It continues to be regarded as scarce
but is known to occur further south to Rainbow Beach, Cooloola and
more recently, the Sunshine Coast.
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Large-tailed Nightjar |
Great information thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you Greg for these informative posts.
ReplyDelete