UNLIKE many other threatened bird species, Bush Stone-curlews benefit by having agricultural land in their habitat, according to researcher Elisa Tack.

 

Elisa, a third year PhD student with Charles Sturt University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society, is studying the habitat requirements of the Bush Stone-curlew in NSW and Victoria including looking at factors such as the impact of different stocking rates and cropping regimes.

 

Most of Elisa’s field work is in North-East Victoria where she identifies where the curlews roost during the day and where they are at night by playing the call of the curlews.

 

What she has found so far is that while curlews use remnant woodlands during the day to roost, at night they appear to be feeding in the cropping and grazing country.

 

“Curlews are very much an agricultural area bird,” says Elisa whose three year project has been funded by NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (now the Department of Environment and Conservation). “Up until 20 to 30 years ago curlews were a relatively common and well known bird on farms across New South Wales and Victoria. However in recent years numbers appear to have dropped dramatically and we’re not sure why.”

 

The curlews, known for their eerie call, are listed as endangered in NSW and threatened in Victoria although their current population numbers are unknown.

 

A number of organisations, such as the Nature Conservation Working Group, the Rural Lands Protection Board, Catchment Management Authorities (in particular the Goulburn/Broken CMA), the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria, and many individual landholders are involved in Elisa’s research and on-ground curlew conservation programs.

 

As a means of informing all stakeholders on the latest research, on-ground management and conservation planning for curlews, a two day Curlew Summit will be held at the Department of Primary Industries (Rutherglen Research Institute) on the Chiltern Valley Rd., Rutherglen on Thursday, April 6 and Friday, April 7.

 

Speakers will include landholders, IILWS researchers including Elisa and fellow PhD student Andrew Carter who is looking at the movement and behaviour of foxes in curlew habitat, state government staff and community groups from across South Australia, Victoria and NSW.

 

A half day field trip is included in the itinerary to visit local properties and discuss captive breeding, predator-proof fencing and habitat requirements. There will be a dinner at a local winery on the Thursday evening (approximate cost is $30).

 

The summit itself is free but those wishing to attend should RSVP to Elisa Tack on 02 6051 9837 or email etack@csu.edu.au by March 24.

 

“I already know of people coming from as far away as South Australia and Northern NSW,” says Elisa. “It will be a very informative couple of days for any landholders who have curlews living on their property or who are interested in these fascinating birds.”