Download Hooded Robin (south-eastern) - Australia`s Threatened Birds

Subspecies Conservation Summary
Hooded Robin (south-eastern)
Melanodryas cucullata cucullata (Latham, 1802)
Petroicidae
Conservation status
Near Threatened A2bc+3c+4bc
Reasons for listing
Declining across a substantial proportion of its range
based on surveys and local extirpations, probably at
20–29% within 3 generations (16 years), because of the
many ongoing effects of 2 centuries of habitat loss and
fragmentation
Status 2000
Near Threatened A2bc+3c+4bc
Status 1990
Near Threatened A2bc+3c+4bc
Taxonomy
M. c. melvillensis (Tiwi Is., Northern Territory) is
Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). Two other
subspecies are Least Concern, as is the species
Taxonomic uniqueness: medium (14 genera/family, 2
species/genus, 4 subspecies/species)
Range
This subspecies occurs in south-eastern Australia from
Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, to far south-east
Queensland, intergrading with M. c. westralensis in the
northern Murray-Darling basin (Schodde and Mason
1999). It has been extirpated from many habitat fragments and regions across its range, particularly in the
wetter areas of the south and east (Robinson 1993; Barrett
et al. 1994; Paton et al. 1994; Fitri and Ford 1996; Robinson and Traill 1996; Olsen et al. 2005; Priday 2010; Ford
2011).
Abundance
Taking the AOO only from records in the Birds Australia
database since 1998, which is certain to be an underestimate given many occupied areas will not have been
visited, and assuming a density of 5.5 birds/km2 (average
of creek and non-creek values in Pilliga Scrub; Date et al.
2002) gives a population of about 30 000 in the 5000 km2
Pilliga Scrub, which may be optimal habitat, and a total
of 165 000 altogether (H. Ford in litt.). This population
has been declining in agricultural landscapes for many
decades (Robinson 1993, Robinson and Traill 1996). The
reporting rate declined by 41% in NSW between the
1977–1981 and 1998–2002 Atlases, with no variation
between bioregions (Barrett et al. 2007). The greatest
declines appear to have been in the eucalypt-dominated
woodlands to the south and east of its range with populations in acacia and casuarina woodlands faring better
(D. Watson in litt.), possibly because soils and litterdwelling prey are richer in such communities (Watson et
al. 2000; Watson 2011). Populations on the drier fringe of
the range may also be less likely to decline, e.g. Port
Wakefield, SA (Taylor 1987). The overall rate of decline is
difficult to estimate but is inferred here from ongoing
habitat loss and degradation to be 20–29% in 3 generations (16 years).
Ecology
Inhabits dry eucalypt and acacia woodlands and shrublands, with an open understorey, some grassy areas, and a
complex ground layer. Occurrence in agricultural landscapes is correlated with habitat patch size, tree canopy
cover, shrub cover, ground cover, logs, fallen branches
and litter (Watson et al. 2003). Particularly favours the
edges of open vegetation dominated by ungrazed or
lightly grazed native perennial tussock-grassland next to
timbered native vegetation cover on moderately deep to
deep soils (Priday 2010). Feeds on insects and small
lizards from the ground by pouncing from perches, preferring sites where there is small fallen timber (Antos et
al. 2008). Builds a cup nest and usually lays 2 eggs. Breeding pairs or groups defend exclusive nesting territories of
c.6 ha, but have larger winter home ranges of c.18 ha,
sometimes up to 50 ha (Fitri and Ford 2003a,b; Higgins
and Peter 2002), although they can be present in patches
as small as 2.9 ha (Montague-Drake et al. 2009). As most
Petroicidae are highly mobile, it is assumed that there is
still 1 subpopulation. A generation time of 5.3 years
(BirdLife International 2011) is derived from an age at
first breeding of 1.0 years (Higgins and Peter 2002) and a
maximum longevity in the wild of 9.6 years (Australian
Bird and Bat Banding Scheme).
Threats
One of a suite of declining temperate woodland species
(Reid 1999; Montague-Drake et al. 2009). Like many of
these species (e.g. Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans, Crested
Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis), Hooded Robins are an aridadapted species and the declines are in the wetter portions
of their distribution. Historical clearance destroyed much
© 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
Near Threatened: past, current and anticipated
population declines of 20–29% over periods 3
generations (16 years) suspected from monitoring,
contracting AOO and deteriorating habitat quality
B
Not applicable: EOO >20 000 km2, AOO >2000 km2
C
Not applicable: population >10 000 mature individuals
D
Not applicable: population >1000 mature individuals,
>5 locations
E
Not applicable: no population viability analysis
undertaken
habitat with that in the agricultural regions now fragmented and suffering from extinction debt (Ford 2011).
Birds in fragments can suffer such high nest predation
that they produce too few recruits to compensate adult
mortality (Ford et al. 2009) and are subject to competition
with Noisy Miners Manorina melanocephala (Maron and
Lill 2005). These pressures on the robins may be compounded by a reliance on what is becoming a depauperate
terrestrial fauna (Watson 2011). Probable ongoing threats
include inappropriate fire regimes, particularly those that
lead to an increase in understorey density (H. Ford in litt.),
firewood collection and tidying of farmland, grazing by
stock, rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus and kangaroos Macropus spp., increased predation from introduced mammals
and invasive weeds (Willson and Bignall 2009). Most of
these threats are greater at habitat edges so are exacerbated
by fragmentation.
Conservation objectives
1. Stable populations maintained in key sites across its
range
Information required
1. Population densities and trends in arid parts of the
range
2. Criteria for sites where management investment to
save robin populations is warranted
3. Appropriate management interventions for isolated
subpopulations including predator and competitor
control, fire regime and ground cover manipulation
Management actions required
1. Monitor key sites, particularly where there are
management interventions
2. Develop guidelines for the management of robin
populations in fragments
3. Promote ecological management of woodland
remnants on private land
4. Design conservation and regeneration plans at a
landscape level
5. Protect all woodland in which robins are known to
be resident from clearing
6. Place all areas of public land that contain the robins
under secure conservation management, particularly
IUCN Red List assessment data
Estimate
Reliability
1 100 000 km2
stable
high
high
Area of occupancy
trend
10 000 km2
decreasing
low
high
No. of mature individuals
trend
165 000
decreasing
low
high
Extent of occurrence
trend
No. subpopulations
No. locations
Generation time
Global population share
1
medium
>10
high
5.3 years
high
100%
high
those in timber reserves, transport corridors and
local government land
7. Using appropriate incentives, undertake extension with
landholders who have suitable woodland habitat to
promote sound management of remnants and
encourage greater connectivity between habitat patches
8. Promote revegetation and land reclamation that
recreates woodland habitat with a full complement of
biodiversity, including the robin
9. Control and reduce firewood collection from areas
occupied by the robins, promoting wood-lot
development close to markets, and reduce grazing
densities where necessary
Bibliography
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© 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.
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© 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.