CONSERVATION
Helping a
PINT-SIZED SPECIES
Years of dedication and work have culminated in the recent release of eight Plains‑wanderer birds into the northern plains of Victoria — a first in Australian conservation history. Failla
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n autumn this year, eight of the world’s most Critically Endangered and genetically-distinct birds were released into the wild for the first time — embarking on a vital journey to help save the Plains-wanderer species from extinction. Every tiny footstep these precious ground‑dwelling birds took made Chris Hartnett’s heart sing. Following years of research, captive breeding and planning dedicated to Plains-wanderer conservation, the Threatened Species Project Officer says the opportunity to see these birds venture into the grasslands of Victoria’s northern plains was very special. “There are currently fewer than 1,000 of these miniature, 70-gram birds remaining in the wild. Plains-wanderers are very rare and are an ancient part of Australia’s birdlife — the last of their evolutionary line,” says Chris.
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Wanderer facts
These tiny birds stand at about 15–19cm tall.
Female Plains-wanderers are larger than males and have a distinctive white-spotted, black collar on the neck.
The path to recovery
The elusive bird, characterised by its distinctive straw-coloured legs and bill, and fawn plumage with fine black rosettes, was once widespread throughout the grasslands of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria
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Watch the Plainswanderers being released into the wild.
The females will lay multiple clutches of eggs per year – with around two to five eggs per clutch.
and South Australia. However, extensive habitat destruction, impacts from over grazing, a lack of understanding about the species and extreme weather events have seen the Plains-wanderer population decline by more than 85 per cent over the past 20 years, driving them to the brink of extinction. In a collaborative research trial, four pairs of Plains-wanderers have been released to live on public and privately‑owned land, closely tracked by a team of conservationists. “Five years of conservation work have led us to this important release,” Chris says. The National Recovery Plan for the Plains-wanderer (see breakout box for more information) began in 2016, when the Australian Government brought together some of the best minds in threatened species recovery. In a multi-state, cross-agency effort, a thriving insurance population of Plains‑wanderers was established via a national captive breeding program. Thirty-two Plains-wanderers were obtained from the wild as foundation birds for the program, resulting in the hatching of 37 healthy chicks — 20 of those were at Werribee Open Range Zoo.
IMAGES: JO HOWELL, RICK HAMMOND
WORDS Jesse
Fly high
