Many people may assume New Zealand’s native birds arrived via Australia. But our new research on the Auckland Island merganser shows they originated from much further away.
Victoria’s decision this week to reject a ban on duck hunting is a shot to the heart for proud Yuin man Jack Pascoe, son of Bruce Pascoe. The black duck Yumburra is a Yuin tribal totem.
Our research looked at data from the government’s annual baking competition. Upon close analysis, we find a dangerous lack of diversity and biases towards cute, cuddly mammals.
AAP Image/Supplied by Australian Environment Minister Sussan Ley
The number of live animals seized by the Australian Government has tripled since 2017, with blue-tongue lizards and sulphur-crested cockatoos frequently captured.
Invasive mammals have already removed some native bird species from our cities. It’s why urban forest restoration and predator control are crucial to support the ‘ghosts of predation past’.
Alberts lyrebird in its natural habitat.
Justin Welbergen
Let us introduce you to this shy performer and convince you that the Albert’s lyrebird is worthy of as much attention as its limelight-stealing sister species, the superb lyrebird.
Increasing revegetation from 1% to 10% of the landscape doubled the number of woodland bird species. The collective efforts of landowners can make a real difference for native wildlife.
These are poignant cries of a disappearing landscape – the creaking calls of gang-gangs, buzzing bowerbirds and the mournful cry of the far eastern curlew.
The critically endangered regent honeyeater.
Friends of Chiltern
New research finds the last 250 years has seen more than 100 million hectares of bird habitat destroyed on mainland Australia – that’s 15% of Australia’s landmass.
The only species of Australian bird which remains unphotographed. This is one of the most accurate illustrations of the species.
John Keulemans published in Gregory Mathews ‘The Birds of Australia’ 1911
The heaviest bird nest ever discovered weighed more than 2,000kg. It was built by bald eagles. The tiniest nest, built by a bee hummingbird, was just over 2cm wide.
Populations of noisy miners have boomed since colonisation, and today they’re a huge threat to other native birds. 45 attempts to cull them in 30 years have left us with more questions than answers.