New Zealand race of Shining Bronze Cuckoo in South-East Queensland

Female Shining Bronze Cuckoo race lucidus, Sunshine Coast

The New Zealand-breeding Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Chalcites ludidus lucidus, appears to be much more numerous in south-east Queensland than is generally believed. University of Queensland adjunct research fellow Richard Noske discusses the status of this likely contendor for a split in a paper just published in the Birds Queensland journal Sunbird. Richard points out that birds are recorded in Queensland and NSW mainly during March-April and September-October, coinciding with their presumed passage migration to and from wintering grounds in northern Melanesia. However, several records in June and July suggest some birds may over-winter in Australia.

Richard documents 38 records of lucidus since 2008 in South-East Queensland that are substantiated by descriptions or photographs. A further 22 records were listed in eBird, mostly from 2019, with no supporting evidence. The furthest inland records were from the Great Dividing Range and the northernmost record was from Bundaberg. Of 78 Shining Bronze-Cuckoos banded at 11 sites in South-east Queensland by Jon Coleman and his team since 2007, six birds (7.7%) from four sites were identified as lucidis.

Many birds are overlooked presumably because migratory birds would be largely silent and observers are generally unaware of the marked sexual dimporphism of the subspecies, so females would be passed off as our resident subspecies Chalcites lucidus plagosus. The great majority of records of lucidus lucidus in Australia are males. Another problem is that birders are not inclined to take much notice of subspecies. In similar fashion to the cuckoos, for instance, few look for the distinctive Tasmanian race of Striated Pardalote - a scarce but regular winter visitor to South-East Queensland. In the 1970s, I and others documented multiple records in the region of what was formerly called the Yellow-tipped Pardalote.

Shining Bronze-Cuckoos race lucidus, Sunshine Coast 

According to Richard: “Records since 2014 suggest that New Zealand lucidus is more common in South-east Queensland than previously thought, and… they visit just as much during their southbound (spring) passage, ie en route to New Zealand, as during their northbound (autumn) passage. In South-East Queensland, the earliest record during the autumn passage was 17 February, and the latest during spring passage was 26 October.”

Noting that a little known identification feature of lucidis is its wider bill, Richard concludes: Given our incomplete understanding of the occurrence of New Zealand birds in Queensland, I urge birders to check the identity of all Shining Bronze-Cuckoos they encounter, and if possible secure photographs, especially of their bills.”

I've seen lucidis occasionally in my Sunshine Coast garden. The birds in this post were in a loosely grouped flock of 4-5 that were conspicuous by their silence in the half hour or so that I watched them.

Death by Barbed Wire

Dead Baillon's Crake

This week a Baillon's Crake, an uncommon species, was found hanging dead from the top strand of a barbed wire fence near Bli Bli on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. It clearly was flying over the fence when a leg was caught in a strand of barbed wire. Its death would have been slow and agonising. Needless to say, the bird would have lived if the fence strand was not barbed.

Large numbers of birds and mammals are killed when climbing or flying over or through barbed wire fences, especially the top strand. A critically endangered Night Parrot was found decapitated after flying into a barbed wire fence in 2006 in Diamantina National Park in western Queensland; that finding led to John Young's celebrated rediscovery of the species. Yet hundreds of kilometres of barbed wire fence from former grazing properties remain standing in national parks and other reserves.

Juvenile Night Parrot decapitated by barbed wire fence

I've reprinted below some worthy advice from WIRES Northern Rivers in NSW:

Each year hundreds of native animals become entangled in or “hung’ up on barbed wire. The suffering endured by these animals is unimaginable.

All species of native animals are vulnerable to this silent, lifeless predator. Flying Foxes, Sugar Gliders, Squirrel Gliders, Greater Gliders, all of these are found entangled, usually through the flying membranes, the damage done is generally severe, some do not recover and others are in care for extended time. Birds such as Tawny Frogmouths are often found on barbed wire.

In most cases they are caught by the wings, many breaking vital bones in a vain attempt to escape.

Many wallabies and possums, be it Ringtails or Mountain Brushtails, are also rescued from barbed wire, generally caught by the legs and all suffer horrific injuries. When an animal is caught, it will struggle in fear and pain; sadly this only serves to further entangle it in the barbs. In many cases the animal is not discovered for some time. Barbs will tear open flying membranes, rip skin and muscles, break wings on birds and legs on wallabies, leaving horrific wounds, which often become fly blown, and all too often prove fatal.

What can you do to prevent this occurrence? If you already have barbed wire fences, the top strand of barbed wire could be replaced with ordinary wire, this would help stop gliders, bats and birds being caught. An alternate method to stop flying animals being caught is to use old garden hose slit down its length, then slid over the top strand of the barbed wire. Strips of cloth or any shiny material, tied at intervals along the middle strand of fencing wire, is another way to help prevent injury by alerting both flying and running animals that the wire is there. The best method of all is simply to get rid of the barbed wire completely. If erecting a new fence please consider the alternatives to barbed wire.

If finding an animal on barbed wire, call WIRES immediately, do not try to free the animal yourself. If possible provide shade whilst waiting for a rescuer to arrive.

Wildlife Friendly Fencing (WFF) is a campaign encouraging landowners to manage fencing that is safe and effective for wildlife, people and livestock. Further advice for landholders can be found here. Thousands of animals die each year in the cruellest of circumstances due to barbed wire. These entanglements often leave members of the public and rescuers distressed due to the severity of the injuries to wildlife. Nocturnal animals such as bats, gliders and owls are particularly susceptible to this hazard and are often entangled when flying towards fruiting trees or dams and creeks close to barbed wire. Flying foxes are the most common victims of barbed wire. Tawny frogmouths are surprisingly common victims too, and just this week we had a crow brought into care from a barbed wire entanglement.

This Barking Owl had to be euthanised after being caught on a barbed wire fence - Wildlife Care NT  

We ask people to modify the fencing adjacent to these ‘hot spots’ by modifying those sections of fence in order to minimise the risk to wildlife. Often this involves relatively short sections of fence, so it’s easy to modify.

Firstly, we ask landowners to consider whether the barbed wire fence is necessary. Sometimes the fence no longer contains livestock so could be removed or replaced with plain wire. If the barbed wire fence is needed, you could cover the top strand in the hot spot zone with polypipe split longitudinally. WIRES volunteers can assist with this, with our nifty polypipe splitter and applicator. Just call us for more info. Consider replacing the top strand with plain wire, and when planning a new fence, consider whether barbed wire is really necessary.

Metallic Starling killed in Cairns - Cairns Post

Our patch of paradise is blessed with many possums and glider species, some endangered. They are common victims of barbed wire, so we ask landowners to plant trees to shorten the gliding distance between trees, no more than 20m apart. Wildlife corridors are critical for wildlife survival.

If you have old wire on the property that no longer has a purpose, please dispose of it and save a few lives in the process. We receive quite a few calls every year for wildlife entangled in piles of disused wire or netting. Our snake handlers sometimes have the task of very slowly and cautiously removing  snakes from discarded fencing.

Rare Mahogany Glider killed  near Cardwell - Daryl Dixon

For our carers the most heart wrenching rescues are those where the animal has barbs twisted amongst bone and membrane and it is a difficult process to remove the animal so that no further damage occurs. It is very important that you do not cut the animal in order to save the fence as one could only imagine the pain this would cause (I know it sounds silly but it happens). It is much better for the animal if you contact us before you try to remove the animal as pain killers from the vet are vital. These animals might have been on the wire for many hours, or sometimes days and are usually dehydrated and in severe pain, so do your best to make them as comfortable as possible whilst you await further instructions.

In relation to whether electric fences are a better option, Steve Grainger posted this comment on Facebook: Several large cattle stations in North Queensland have been replacing Barbed wire with Electric fencing. They move stock by switching off/on water points and use the Electric fence to prevent the stock roaming across roads etc. The water points and surrounding paddock is well grassed, so stock don't need to wander far. The Electric fence costs about 1/8 of the cost of hard wire.

Brown Goshawk killed on Atherton Tableland - Alarmy Stock 

BirdLife Australia Sunshine Coast Pelagic Trip January 2020

Tahiti Petrel

We departed at 6.35am on January 19, 2020 from the new Sunshine Coast Afloat dock on the Mooloolah River, exiting the river mouth 20 minutes later. A mild northerly wind of 10-12 knots was blowing but we were up against a pretty rough 1-2m swell as we headed east due to unsettled weather offshore in recent days. We saw little on the way out other than an unidentified jaeger and a smattering of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Crested Terns.

Crested Tern

This was the first BirdLife Australia Sunshine Coast outing for the year so quite a few on board were new to the joys of pelagic birding. After crossing the shelf we stopped at 9.25am 36 nautical miles offshore in 500m (26.3639S, 153.4472E) and began laying a trail of burley. We soon had a fine slick behind the boat but birds did not appear to be hungry. We'd seen a couple of Tahiti Petrels just before the shelf and they proved to the most common bird out wide, with as many as five at once around the boat.

Tahiti Petrel

Later in the morning a single Red-tailed Tropicbird was seen distantly; the poor images we managed led us to believe this bird initially was a White Tern. We also saw a handful of Sooty Terns out wide.

Sooty Tern

A Brown Booby, normally a species we see closer in, put in an appearance. Another was seen later perched on a trawler. A Risso's Dolphin was the only cetacean of the day. Birds and mammals aside, a Convolvulus Hawk-moth made a highly unusal appearance, loanding on the boat before succumbing to the elements.

Brown Booby

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Crested Terns were about but in small numbers; we saw many more on the way back.

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

The wind freshened up to 12-15 knots late-morning but unfortunately it was from the wrong direction – north. It dropped off sharply around lunchtime and with little around we pulled up stumps at 12.30pm to try our luck further in. A few nautical miles to the west of our last drifting point we had a distant pair of Lesser Frigatebirds. Then much further in, about 15nm offshore, a fine Masked Booby offered good views to all. We arrived back at the berth at 3.45pm. So notwithstanding the wind direction, a good day all round.

Masked Booby

OBSERVERS: Greg Roberts (organiser and leader), Eric Anderson, Tyde Bands, Luke Bennett, Judith Coles, Patrick Colley, Michael Dawson, Jan England, Hans Erken, Alex Ferguson, Richard Fuller, Brian Gatfield, Marie Gittins, Nikolas Haass, Merri Kuerschner, Helen Leonard, James Martin, Gillie Matthew, Maggie Overend, Karen Rose, Jamie Walker, Paul Zellerer.

SPECIES (Maximum at one time)
Tahiti Petrel 30 (5)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 120 (15)
Brown Booby 2 (1)
Masked Booby 1
Lesser Frigatebird 2 (2)
Crested Tern 80 (10)
Little Tern 2 (1)
Common Tern 2 (1)
Sooty Tern 3 (2)
White Tern 1
Risso's Dolphin (1)