Mark Holdsworth has been involved in conservation for what seems like forever, but has developed from his initial skills working in the national parks of Tasmania, to helping save vulnerable populations of birds via pest eradication. Mark is currently engaged in many invasive pest eradication programs all over the world, with Pest Detection dogs being a major element of these efforts. Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube , so I can put a bit more eff...
Feb 08, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 19
I have been teasing this episode for a long time.... It seems like a great opportunity to pop out an episode that is not about birds, but where the work concerned will surely have an impact on the native bird populations of Gariwerd (or The Grampians, in whitefella language), in south-west Victoria. I am speaking with Robin Sinclair, who has been undertaking a B. Sci (Hons), including fieldwork, to monitor the populations of feral cats and foxes through Deakin University. During a global pandemi...
Dec 28, 2020•38 min•Ep. 18
Tegan Douglas from Birdlife Australia returns to tell us how easy it is to get involved in National Bird Week and to take part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, from the 19th to 25th October, 2020. Tegan discusses the methodology, how to use the special App to do your counting and how you will add to the total base of knowledge (and understanding) of the state of Australia's bird populations. Register for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count 2020 here The App is available for both Apple and Android, ...
Oct 11, 2020•44 min•Ep. 17
Marking World Migratory Bird Day (October 10th), today meet Heidi Trudell, an architectural consultant, from Michigan in the USA. Heidi advises the building industry and homeowners about the changes they can make to reduce the incidence of deaths and serious injuries to birds by colliding with glass and reflective surfaces. It is estimated that up to a billion birds worldwide meet their end this way annually. It is avoidable, and Heidi is working hard to greatly reduce this number. Heidi qualifi...
Oct 08, 2020•58 min•Ep. 16
In this Monday Megaphone, where we break format to discuss issues, somebody who knows what they are talking about tells me about coal-fired power generation, carbon capture and storage, solar, batteries and what individual actions can make a difference to reduce emissions. Please enjoy! Follow Simon on Twitter - https://twitter.com/simonahac Check out his bio here - https://t.co/TwnJXCMM3J Look out for another Megaphone Monday where we examine another policy area impacting on birds and their sur...
Oct 05, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 15
Over four years, Dr. Johanne Martens has been studying the Beak and Feather Disease virus, which is appearing more often among wild bird populations, especially parrots. Focusing on Crimson Rosellas, monitoring nest boxes, Johannes and her team from Deakin University have discovered much about this disease, and points to some methods to ameliorate the potential effects on both wild and captive populations. In the usual Bird Nerd part of the show, Johanne tells us how she studied escaped Amazon p...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 14
My guest in this episode is Dr. Clare Hawkins, Citizen Science Co-ordinator at the Bookend Trust , and the driving force behind Where? Where? Wedgie? which could be referred to the Great Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle Count, which monitors the whereabouts of Australia's largest eagle over a couple of weekends in May each year. 2020 was the fourth time volunteers have spread out all over Tasmania to mark the sightings (and non-sightings of eagles). https://naturetrackers.com.au - see all the Where?...
Sep 21, 2020•58 min•Ep. 13
Another bonus episode, to mark Plover Appreciation Day and raise awareness of the particular challenges that are facing a varied group of wading birds, that go by names such as dotterel, lapwing and plover, but grouped together as Plovers. Sonia Sanchez from Birdlife Australia , Rick Simpson from Wader Quest and Andrea Gress from Birds Canada join me to talk about their respective Plover projects. Andrea Gress Rick and Ellis Simpson from Wader Quest Sonia Sanchez from Birdlife Australia All the ...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 12
In a fairly casual conversation, I speak to James Trezise, who is a Policy Analyst with the Australian Conservation Foundation about the challenges for conserving and protecting Australia's natural assets, the current review of the major laws meant to protect species and the biodiversity of the country, and if my approach is too provocative and if it would be effective. James gives us some hints on how to be effective as an individual who wants to make a difference, and a few things you can do r...
Sep 14, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 11
This episode of The Bird Emergency introduces you to Dr. Rob Davis, who is based at the Edith Cowan University in Perth, which sits on the Indian Ocean. However, Rob has a passionate interest in the birds of the small islands of the Pacific Ocean, many clinging to existence. He tells us about the Palau Megapode, one of the unusual mound-making birds, who incubate their eggs in piles of leaf litter, scraped into sizeable heaps, and carefully tended by the parents. The website for his lab is http:...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 10
Meet Dr. Catherine Young, who describes herself as a "actual living scientist", a birder, traveller, bird guide & general nature enthusiast. We discuss the Forty-spotted Pardalote, one of the subjects of the Difficult Birds Research Group, which is based at Australian National University, and Cat's work with the group, while being based in Tasmania. We talk about all of Cat's previous bird and animal adventures around the world, including working with mongooses! Of course, we get to know whe...
Jul 09, 2020•56 min•Ep. 9
It's a special episode! Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Burnett from the Australian National University tells me about the calamitous failures of the administration of Australia's environment laws, as reported by the Australian National Audit Office, in this report from the Auditor-General, "Referrals, Assessments and Approvals of Controlled Actions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999" After 20 years working in government managing and reviewing environment policy, this...
Jun 30, 2020•52 min•Ep. 8
Claire Greenwell is two years into her PhD, which she is doing at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. Claire is undertaking a comprehensive study of the Australian sub-species of the Australian Fairy Tern, currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Claire is adding to the knowledge of the diet, feeding habits, nesting and distribution of this sub-species, hoping to avoid the catastrophic decline that has been suffered by the New Zealand sub-species. You can follow Claire on Twitter ...
Jun 28, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 7
Tegan Douglas is a bird researcher, proud Bird Nerd and the Citizen Science Project Co-Ordinator at Birdlife Australia's Western Australia office . In this episode we talk about many of Western Australia's endangered birds, Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, Western Ground Parrot, Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Bristlebird and the efforts to secure the populations. Tegan tells me about her earlier fieldwork with the Red-browed Treecreeper, and why she loves Australian Babblers. In a wide-ranging (and fun) con...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 6
It's the very first World Albatross Day, and a dedicated group of bird field workers, hardy seafarers and research academics are doing their best to reduce the unnecessary deaths as a result of commercial fishing and the by-catch mortality of many seabirds, but especially albatross species. Nina DaRocha & Stephanie Prince of the Albatross Task Force tell us all about it. Get involved and attend the special events to mark the first World Albatross Day and raise awareness about the hard work &...
Jun 18, 2020•42 min•Ep. 5
Dr. Ben Sullivan is a biologist based in Hobart, Australia, who has an interest in reducing the harm the global fishing industry does to non-target species, particularly albatross. Find out about the work it takes to develop a great idea to be fit for market, and the work it takes to have it accepted by a global industry. Ben explains how the Hookpod works, and quantifies how seabird deaths caused by the global fishing industry are counted, and the impact his device has had on these deaths. Ben ...
May 17, 2020•22 min•Ep. 4
Meet the Far Eastern Curlew, perilously close to disappearing, subject of this Episode of The Bird Emergency. Every year as the days begin to get shorter in the marshes of the Arctic, the entire population of Eastern Curlews leave their breeding grounds in northern hemisphere and embark on a 10,000km journey to the coast of Australia, potentially calamitous for a bird that cannot swim! If the trip becomes too arduous and a bird is exhausted, drops into the sea below, further reducing the limited...
May 11, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 3
Amanda Lilleyman is a researcher at the Charles Darwin University, in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. She monitors the Far Eastern Curlew population as it spends its non-breeding season in the southern hemisphere, particularly the segment of the population that uses Darwin as its feeding ground. Amanda tells us about her project work, how she became interested in birds and what the future holds for her as a researcher. You can watch many of the past conversations, and see the upso...
Apr 18, 2020•53 min•Ep. 2
Dr. Stephanie Borrelle is a David H. Smith Research Fellow at the University of Georgia in the USA, but her love of seabirds began many years ago in Aotearoa New Zealand. Visit Steph's website here And take a look at her working group fighting plastic pollution in the oceans here. You can watch many of the past conversations, and see the upsoming interviews live at thebirdemergency.com/live Subscribe to on The Bird Emergency on YouTube Follow The Bird Emergency on Twitter @birdemergency or Insta...
Feb 04, 2020•57 min•Ep. 1
Promo for The Bird Emergency Podcast
Jan 20, 2020•31 sec
