In this episode, I am joined my Kevin Burgio, PhD, to discuss the rapid decline and eventual extinction of the Carolina Parakeet, the only endemic parrot of continental North America. Kevin has been using historical records to examine the known rages of both sub-species of this parrot and shed some light on why this bird declined so rapidly. Hopefully some lessons can be learned from his work to prevent future losses. Follow Kevin on Twitter @KRBurgio and check out the NYC chapter of the Audubon...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 47
In this episode, you will hear the discussion I had with Dr. Holly Parsons, the Urban Bird Program Manager, BirdLife Australia, which encompases the Birds In Backyards program and Dr. Maggie J. Watson, Lecturer at Charles Sturt University, specialist in parasites and other disorders in birds and other wildlife, who has an interest in rodenticides. We tackle the issues around pest control in a domestic setting, and in broadscale production systems, identifying the ingredients in different product...
Aug 09, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 46
Australia has a famous lyrebird, the one everyone has seen in the David Attenborough shows, imitating all manner of man-made sounds and the sounds of the forest it lives in. But, there is a lesser-known lyrebird, which is equally gifted with vocal talents, and has a stunning display, which takes place in the subtropical forests in the border region of New South Wales and Queensland. Seldom seen, Albert's Lyrebird is giving up some of it's secrets to intrepid researcher, Fiona Backhouse, who is a...
Jul 30, 2021•51 min•Ep. 45
Formerly known as the Monkey-eating Eagle, the Philippine Eagle is large, imperious eagle of the remote forests of The Philippines. Sadly, it is clinging to a meaningful existence only through the assistance of a dedicated team throught the Philippine Eagle Foundation, based in Davao, on the island of Mindinao. I was fortunate to have a conversation with Jayson Ibanez, Director of Research and Conservation, with the Foundation. Jayson has an interest in indigenous studies, which has informed his...
Jul 25, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 44
We are talking photography, bird photography again, and how Christy Bharath snaps the birds in an urban fringe in India with a consumer level camera. He takes great smnaps, and we learn about the birds seen in an urban setting in one corner of India. Discover Christy on Twitter @contentbirder Check out Ewen on Twitter @ewester and the hashtag #blirbs Follow The Bird Emergency on Twitter @birdemergency...
Jul 24, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 43
The Gouldian Finch is one of the most desired cage birds in the world. Inhabiting northern Australia, in the tropical savannah habitat, it has been under intense pressure for many decades, first as trapping to supply the cagebird market, and then as habitat has been cleared for agriculture, and now the changed fire regimes pose a severe threat to these remote populations. A further issue is the reduction in the availability of suitable hollows as nest sites, as the Gouldian Finch is very fussy i...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 42
Here is the terrific panel discussion live streamed earlier this week, discussing all the issues around the loss of hollows for wildlife, and the various methods to provide artificial hollows for birds and other wildlife. You can hear Dr Holly Parsons, Manager of the Urban Birds program at Birdlife Australia (@BirdsInBackyards), Mick Callan from Habitech Australia (@HabitechA), Dan Fuller, host of the Plants Grow Here Podcast (@PlantsGrowHere) and Grant Williams (@birdemergency) Currently trying...
Jul 13, 2021•1 hr 3 min
As we see more and more habitat being lost, replaced by new housing developments, new and wider roads, expansions to agriculture and industry, one critical part of the habitat tapestry is being lost, and takes many, many decades to be replaced by revegetation efforts. Those crtical things are hollows. MIck Callan has been researching what could be produced to adequately replace these living spaces for wildlife. Hear Mick discuss the development of the artificial hollows he has developed, and wha...
Jul 12, 2021•46 min•Ep. 41
Here is a bonus for you! This is the Live Stream event/panel/seminar (whatever you want to call it) that took place on Monday July 5th, featuring Dr. Holly Parsons, the manager of the Urban Birds program at Birdlife Australia. You may know it as Birds in Backyards. Dan Fuller, the host of the Plants Grow Here podcast is here too, and the discussion is directed by Grant Williams, host of The Bird Emergency. The key points discussed and where to get the Flowering Calendars mentioned in the show wi...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 38 min
Chris MacColl has been unlocking the secrets of the elusive Red Goshawk in northern Queensland and across the Top End of Australia. The work has involved trapping these fearsome-looking raptors and fitting them with harnesses, fitted with GPS transmitters, and analysing the movements of the birds over an entended period of time. Since Chris and I had our conversation, the team have managed to trap male birds, and have harnesses fitted, so they are closer than ever to unlocking to mystery that ha...
Jun 27, 2021•48 min•Ep. 40
Trying something a little different, because a huge part of protecting birds, and their habitat, is for people to know and love birds more! That's where photography comes into it... I will be talking to people who love taking pictures of birds, and Ewen Bell will deliver some technical and practical tips. Today it is James who enjoys the birds that visit his birdbath. Follow James on Twitter @sydneybirdbath (He has now moved north to Coffs Harbour, so there's a whole new birdbath to talk about! ...
Jun 25, 2021•42 min•Ep. 39
Dimas Gianuca works with Birdlife Marine and the RSPB collaborating with everyone comprising the Albatross Task Force to protect the albatross species (and all of the seabirds) that visit the waters of Brazil to feed on the rich bounty that can be found as a result of the currents directed from the deep Southern Ocean. Dimas explains that seabirds are abundant in Brazil, and the extensive coastline comprises a surprising variety of habitats and far more birds than the jungle dwellers that often ...
Jun 20, 2021•44 min•Ep. 38
Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas and Pacific Rim Conservation are involved in an effort to ensure the survival of the Black-footed Albatross in the northern Pacific Ocean, conducting a tranlocation of the species to restored islands, after extensive pest control and revegetation efforts on suitable islands off the Mexican coast and the US territories, including Hawaii and Midway Atoll. A truly massive undertaking, and multi-agency cooperative effort! For World Albatross Day 2021, meet F...
Jun 19, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 37
Let's celebrate the amazing explorers of the ocean, the friends of seafarers and the masters of the vast expanse of the seas! Dr. Stephanie Borelle was my guest in the very first Bird Emergency episode! We speak again to talk about albatrosses, as Steph now works for Birdlife Marine looking out for the great seabirds of the world. It's #WorldAlbatrossDay2021 Follow Steph on Twitter @PetrelStation Follow the Albatross Task Force on Twitter @AlbyTaskForce or on Instagram @albatross_stories Current...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 36
Doing something a little different for a while- an irregular feature to help those bird nerds who have developed a business sharing their knowledge and their favourite birding locations with other bird nerds! A global pandemic doesn't help tour operators, so I thought I could feature some great bird-focused tour operators! First up is Janine Duffy, co-founder and Director of Echidna Walkabout Tours. Janine is passionate about birds and Australia's unique wildlife, Koalas in particular. Janine is...
Jun 10, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 35
Everyone who has ever heard about the Kakapo, or seen footage of this remarkable bird, never forgets them They have clung tenaciously to existence, and a team of dedicated scientists, naturalists and volunteers have helped them stage quite a recovery, despite rats, mice, stoats and crusty-bum. Hear the story, in detail, and get inspired to help, in any way you can, so that the Kakapo see many more generations. Visit the Kakapo Recovery Team website. Currently trying to get some eyes and subscrib...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 34
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is rapidly disappearing from the landscape in northern Australia, where this species requires a very particular habitat - one that is disappearing due to changed land uses over the period of colonisation, especially as the patterns of burning and clearing have changed. Some landowners are trying to reverse this process, and the owners of Artemis Station, which occupies some historically prime habitat for the Golden-shouldered Parrot, have been supporting the research...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 33
The Philippine Cockatoo is restricted to intact lowland forests of the Philippines - increasingly hard to find! Indira Lacerna - Widmann and the Katala Foundation are dedicated to the preservation of this big parrot. The vision of the Katala Foundation is to effect conservation of biological resources through active community involvement – conserving with people! Indira has soon wonderval initiatives the have the community invested in conservation. Check out t he Katala Foundation on their websi...
May 28, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 32
Wrapping up the Takeover of The Bird Emergency by The Pint of Science Australia, is Ettore Camerlenghi, who is studying the complex and surprising social structure and behaviour of the Superb Fairywren on the outskirts of Melbourne, here in Victoria, as a PhD candidate at Monash University. Ettore has been monitoring many groups of these delicate passerines, and identifying the familial releationships between the individuals that comprise these groups, and unlocking the relationships within and ...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 31
In this episode we meet Alona Charuvi, a researcher who has been studing the reactions to disturbance by the Masked Lapwing, a bird that is very familiar over a large part of eastern and southern Australia. The Masked Lapwing is often in conflict with residents and land managers, as it can be very aggressive when nesting, and defending a nest location or chicks. Alona used an ingenious device, a false egg, that recorded the heart rate of the sitting bird, and the brooding temperature, and measur...
May 25, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 30
An estimated 8 million migratory shorebirds frequent the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) annually. In recent years, global change has resulted in population declines of up to 80% in some species of this flyway. To greater understand the threat that pollution poses to migratory shorebirds of the EAAF, Toby Ross, through Deakin University, is studying three relatively common migrants that frequent Australian coasts every Austral summer. Ruddy turnstones, Curlew sandpipers and Red-necked stin...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 29
The people at Pint of Science asked me to be part of #PintAU21 Takeover - where we takes science and scientists like Elodie Camprasse to the masses and showcase their work and experience! Elodie shares her visits and fieldwork with penguins and albatross on Kergulen Island. Could you work in the sub-antarctic? Check out the range of activities during #Pint21Au at https://pintofscience.com.au Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube , so I can put a bit m...
May 23, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 28
In this episode, Scott Mouat, documentary filmaker from New Zealand - Aoteoroa - who has worked on presenting the plight of the Kakapo, the strange Night Parrot, that teeters on the edge of existence on pest-free offshore islands, supported by the extraordinary work of the Kakapo Recovery Team. Scott explains the challenges in preserving the Kakapo and the swamphen-like Takahe, and the way remote reserves serve as the last bastions for both these species. All of Scott's work is on his Elwin Film...
May 18, 2021•48 min•Ep. 27
In this episode, we meet Linda Bell, who manages the Saving Our Species program in the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. This program has a 100 year horizon and takes a holistic approach to the preservation of species. It is innovative, and if it proves successful, could cause a shift in the focus of conservation efforts in Australia. Here is what the Saving Our Species website says; "What we do We’re working to secure a future for NSW threatened species. We prote...
May 09, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 26
Did you know that it is World Migratory Bird Day? May 8th To mark World Migratory Bird Day, this episode features two migratory species that have become loved and important in one of the mega cities of the world, Beijing in China. Terry Townsend has been living in Beijing for many years and is familiar with what makes the city tick, as well as all the facinating birding opportunities in the heart of the city. Terry tells us how projects to study the Beijing Swift and the Common Cuckoo have solve...
May 07, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 25
Without doubt, the best friend the Eurasian Curlew has, from a public relations perspective, is Mary Colwell, Chair of the Curlew Recovery Partnership England and Founder of the charity Curlew Action . For years, Mary has been raising the issue of when fields should be mown, and the effect early mowing has on the breeding success of the UK population of these graceful birds. 30% of the breeding population frequents the UK and Ireland, and has suffered a massive decline in 50 years. Mary has kept...
Apr 21, 2021•48 min•Ep. 24
Reliable information is required in the efforts to conserve endangered species, and collecting that information can be expensive to gather, or may need to be gathered at crucial specific times. This presented a challenge when studying the endangered Glossy Black-cockatoo population on Kangaroo Is. Daniella Teixeira brought a new approach to collecting vital information, and using sounds to inform her research. Hear Danielle explain her work on Glossy and Red-tailed Black-cocktoos and the Malleef...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 23
Do you sometimes marvel at the stunning photography where birds are the subject? I am always amazed at the clarity and the action shots, or the perfect balance between scientific study and artfulness that many people can achieve. This episode features Ewen Bell, a photographer with an affinity for avian subjects. Ewen tells us how he got into photography, how his interest in birds has grown, and how he moved into tourism thanks to his camera! He has worked in some fabulous locations, so if you y...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 22
As we are coming up to the 2021 surveys for the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle - the Where, Where Wedgie project - Here is an update on last year's results. Hopefully this will get you excited to get involved, register and select an area! It's coming up soon, but it is an ideal reason to take a trip to Tasmania and do some citizen science. Here is where you can get involved; https://naturetrackers.com.au/indexWWW.php Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTub...
Apr 04, 2021•18 min•Ep. 21
Meet the Plains-wanderer, one of the oddest birds in Australia, living in the last remaining intact tracts of grassland habitat in south east Australia. Daniel Nugent is trying to unlock the many secrets held by this bird, in an effort to develop effective strategies to preserve the last populations. Female Plains-wanderer Daniel Nugent undertaking fieldwork with the Plains-wanderer Photos courtesy of Julain Teh Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube ,...
Mar 28, 2021•54 min•Ep. 20
