The endangered Black-breasted Buttonquail and the dilemma that is the exotic weed lantana

 

Black-breasted Buttonquail female

Here is a dilemma in need of urgent attention. For 20+ years I have been observing a healthy population of Black-breasted Buttonquail near Imbil, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It is arguably the most important site we know of for this endangered species. The area is mixed open forest-vine scrub with considerable growth of the exotic weed lantana. The birds feed in both vine scrub and lantana here. The images in this post were taken at the site.

There is a good deal of work presently underway in this region being undertaken by land care volunteers from various organisations - most of it highly desirable - in revegetating depleted and cleared native vegetation, and in creating the pleasant Mary Valley Rail Trail connecting the towns of Imbil and Brooloo.

Along the Mary Valley Rail Trail

During a recent visit to the site, I noticed that lantana had been removed from an area favoured by the buttonquail. In its place was a profusion of other weeds that had burst forth in the newly exposed soil, and piles of dead lantana. No buttonquail were about.

Black-breasted Buttonquail male

Those who cleared the lantana doubtlessly had good intentions: to restore the native vine scrub – which is in fact critically endangered subtropical lowland rainforest - in all its glory, without exotic weeds. I dislike exotic weeds as much as anyone, but I think we need a raincheck here.

Weed regrowth in area cleared of lantana

Many sites that continue to harbour Black-breasted Buttonquail are heavily infested with lantana. I believe there is a reason for that. While the birds happily feed in both vine scrub and lantana, they shelter in the much denser lantana thickets. I think this helps protect them from predatory foxes and cats. 

At Inskip Point, the species could be reliably seen for many years near the point’s northern end until the birds disappeared quite suddenly. It is likely that one or more feral cats discovered the site and learned there were easy pickings there. Buttonquail are rarely seen at the site these days.

Dead lantana piled at the site

As well, lantana likely provides feeding habitat in marginal areas where other native forest has been largely cleared. This is new territory but worth exploring, and in the current case, something needs to happen now before more lantana at the Imbil site is removed. In my view, there is a solid argument for leaving lantana alone in areas where we know there are well-established Black-breasted Buttonquail populations.

Black-breasted Buttonquail feeding in lantana