Download Black-throated Finch (southern)

Subspecies Conservation Summary
Black-throated Finch (southern)
Poephila cincta cincta (Gould, 1837)
Estrildidae
Conservation status
Vulnerable C2a(i)
Reasons for listing
Population <10 000 mature individuals and continuing
to decline, <1000 in largest known subpopulation
Status 2000
Vulnerable A2c+4c
Reason for change in 2010: decline is gradual rather than
rapid
Status 1990
Near Threatened A2c+4c
Reasons for change in 2000: Increased rate of decline in
EOO as distant subpopulations disappeared
Taxonomy
P. c. atropygialis (far north Queensland) is Least
Concern, as is the species
Taxonomic uniqueness: medium (29 genera/family, 3
species/genus, 2 subspecies/species)
Range
Eastern Queensland from as far north as Townsville on
the coast, and possibly Ingham, south to the Burdekin
River and possibly Rockhampton, extending inland to
Aramac. Since 1998, recorded in Townsville region (Giru,
Serpentine Lagoon, Toonpan, near Ross River Dam and
Bohle, Alice and Black River catchments), Ingham region
(Ollera Creek near Mutarnee and Mt Fox) and scattered
sites in central-eastern Qld (Great Basalt Wall, Yarrowmere Station, Moonoomoo Station, Doongmabulla
Station, Fortuna Station and Aramac) (Black-throated
Finch Recovery Team 2007), assessed here as 3 subpopulations. Historically from Inverell, north-eastern New South
Wales, through eastern Queensland to the Burdekin-Lynd
Divide, where it intergrades over a broad zone with
P. c. atropygialis (Schodde and Mason 1999). Range has
been contracting for several decades (Franklin 1999),
including disappearance from Brisbane region by 1940s,
most of NSW by 1970s (but last record in 1994), Rockhampton region in 1970s (but last record in 1989) and
New England Tableland region in the 1990s (Blackthroated Finch Recovery Team 2007). This resulted in a
severe decline in EOO up to the 1990s, after which EOO
has declined much more slowly. The AOO is estimated
nominally at 1% of the EOO.
Abundance
Numbers counted at coordinated waterhole counts were
stable 2004–2009 (450 sightings at 16 sites in 2005–2006
to 489 sightings at 25 sites in 2009) but the finches have
disappeared from a number of sites around Townsville in
the last decade (Black-throated Finch Recovery Team
2007). Given the mobility of the species across the landscape the average density is assessed as 1/km2. The
Townsville subpopulation is assessed as having no more
than 600 mature individuals (T. Grice in litt.) and is
assumed here to be the largest surviving subpopulation.
Poorly known subpopulations in central-eastern Qld are
assumed to have no more than 400 mature individuals
each.
Ecology
Inhabits open grassy woodland, usually dominated by
eucalypts or ti-trees, where there is access to seeding
grasses and water. They appear to feed preferentially in
lightly grassed areas (Zann 1976; P. Buosi in litt.). It
appears to be relatively sedentary, with birds present
throughout the year near Townsville, but may move in
response to drought (Ley and Cook 2001). In the dry
season it feeds on seeds of annual grasses like Schizachyrium spp., switching in the wet season to half-ripe grass
seeds and insects (Immelman 1982; Zann 1976). Probably needs a mosaic of different habitats in which to find
seed during the wet season (Mitchell 1996). It builds
domed nests in trees, sometimes in tree hollows, laying
5–9 eggs (Immelman 1982). A generation time of 3.5
years (BirdLife International 2011) is derived from an
average age at first breeding of 1.0 years, an annual survival of adults of 50%, both extrapolated from mean
values for Estrildidae, and a maximum longevity in the
wild of 6.9 years, extrapolated from Masked Finch P. personata (Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme).
Threats
The synergistic effects of pastoralism, drought and fire
are thought to have had the greatest impact on the species
by increasing the period of resource shortage and decreasing the quality and availability of breeding habitat. The
decline in eastern Qld began early in the 20th century
under pastoralism (Franklin 1999), particularly in the
southern part of the subspecies’ range, where there has
been extensive clearing for sheep grazing and rabbits
Oryctolagus cunciculus were prevalent. Probable current
© Birds Australia 2011
Published by CSIRO Publishing, http://www.publish.csiro.au/
Citation: Garnett ST, Szabo JK, Dutson G (2011) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Current eligibility against IUCN Red List Criteria
IUCN
category
A
Criteria eligibility
Not applicable: past, current or future population
declines are thought unlikely to exceed 20% in any
3-generation period
B
Near Threatened: AOO near 2000 km2, possibly
severely fragmented, inferred decline in AOO, habitat
condition, no. locations, no. mature individuals from
urban expansion and mining
C
Vulnerable: population 500–2500 mature individuals,
suspected continuing decline, <1000 mature individuals
in largest subpopulation but <95% in largest
subpopulation
D
Not applicable: population >1000 mature individuals,
>5 locations
E
Not applicable: no population viability analysis
undertaken
threats are clearing and fragmentation of woodland, riverside habitats and shrubland; degradation of habitat by
domestic stock and rabbits, including alterations to fuel
load, vegetation structure and wet season food availability; alteration of habitat by changes in fire regime; invasion of habitat by exotic weeds and grasses; and perhaps
illegal trapping of birds and predation by introduced
mammals (Black-throated Finch Recovery Team 2007;
Department of Sustainability Environment Water Population and Communities 2011). Intensification of settlement near Townsville is impinging on the largest
subpopulation and the birds do not persist for long once
pastoral land is subdivided into rural lifestyle blocks.
Also some occupied areas in central Qld are likely to be
mined in the near future.
Conservation objectives
1. Stable populations in monitored regions
Information required
1. Breeding requirements and threats to key breeding
areas
2. Size of inland subpopulations
3. How populations use the landscape at different times
of year
4. Effectiveness of management interventions
5. Suitability of birds currently in captivity for
reintroduction in southern Queensland
Management actions required
1. Continue monitoring and analyse the results
2. Secure selected sites for conservation
3. Address threats on grazing lands
4. Ensure requirements of the finch are incorporated
into planning around Townsville
IUCN Red List assessment data
Estimate
Reliability
290 000 km2
decreasing
medium
low
Area of occupancy
trend
2900 km2
decreasing
low
low
No. of mature individuals
trend
1400
decreasing
low
medium
Extent of occurrence
trend
No. subpopulations
No. locations
Largest subpopulation
Generation time
Global population share
3
low
>10
medium
600
low
3.5 years
low
100%
high
Black-throated Finch Recovery Team, Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) and Queensland Parks
and Wildlife Service (2007) ‘National recovery plan for the
black-throated finch southern subspecies Poephila cincta
cincta’. Report to the Department of the Environment and
Water Resources, Canberra. Department of Environment
and Climate Change (NSW), Hurstville and Queensland
Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane.
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population
and Communities (2011) Poephila cincta cincta. In ‘Species
Profile and Threats Database’. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities,
Canberra. Retrieved 24 February, 2011 from <http://www.
environment.gov.au/sprat>.
Franklin DC (1999) Evidence of disarray amongst granivorous
bird assemblages in the savannas of northern Australia, a
region of sparse human settlement. Biological Conservation
90, 53–68.
Immelman K (1982) Australian Finches. 2nd edn. Angus and
Robertson, Sydney.
Ley AJ, Cook SM (2001) The Black-throated finch Poephila
cincta in New South Wales. Australian Bird Watcher 19,
115–120.
Schodde R, Mason IJ (1999) The Directory of Australian Birds:
Passerines. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Zann R (1976) Distribution, status and breeding of Blackthroated finches Poephila cincta in northern Queensland.
Emu 76, 201–206.
Comments received from
Peter Buosi, Tony Grice, Alex Kutt, Kim Maute,
James Moloney
Bibliography
BirdLife International (2011) ‘Species factsheet: Poephila cincta’.
Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10 April 2011.
© Birds Australia 2011
Published by CSIRO Publishing, http://www.publish.csiro.au/
Citation: Garnett ST, Szabo JK, Dutson G (2011) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.