Hopes new plains-wanderer males will catch wandering eye of females
A group of critically endangered birds has been released in northern Victoria in an effort to bolster dwindling population numbers.
Once widely distributed from Queensland to South Australia, there are now thought to be less than 1000 plains-wanderers (Pedionomus torquatus) remaining in the wild.
The Goldilocks bird…
In the beloved children’s story, Goldilocks wanders through a house owned by three bears but struggles to find things that are ‘just right’.
In the bird world, the plains-wanderer is the Goldilocks equivalent. Fussy about its habitat, the plains-wanderer prefers grasslands that are a mix of native grasses and herbs – but they must not be too dense (blocking the birds from moving through themselves) nor too sparse (exposing the birds to predators like eagles, cats and foxes). For similar reasons, the ideal habitat should not be too high or too short.
This very specific habitat has disappeared in recent decades: the majority converted for agriculture or urban development, taken over by weeds or impacted by climate change. As a result, the number of plains-wanderers has declined by over 85 per cent.
But enter new heroes to our story. In 2017, a conservation breeding program began at Victoria’s Werribee Open Range Zoo aiming to increase numbers, preserve genetic diversity and strengthen wild populations.
…becomes the Bachelorette…
And of course, all good stories must have a love interest. Seven of the captive-bred male plains-wanderers have recently been released into protected grasslands on Barapa Barapa Country in Victoria’s Northern Plains. Wildlife managers are hoping the captive-bred boys will attract the interest of the wild females and encourage them to establish new territories in unoccupied paddocks.
According to Zoos Victoria Threatened Bird Project Officer, Dr Aaron Grinter, the success or failure of this matchmaking effort is in the hands – well, the wings – of the girls.
“Unlike most other bird species, female plains-wanderers will create a reverse harem or stud farm,” he says. “They’ll mate with multiple males and then step away leaving child-rearing duties to the doting dad.
“It’s an evolutionary tactic in an environment that can be tough to survive in. If females can produce lots of eggs with different males, they can have a high reproductive output.”
…and (hopefully) lives happily ever after
“Plains-wanderers are fussy, but they’re also a species that can do quite well alongside well-managed grazing practices,” says Parks Victoria Project Officer – Northern Plains Grasslands, Ben Hodgens.
Less than five per cent of the plains-wanderer’s original grassland range in Victoria now remains. But Parks Victoria is strategically managing livestock grazing to allow the grasslands to rest for a large portion of the year and promote a complex habitat for the wildlife that lives there.
Protecting and restoring what remains of these grasslands is important not only for the plains-wanderer but also for the Barapa Barapa people, who have cared for the land for over 60,000 years.
“To see these little birds return to Country is a reminder that all of the work being done to heal Country, helps prevent these precious plants and animals from disappearing,” says Barapa CEO Deborah Webster.
Time will tell. The seven new males have been fitted with radio transmitters that will allow program managers to track the incredibly well-camouflaged birds as they settle into their new home.
“They are the only species in their genus, the only genus in their family,” Aaron explains.
“They are really the last member of their family, so it’s incredibly important that we protect them.”
