Row over Queensland Government permits to kill rare quail-thrush

Male Atherton (Spotted) Quail-thrush, image by John Young. This is a longer version of my story published in this weekend's edition of The Weekend Australian newspaper. A decision by the Queensland Government to allow the killing of rare birds for scientific study has sparked a furious response from nature lovers and debate about whether government agencies should be moving on from a centuries-old tradition requiring the “collection” of wildlife for research. The Queensland Environment Department approved the collection by the CSIRO’s Australian National Wildlife Collection of up to six specimens of a recently discovered bird known as the Atherton Quail-thrush The decision was made without the department undertaking studies to determine the bird’s population or distribution. The department nonetheless concluded that the conservation status of the quail-thrush is of “least concern”. The quail-thrush is known from a small area of woodland in north Queensland on the western fringes of the Atherton Tableland. It is closely related to the more widely distributed Spotted Quail-thrush of south-east Australia. The northern limit of the range of the Spotted Quail-thrush is 800km south of where the Atherton Quail-thrush is found. The CSIRO argues that collection permits are needed for DNA studies to determine the taxonomic status of the bird – whether it might possibly be an undescribed species, or more likely a new subspecies of the Spotted Quail-thrush. North Queensland naturalist John Young, who came to fame in 2013 when he took the first photographs of a Night Parrot, discovered the first nests of the Atherton Quail-thrush in 2019. John Young says the necessary information to allow DNA studies to determine the bird’s taxonomy could be obtained by netting one alive for feathers and blood analysis; it could then be released: “In this day and age there is no way that killing birds for this sort of study can be condoned. We don’t know how many are out or anything about the bird’s status. There is no way the government can justify saying it is of ‘least concern’.” Scientists have for centuries “collected” large numbers of specimens of wildlife to facilitate the study of its taxonomy and behaviour. Many museums prize collections of specimens of rare animals. Over-collecting in the past has been identified as a key factor in causing the extinction of many species. In 1985, American scientist Christopher Filardi caught and killed an extremely rare moustached kingfisher in the mountains of Solomon Islands. The kingfisher was known from just three historic specimens. Its collection prompted an international outcry against Filardi’s American Museum of Natural History.

Female Atherton (Spotted) Quail-thrush (Image by Jonathon Munro) At the time, eminent evolutionary biologist Marc Beckoff wrote in The Huffington Post: “Of course, “collect” means kill, a lame attempt to sanitise the totally unnecessary killing of a remarkable sentient being. When will the killing of animals stop? We need to give this question serious consideration because far too much research and conservation biology is far too bloody and does not need to be.” In a letter to concerned north Queensland residents last week, Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanion (below) defends the quail-thrush permits. The letter says the department took into consideration whether the CSIRO’s objectives could be met by non-lethal means; the immediate and long-term impacts that collection would have on species conservation; and the experience and qualifications of collectors. “The minister acknowledges the contribution organisations such as CSIRO and state museums make to the conservation of native species and that at times, it is necessary for specimens to be collected from the wild to enable vital work to be undertaken,” the letter says.

The quail-thrush was first photographed by Atherton wildlife tour guide Jonathon Munro in 2008. Jonathon Munro says he has been contacted by several museums asking for the whereabouts of birds so multiple specimens could be collected: “I was prepared to help trap birds and take tissue/blood/feather samples and whatever else was necessary for their study, and then release them, but I was told that birds had to be collected. It was further suggested that if they were netted, that would be better than shooting because it would cause less damage to the specimens. Not once was I ever asked about numbers, habitat or distribution.” Leo Joseph, the director of the CSIRO’s Australian Wildlife Collection, says he has deferred plans to collect birds in response to community concerns, but he would discuss the matter further with those concerned. Leo Joseph says the conservation of birds can be enhanced by collection, and a type specimen was needed to describe a new species or subspecies: “I wouldn’t see the need to collect more than one or two…. We won’t properly know if it’s a distinctive population or subspecies or whatever without at least one specimen. The more we know about how distinctive a bird is, the better it can be for the bird.” He adds he has always been open to the birding community about the collection plan: “It’s no secret. I’ve been up there and talked to BirdLife North Queensland. I’m happy to talk to them again.” Jonathon Munro and John Young say the Atherton Quail-thrush differs from the Spotted Quail-thrush in various ways including call, the size and structure of nests, and the colour distribution on male birds. Image by John Young below: John Young in Atherton (Spotted) Quail-thrush habitat: