ONE of Australia’s leading raptor experts will deliver a special presentation on the plight of birds of prey on the Northern Tablelands, at an upcoming Recognising Your Raptors Field Day, in Armidale.
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Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (LLS) is hosting a series of events as part of a new project to raise awareness of the birds of prey that call the Tablelands home, and halt the decline in local populations of the Little Eagle, the Square-tailed Kite, and the White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
It may surprise people to know how rare these birds now are.
Each of these birds is listed in NSW as a ‘threatened species’ (category Vulnerable) which means their numbers are in decline to the point of being at risk of extinction in the long term.
Ecologist and raptor specialist, Steve Debus, is searching the Northern Tablelands for raptor nests with the aim of monitoring their breeding success over the coming season.
“The Northern Tablelands may be one of the few places left in the State where habitat is still in relatively good condition,” Mr Debus said.
“Lakes and large water bodies in inland areas provide very important habitat for raptors such as the Sea Eagle, which is mostly considered a coastal bird.”
Mr Debus said the breeding success and life expectancy of inland birds of prey have dropped dramatically, particularly in pairs of Little Eagles which he has been personally studying since 1980.
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Project Manager, Carina Johnson, says it’s a privilege to have Steve involved in the Birds of Prey Project and take the time to speak with local communities about where these birds are in our landscape.
“As top predators, these birds are indicators of a healthy ecosystem,” Ms Johnson said.
“The changes we have seen in their populations suggest early warning signs regarding environmental health in our region.
“They play an important ecological role in controlling small mammals, including rabbits and rodents that compete with livestock for grazing resources, and they rapidly clean up carcasses, stopping the spread of disease that may threaten livestock.”
Landholders are invited to take part in the Recognising Your Raptors Field Day in Armidale on Monday 20 March 2017.
For more information and bookings contact Carina Johnson on (02) 6770 2000 or email carina.johnson@lls.nsw.gov.au
The Birds of Prey project is a partnership between the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage, the New England North West Biodiversity Alliance, and Northern Tablelands LLS.
