Conservation

Found a dead bird on the beach?
Found a sick or injured bird?
Feeding ducks
Common (Indian) Myna
Report a banded bird
Dogs on beaches
Birds and poisons do not mix
Little Penguins of Eden

Found a dead bird on the beach?

There have been a number of reports of dead birds on the beaches in our region. At certain times of the year these dead birds are mainly shearwaters who have expired from exhaustion and malnutrition after migrating from the Northern Hemisphere. But you may also find dead birds in various other locations.

So what do you do?

First of all, do not touch the bird or animal. You do not know what the cause of death may be.  Avian Flu may be present amongst migrating birds, is highly infectious and can be a serious threat to humans as well.  Australia is currently free of avian flu, but the threat is present.

Secondly, report the incident to
Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue South Coast Branch on 0431 282 238
or
Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 to report unusual signs of disease or death related to an infectious disease.

It is advisable to take photographs of the bird and the immediate surroundings on the beach for some basic evidence for latter analysis.

If a bird has a band, take note of the band number, write down the date and location and report it to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/science-research/bird-bat-banding

Found a sick or injured bird?

What do you do if you find a sick or injured bird?

Some sick or injured birds may still be difficult to catch. Get close enough without scaring the bird too much and throw a light cloth or towel over the bird. Being in a dark space will settle the bird and make it feel secure.

Using gloves, gently pick the bird up and place in a well-ventilated box. Keep it dark and quiet to minimise stress. Do not put anything in the box that will entangle the bird.

Do not give a sick or injured bird food or water as this could could cause the bird to aspirate.

Do not handle large birds such as birds of prey. They have talons and sharp beaks. These birds must only be handled by trained wildlife carers.

If you find a sick or injured bird, contact your local veterinarian for immediate assistance, or
Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue South Coast Branch on 0431 282 238
WIRES Far South East on 1300 094 737
Wildlife Rescue South Coast on 0417238921
The International Federation of Animal Welfare (IFAW) has developed the Wildlife Rescue app that connects you with the closest wildlife rescue group at the touch of a button. It is free and covers all of Australia. A very handy app to have on hand.

Feeding Ducks

Did you know that feeding bread to ducks can cause debilitating diseases such as angel wing while also polluting water as the bread that is not consumed breaks down in their environment.

So what can you feed them? Ducks usually forage for their food such as insects, worms and weeds. Choose foods closer to their natural diet – so try feeding them worms, lettuce, peas, grapes in small amounts, or appropriate birdseed.

At Kisses Lagoon in Bega you will see council signage at the main car park. These signs explain that some of the ducks found here are non-native and compete with native ducks and other waterbirds for food and habitat.

Want to know more? Find more information at these links:

Birds in backyards (Birdlife Australia)
Environment NSW
Environment ACT
Angel wing (Wikipedia)

Common (Indian) Myna

The Common Myna is an introduced species, regarded as a pest. Using tree hollows for nest sites they compete aggressively for those hollows with our preferred native fauna species.

For over 15 years the Common Myna has been appearing in isolated spots within the Bega Valley Shire. For just as many years our Common Myna Task Force has been humanely eliminating the species, with over 1000 now removed. They still appear and we need your help to keep numbers at a minimum.

The birds usually live in family groups; spend time on the ground feeding and strutting about; are found around stock where grain is fed; take scraps and pickings from public areas; and are not welcome. (The native Noisy Miner also lives in groups, is grey and can be aggressive but builds a normal nest and is not a scavenger.)

Most of the birds trapped have been from around farms and dairies. Landholders are helping with the trapping process for which we are grateful. Areas such as Bega, Bemboka, McLeod Hill, South Wolumla, Coolagolite, Brogo, Yurammie, Kalaru, Lochiel and Wyndham are under watch.

If you see any Common (Indian) Mynas please contact us via this site or contact Local Land Services Bega office on 6491 7800.

Report a banded bird

While you are birdwatching, you may see a bird that has a metal band, a coloured plastic band or a small flag on one or both of its legs. These bands are used to identify birds uniquely and the information gained from sightings or recaptures helps to understand their biology and can help in protecting them and their habitats.

If you see a banded bird, you can assist research and conservation by reporting the details to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS).

The preferred method for reporting your find or sighting is to use the on-line reporting form:

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/science-research/bird-bat-banding/reporting-form

Alternatively, you can report your sighting to the ABBBS via email abbbs@dcceew.gov.au

The ABBBS also accepts reports of birds carrying foreign banding scheme addresses. If you have found one of these bands, please follow the instructions on the ABBBS website.

Some kinds of bands cannot be reported to the ABBBS including Pigeon bands and bands used by domestic bird breeders. If you have found a band that is not reportable, please search for links to Pigeon and Breeders bands.

The information sought from your ABBBS report includes:

The band number

The date and location where you saw the band

What you think happened to the bird

Where the bird is now, and where the band is now

Notes about any other marks on the bird

If you find a dead bird, ABBBS requests that you post the band back to them:

The Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS)
GPO Box 8
Canberra ACT 2601

Dogs on beaches

Dogs love going to the beach, but they can disturb and kill endangered shorebirds. Shorebirds feed, roost or nest along the shore. Some are local but many are migratory, travelling thousands of kilometres each season. Migratory shorebirds use the sandy shoreline as a refuge after their long journey. If they don’t get enough rest or food, these birds are unlikely to survive their return journey.

Shorebirds are limited by the tide for space to feed and roost. If chased by dogs during these critical times, they may be too exhausted to migrate for their mating season.

In spring and summer, our native shorebirds nest on our beaches and estuaries. There are few coastal areas where shorebirds can find a refuge from people and dogs. For this reason many shorebirds are now threatened with extinction.
Please … keep your dogs well away from shorebirds

Birds and poisons do not mix

Use of rat poison is leading to the wide-scale poisoning of Australia’s nocturnal predatory birds, including the tawny frogmouth and Australia’s largest owl, the majestic Powerful Owl.

Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) are effective at killing rodents, but they also accumulate in the liver and muscle tissues of predators that eat the poisoned animals such as nocturnal predatory birds.

Research has shown that a staggering 92% of 60 dead birds tested by Deakin University had been exposed to these poisons. The concentration of SGARs in the liver causing toxic or lethal impacts were likely to have occurred in the 33% of powerful owls, 68% of Tawny Frogmouths, 42% of southern boobooks and 80% of Barn Owls tested.

Next time you reach for the rat poison, consider the consequences. There is a very strong likelihood you will poison more than rodents – you could not only be poisoning a Tawny Frogmouth or owl, but also other birds of prey such as kestrels and kites that hunt for rodents.

Add to that is the risk of poisoning your own cat or dog as well.

There are alternatives. Avoid any SGAR-based products – those containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone and flucoumafen as the active ingredients, or use traps – trapping technology has come a long way from the old-fashioned spring-loaded mouse trap.

Make your home less attractive to vermin by clearing vegetation close to the house, reduce the availability of food sources such as pet food and compost, and block access to buildings.

Little Penguins of Eden

Facebook Page: Friends of Little Penguins Eden

Web page: littlepenguinseden.org

Instagram: @littlepenguinseden

Email: littlepenguinseden@gmail.com

Eden was once home to a thriving Little Penguin colony that held a special place in the local’s hearts. The penguins faced many challenges mainly from predators, as well as habitat erosion. These factors caused a significant decline in the penguin population, ultimately leading to the colony’s extinction by the early 1990s.

The Eden community was devastated by the loss and rallied together to raise funds in the hope of resurrecting the penguin colony. These funds remained in the Eden Fairy Penguin Fund until 2016 when Wendy Noble, Ranger from National Parks and Wildlife Service, Nicholas Carlile, Senior Research Scientist and Chris Lloyd from Southern Ocean Seabird Study Association resurrected the project.

With mainland dogs and foxes posing a continuous threat, the three lead the installation of fences along the cliff top near Eagles Claw Nature Reserve to protect against predators. The group designed concrete artificial habitats called ‘Eden Burrows’ which were installed and a solar-powered audio system broadcasts mating sounds from penguins on the nearby Montague Island/Baranguba during the mating season.

Successfully the project enticed two mating birds to choose Wheel Cove for nesting in 2023, birds that have become pioneers in re-establishing a colony that had been locally extinct for 30 years.

Wildlife cameras on the reserve captured thousands of photos of little penguins throughout their breeding season and in 2023 two eggs were discovered by the group.

An egg hatched into a healthy little penguin chick in October 2023. It’s the first to fledge on mainland New South Wales outside of Sydney in three decades, making Eden only the second mainland breeding colony of little penguins.

In January 2024, one of the penguins returned to Wheel Cove to moult. Adult penguins have to moult every year to replace any worn feathers and maintain their waterproofing. This moult is referred to as ‘catastrophic’ with the little penguin dropping roughly 10,000 feathers at once. It takes around 14 days – without eating or drinking – while he grows in his new feathers before he sets off to sea again.

Through this ongoing project, the aim is to establish a new colony of little penguins at Wheel Cove over the next four years. In addition to the sound attraction and penguin burrows, fledglings from vulnerable areas may eventually be translocated to this safe area to help establish the colony.

[From Little Penguins of Eden Website]

Further information on the history of the project can be found at:
Canberra Bird Notes 48 (1) (2023): 1-5
The Eden Penguin Project
Chris Lloyd
https://canberrabirds.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CBN-48-1-Jul-2023.pdf

The local volunteer group Helping Eden’s Little Penguins (HELP) can be contacted via the above listed social media sites.