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Locals urged to protect Bush Stone-curlew habitat in northern Victoria
The community in northern Victoria is being alerted to the plight of the endangered Bush Stone-curlew and what can be done to protect it.
The gangly-legged nocturnal Bush Stone-curlew or 'Bush Thick-knee' was once widespread in grassy woodlands and open eucalypt forests in northern, western and central Victoria.
But clearing and habitat fragmentation plus predation by foxes, has dramatically curbed the curlew's range, with the bird now mainly existing on private properties in the Goulburn Broken region.
A key initiative is now underway in the Nagambie, Longwood, Euroa and Violet Town districts to raise landholder awareness of the bird's predicament and what is needed to save it from extinction.
Funding
In 2004, the Victorian Department of Primary Industries set up the Bush Stone-curlew Taskforce Project. Funding was provided by the Australian and State Governments. The project is also supported by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority.
Activities
Project Coordinator Susan Sleigh said a major task was disseminating information about the curlew's habitat needs and threats.
"Curlews like to roost during the day in areas with lots of fallen timber, which provide good camouflage from foxes," Susan said. "So an important message for landholders is to leave fallen branches on the ground, rather than 'tidy' them up.
"They also prefer a low, sparse grassy understorey so they can keep an eye out for predators. Sites will be abandoned if the grass becomes too tall. Strategic grazing of grasses can benefit curlews by maintaining visibility."
Susan is interviewing landholders with curlews on their properties. She gives them a curlew fact sheet, a diary to record curlew sightings and discusses the history of curlews on their land.
A publication called Curlew Tales will give a detailed picture of the bird's preferred habitat and the factors leading to its disappearance.
Landholders are being encouraged to control foxes, now the main threat to curlews. One landholder near Violet Town has fenced off 35 acres to exclude foxes and provide a breeding haven for a pair of curlews.
Achievements
Susan said the task of interviewing landholders in the district was enormous, but the detail gleaned was already proving worth the effort.
"I try to get a few landholders together at once which helps to gain a picture of bird movements," she said.
More information
- Susan Sleigh, Bush Stone-curlew Project Coordinator: (03) 5790 4301 or slsl@bigpond.com
- Department of Primary Industries
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