DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
National Recovery Plan for the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne
First draft for Recovery Team and recovery program partner comments
July 2012
This draft plan was prepared by Tim Burnard and Rachel Pritchard and the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team.
Tim Burnard
BirdLife Australia
Suite 2, 60 Leicester St
Carlton VIC 3053
Rachel Pritchard
Department of Sustainability and Environment
12 Murray St.
Heywood VIC 3304
Acknowledgements
The plan was prepared in collaboration with the Recovery Team for the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Key stakeholders and partners were consulted as the plan was developed. The plan draws upon previous Recovery Plans for this species (Garnett & Crowley 1996, Burnard & Hill 2002, D.E.W.R. 2007), and the review of the previous recovery plan (Burnard & Pritchard 2012).
Some of the data underpinning this recovery plan is yet to be published. The authors would like to thank Richard Hill, Paul Koch and David Williams for their cooperation in providing key information for inclusion in this plan.
The preparation of this Plan was funded by the Australian Government and Victorian Government via the Glenelg Hopkins and Wimmera Catchment Management Authorities.
Disclaimer
The Australian Government, in partnership with the South Australian Department for Environment and Natural Resources and Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment facilitates the publication of recovery plans to detail the actions needed for the conservation of threatened native wildlife.
The attainment of objectives and the provision of funds may be subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved, and may also be constrained by the need to address other conservation priorities. Approved recovery actions may be subject to modification due to changes in knowledge and changes in conservation status.
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Publication Reference XXXXXXXX
Copies may be obtained from:
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Project Coordinator
BirdLife Australia
Suite 2, 60 Leicester St
Carlton VIC 3053
http://www.redtail.com.au/media/fact-sheets.html
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DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
Contents
Acknowledgements ii
1. Summary 4
2. Species Information 5
2.1 Conservation Status 5
2.2 Ecology 5
2.3 Distribution 6
2.4 Habitat 8
2.5 Populations and sites 10
2.6 Threats 10
2.7 Previous and existing management 13
3. Recovery Program 16
3.1 Long-term Recovery Strategy 16
3.2 Objectives and Criteria 17
3.3 Recovery Actions 19
3.4 Implementation 28
3.5 Guide for decision makers 29
3.6 Management practices 29
3.7 Affected interests 30
3.8 Indigenous roles and interests 31
3.9 Social and economic benefits/impacts 31
3.10 Biodiversity benefits/impacts 33
3.11 International obligations 34
4 References 34
5 Appendices 36
5.1 Threat risk analysis 36
5.2 Action prioritisation 37
5.3 Implementation costs 39
5.4 Priority areas for regeneration and revegetation of habitats 43
1. Summary
This recovery plan outlines the long-term strategy, and short-term objectives, for the recovery of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne). This plan is the fourth recovery plan for the species, and provides recovery objectives and actions for a five-year period, commencing in 2012/13.
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is listed as ‘Endangered’ under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), and is also listed as a threatened species in the two states in which it occurs (South Australia and Victoria).
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is found in the south east of South Australia and far south west Victoria. The single population of 1500-1800 individuals is believed to be continuing to decline in response to declining habitat. The cockatoo relies on the seeds of only three tree species for food, and food shortages are believed to be limiting recovery. Approximately half of the historic feeding habitat has been cleared for agriculture, with limited natural recruitment of new trees due to inappropriate agricultural practices and browsing. Remaining habitat is at risk of further losses through land clearing and senescence, and reduced productivity due to inappropriate agricultural practices, catastrophic fire, inappropriate fire regimes, invasive woody weeds, and the impacts of pathogens and pests of food trees. Further, the sub-species is at risk of climate change, nest predation and poaching.
The plan sets out a long-term, 50 year, objective for recovery of the sub-species, and two short-term, 5 year, objectives to meet the short term needs of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo while attending to long term rehabilitation of essential habitats.
This five-year plan has two primary objectives to progress recovery. They are:
Objective 1. To achieve sufficient gains in the extent of feeding and nesting habitats to support the long-term recovery objective.
Objective 2. To effectively manage the most significant short term threats to recruitment of South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.
2. Species Information
2.1 Conservation Status
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is listed as Endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999), Endangered in Schedule 7 of the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, and Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
In addition, the species is listed as Endangered under the, the Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010 (Garnett et al. 2011) and the Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria (DSE 2007). The species Calyptorhynchus banksii is listed as Least Concern under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List (IUCN 2012). The Red List does not have separate listings for each sub-species.
2.2 Ecology
A detailed summary is provided in Higgins (1999), Koch (2003), Commonwealth of Australia (2006) and Maron et al. (2008). Additional information relevant to recovery is summarised here.
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne) is a large (48-52cm), nomadic cockatoo restricted to the far south west of Victoria and south east of South Australia. It is the smallest of five subspecies of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Ford 1980). Like many cockatoos, this sub-species is relatively long-lived, and may live over 30 years in the wild..
The sub-species has highly specialised food requirements; dependent on the seeds of only three tree species: Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri), Desert Stringybark (Eucalyptus arenacea) and Buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii). Consumption of other seed sources is negligible.
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos are highly mobile and move throughout their range to exploit variable food resources. Concentrations of birds are reported in some years in areas of Brown Stringybark, and in other years in areas of Desert Stringybark. These movements appear to be in response to the abundance of seed in these two key food species. Both stringybark species only set a new seed crop every few years (with the two species often seeding in different years), but hold seed in capsules on the tree for several years. Buloke, by contrast, provides a seasonal food resource usually in late summer to early autumn, after which seed is dropped from the tree. Movements into Buloke habitat reflect this availability.
The birds prefer to feed in trees that provide the most efficient feeding opportunities. Larger trees, or trees carrying the heaviest seed crops (often one in the same), are preferred over those carrying less seed. In addition, more recently matured stringybark capsules are preferred over older capsules due to greater ease of opening and higher seed loads within younger capsules.
When few birds are breeding (autumn and winter) large flocks of over 100 birds can be observed feeding together, and several flocks may join together at dusk to visit a watering point (e.g. farm dam or trough) before roosting at a communal roosting site.
Most breeding activity occurs in spring and summer, however, active nests have been found throughout the year. Breeding birds are often found in small family groups (2-3 birds), and groups may gather together at communal drinking sites at dusk. Breeding ecology is poorly understood because of the difficulty locating nests and following the life history of individuals. Available data are summarised in Commonwealth of Australia (2006). Nesting may occur as single nests or in loose clusters. Only females incubate the single egg and brood the young chick, and are fed by the male during this time. Both sexes leave the nest to forage and return to feed older chicks. Fledging success of 10 nests found as eggs between 1998 and 1999 was 30% (R. Hill unpubl. data). It is likely that many pairs fail to fledge any young some years. Food availability and feeding efficiency may limit reproductive success, at least in some years. Breeding males feeding on stringybark have been recorded spending up to 90% of their day actively feeding (Koch 2003); suggesting males may struggle to find enough food to feed themselves, their mate and their chick.
Recruitment of young into the adult population is difficult to measure directly, due to the difficulties noted above and because juveniles and sub-adults resemble females. Flock counts conducted in late autumn when most birds are not breeding, measure the proportion of adult males in flocks as a proxy measure of the proportion of juveniles and sub-adults. The proportion of males in autumn flocks has varied between 35% and 49% since 1999 (weighted means, R. Hill, R. Pritchard & D. Williams unpubl. data). Years with a high proportion of males (and presumably lower proportion of juveniles and sub-adults) are associated with periods of few or no recent seeding events in the two stringybark species, while years with low proportion of males (and presumably higher proportion of juveniles and sub-adults) are associated with recent seeding events (R. Hill, R. Pritchard, D. Williams & P. Koch unpubl. data). It is unknown what level of recruitment is required to achieve a stable population.
The single population is believed to be in a continued decline based on the following evidence:
· Continued decline in the extent of habitat (Maron et al. 2008)
· The high proportion of males in non-breeding flocks in some years, suggesting low production of juveniles and low recruitment of sub-adults
It is difficult to measure decline directly for this sub-species due to its long life-span and slow reproductive strategy, nomadic movements, and difficulties following the life-history of individuals.
2.3 Distribution
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is endemic to a small area of south eastern Australia, occupying adjacent areas of far south west Victoria and south east South Australia (Figure 1). The range extends between Portland, Casterton, Toolondo, Natimuk, Dimboola, Nhill and Kaniva in Victoria and Keith, Lucindale and Mt Gambier in South Australia; with a total extent of occurrence of approximately 18 000km2. Extralimital records are likely to be vagrants. The species is widespread but rare within this range, and its nomadic movements mean that many habitats are only used occasionally. See Higgins (1999) and Commonwealth of Australia (2006) for a summary of published material outlining the sub-species’ distribution.
Figure 1. Estimated range of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and extent of stringybark feeding habitats (Hill, R. in prep.).
2.4 Habitat
Detailed habitat descriptions, including information on habitat distribution and availability, can be found in Koch (2003), and Maron et al. (2008), and is summarised here. Habitat definitions for the purposes of this document are as follows:
· Patches of habitat refers to trees growing in open or closed woodlands or forests, with total canopy cover equal to or above 20%
· Scattered paddock trees refers to trees growing as isolated trees, where total canopy cover is below 20%.
· Current habitat refers to habitat trees that currently meet the habitat preferences of South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos (e.g. tree size, hollow size)
· Potential future habitat refers to habitat trees that are not yet mature enough to provide preferred habitat (e.g. trees below preferred size, eucalypts yet to form hollows).
Feeding Habitat
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is highly specialised, feeding primarily on the seeds of Desert and Brown Stringybark, and seasonally on the seeds of Buloke.
The two stringybark species do not produce seed every year, with flowering years occurring approximately every 2-4 years for Brown Stringybark and approximately every 3 years for Desert Stringybark. Seed capsules ripen 9-12 months after flowering. Seed is retained in capsules on the tree, providing a year-round food resource. However, as seed capsules age, they become more woody and insect attack reduces seed load per capsule. Larger trees often carry more seed capsules. Trees occurring on the edges of patches or as scattered paddock trees carry more seed capsules than those in the middle of patches.
Buloke is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. Although the birds only feed on the female trees (those carrying seed), it is unknown what distribution of male trees is required for successful fertilisation of female trees. Both male and female Buloke trees are therefore critical to the food source for the cockatoo. Buloke seed is produced in most years, although some years are more productive than others. The seed is only held on the tree between early summer and late autumn, so provides a limited, but seasonally preferred, food source. Larger trees carry higher seed capsule loads.
The cockatoo’s mobility, combined with strong preferences for high efficiency feeding opportunities (more capsules per tree), leads to three important patterns in habitat values:
· larger (older) trees are more productive than smaller trees
· scattered paddock trees often provide important food sources in fragmented landscapes because tree size and productivity are stronger predictors of use than tree context, and
· stringybark trees on patch edges, and in scattered contexts, are many times more productive than stringybark trees within patches.
Roosting Habitat
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos usually roost in clumps of tall eucalypts and may use the same site for many months. Of 19 roost sites, 79% were copses of River Red Gums (E. camaldulensis), 16% in Yellow Gums (E. leucoxylon) and 5% in Manna Gums (E. viminalis cygnetensis). Roost sites are known from both public and private land, and some roadside roost sites are known.
Breeding Habitat
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo require large hollows (15-50cm) for nesting, which naturally occur in very old, large eucalypts over 220 years old (Gibbons Lindenmayer 2002). Nests are known from both live and dead trees, and most known nest sites are in large scattered River Red Gums on private land. However, nests are also known to occur in other eucalypt species and in woodland and forest patches. It is likely many unknown nest sites occur in patches of habitat, where nest detection is much more difficult.