Habitat for Bush Birds
Posted on 19 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
Habitat for Bush Birds is a new Connecting Country project that aims to improve habitat for five threatened bird species in the Mount Alexander region. Project Coordinator Tanya Loos and botanist Bonnie Humphreys from Connecting Country recently visited the first landholders to take part in the project.
Dora’s property is a beautiful example of high quality box ironbark forest, with plenty of large old trees, woody debris and shrubs for small bush birds to thrive. Tanya was thrilled to observe a family group of Hooded Robins, a Diamond Firetail, a family group of Brown Treecreepers and a Jacky Winter on the fence line. All four of these species are the target species for the Habitat for Bush Birds project. Apparently the fifth species, the Painted Button-quail has also been seen on the property.
Here Bonnie is pointing out native saltbush to landowner Doralinda Guidici and her children Sam and Jade. The friendly Joggle and Jala were also very interested, and helped out in the way big friendly dogs do!
The Habitat for Bush Birds project has an on-ground component – with support available for protective fencing, weed control, pest animal control and supplementary planting available for private properties within 11 priority habitat zones. As Dora’s property is in such good condition, excluding sheep out of the high conservation vegetation will be of the highest priority.
The project also has a strong focus on monitoring – with the aim of locating where these threatened birds are present – and absent – over the whole Mount Alexander region. Tanya has dubbed the focal species the feathered five. Soon to feature on the Connecting Country website will be blog posts about each member of the feathered five and their special life stories and habitat needs.
Tanya is currently developing a calendar of events that will include birdwatching training for beginners and intermediate birdwatchers. Also to be announced are bird monitoring excursions – one of which will be visiting Dora’s magnificent property, where you can be sure to see at least one of the feathered five.
To find out more contact Tanya Loos at tanya@connectingcountry.org.au, or call 5472 1594. Also see the ‘Habitat for Bush Birds’ page on the Connecting Country website, for a map of the eleven priority zones, and some more detailed project information.
The Habitat for Bush Birds project is supported by the Victorian Government through Communities for Nature funding.
This looks like a great project.
Would love to help with bird monitoring.
Please put me on your list Tanya.
Thank you,
Judith