Its good news that numbers of the endangered gouldian finch appear to be increasing in northern Australia.
Colleen O’Malley, from the Threatened Species Network, told ABC Online that:
“We’re talking birds in the vicinity of 200 to 400 in a flock, which is a really exciting thing that sort of harks back to the days when there were flocks of thousands of birds.”
And ABC Online were following up on a media release from WWF. WWF runs the threatened species network with public money.
Interestingly the WWF media release doesn’t come with a link to a full report or a chart showing bird numbers, but rather with a link to page where we are told WWF wants your help to find Gouldian finches in the wild and have produced the Gouldian Finch Sightings Kit. The kit does include some information on the ecology of the species in northern Australia.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
No mention of the part played by the Hon Warren Entsch MP, Fedreal Member for Leichhardt, the Mareeba Wetlands’ Gouldian Finch Release Program or the public funds allocated to assist in this very successful intiative.
Neil, tell us more about the release program – or write us an essay and I’ll do it as a new post? How were they monitoring survival, any data on population numbers?
The Wetlands, that have all the data, are closed for the wet season, but I spoke to my outstandingly accessible Federal Member this morning.
He disputes fire mismanagement as the principle reason for the decline. Rather NT Gouldian finches were alledgedly trapped and caged for slightly less than a week, before being released upon suspicion of an investigation by wildlife officers. Tragically, they were exposed to an avian mite that spread through and decimated native populations.
I recalled from an earlier discussion, Warren Entsch describing the wall of obstruction he had faced from the EPA in its opposition to the aforementioned release program. I distinctly remember being astonished by Warren’s referral to both NT Water Buffalo and (I think) Bantu cattle each developing wild populations from seven individuals only from Cobourg Peninsula, to counter arguments against in-breeding.
Neil, I don’t understand the relevance of the “trapped and caged for slightly less than a week” scenario.
Any further info? – thanks.