Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

More documents

Recommendations

Info

BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999 Sphecotheres viridus, Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris, Silvereye Zosterops lateralis, Eastern Tube-nosed Bat and Black Flying-fox, and the Pouched Frog, Fletcher’s Frog, Short-limbed Snake-skink, Australian Brushturkey, Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor, Albert’s Lyrebird, Yellow-throated Scrubwren Sericornis citreogularis, Logrunner and Russet-tailed Thrush Zoothera heinei respectively. Epiphyte foragers such as the Large-billed Scrubwren Sericornis magnirostris, Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus, Little Shrike-thrush Colluricincla megarhyncha and Paradise Riflebird are also prominent in the wet forests. The vertebrates of the Shire’s sclerophyllous plant communities, particularly swamp sclerophyll forests, coastal scrubs and heathlands, support a large nectarivorous component. This is composed mostly of birds and fruit-bats because of the high mobility required to exploit a resource of such irregular and patchy availability (Gravatt 1974, Gilmore et al. 1986, Milledge 1991). Examples of these ‘blossom-nomads’ (Cannon 1984) are the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus, Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla, Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus, Yellow-faced Honeyeater Lichenostomus chrysops, Eastern Spinebill, Scarlet Honeyeater, Eastern Blossom-bat and Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus. 6.1.8 Migration In addition to the sporadic occurrences of the nomads, more regular movements affect the composition of bird assemblages throughout the Shire on an annual basis. Northern Hemisphere-breeding species such as Latham’s Snipe, the Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes, Red Knot, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus, Common Tern and White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus escape the northern winter to spend the southern summer in the region. Other species including the Common Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae, Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus, Dollarbird Eurostomus orientalis, Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis, Spectacled Monarch Monarcha trivirgatus, Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons, Cicadabird Coracina tenuirostris and Clamorous Reed-warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus return to the Shire to breed in summer after over-wintering to the north in the New Guinea and North Queensland regions. The Double-banded Plover Charadrius bicinctus undertakes an east-west migration from its breeding grounds in New Zealand, occurring on the Shire’s beaches and mudflats in winter. A different group of species which includes the Swamp Harrier, Fantailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis, Shining Bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus, Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis, Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae, Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus, Tree Martin Hirundo nigricans and Silvereye, migrates north from southern States, including Tasmania, to forage during winter in the Shire’s hinterland and coastal forests. Yet another group of birds undertakes altitudinal migration during winter from the New England Tablelands and tops of the ranges to the more equitable climate of Byron Shire’s coastal habitats. Examples of these species are the White-headed Pigeon, Topknot Pigeon, Noisy Pitta, Little Friarbird, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Rose Robin, Golden Whistler and Grey Fantail. 6.2 METHODS 6.2.1 Collection and verification of existing information Information on the occurrence of terrestrial vertebrate species in the Shire was initially collected by examining all available existing sources, comprising: • the published literature; • unpublished reports, lists, etc held by Government agencies, universities, private companies and individuals; • the National Parks and Wildlife Service Atlas of New South Wales Wildlife database (ANSWW database); and • private databases and data sets held by resident observers. 75
A GREENPRINT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Terrestrial vertebrates were considered to include aquatic, estuarine and ocean shore species but not those which are predominantly marine. From this information, a list was derived of species included in Schedules 1 and 2 of the TSC Act, 1995 known to occur in the Shire. A detailed database was then developed - the Byron Shire Threatened Fauna Database, to include records of Threatened species from all land tenures within the Shire with the exception of public reserved land or National Parks, Nature Reserves and State Forests. Records were limited to the period 1970 to the present to maintain relevance and only those for which a date and AMG co-ordinates (to the nearest 100 m) were available were included. Additional information collected for each record was a description of the location, the observer/recorder and source (whether published or unpublished). The references and other sources of information used to compile the database are given in Appendix 8. All records entered in the database were checked for accuracy, either by referring to original documented material or contacting the observer. Records were not included if the observer was equivocal about identification, if the record could not be dated to the year or if AMG co-ordinates could not be assigned to an accuracy to 100 m. Records not in documented form were solicited by a direct approach to known local observers, including amateurs, students and professionals, and by public advertisement of a request for records and then circulation of a questionnaire. A copy of the questionnaire is included as Appendix 6. 6.2.2 Field surveys The collation of existing information showed that a relatively extensive amount of location data was available for some Threatened species as the result of past systematic surveys and from the data sets of a number of resident observers. Examples of such species with location sources were: 76 • Wallum Froglet – Australian Museum Business Services 1995, Fanning 1994, Greenloaning Biostudies 1997, Milledge 1991, NPWS 1995, Parker 1994; • Osprey – Australian Museum Business Services 1995, Milledge 1991, NSW NPWS 1995; D. Milledge, D. Stewart unpubl. data; • Bush-hen Amaurornis olivaceus – Biosis Research 1990, Milledge 1991, Milledge et al. 1995, NSW NPWS 1995, Parker 1993c; H. Bower, D. Milledge, D. Stewart, unpubl. data; • Wompoo Fruit-dove – Biosis Research 1990, Milledge 1991, Murray and Baverstock 1991; M. Fitzgerald, D. Milledge, D. Stewart unpubl. data; • Rose-crowned Fruit-dove – Ptilinopus regina – Biosis Research 1990, Gilmore et al. 1986, Milledge 1991, Milledge et al. 1995, Murray and Baverstock 1991; H. Bower, D. Milledge, D. Stewart unpubl. data; • White-eared Monarch – Biosis Research 1990, Gilmore et al. 1986, Greenloaning Biostudies 1997, Milledge 1991, Milledge et al. 1995, Murray and Baverstock 1991; H. Bower, D. Milledge, D. Stewart, unpubl. data; • Common Planigale – Australian Museum Business Services 1995, Baker and Miller 1998, Biosis Research 1990, Milledge 1991, Murray and Baverstock 1991, Parker 1996b; • Koala Phascolarctos cinereus – Biosis Research 1990, Gilmore et al. 1986, Milledge and McKinley 1992, Phillips 1995; H. Bower, M. Fitzgerald, D. Milledge unpubl. data; • Common Blossom-bat – Australian Museum Business Services 1995, Biosis Research 1990, Fanning 1994, Gilmore et al. 1986, Greenloaning Biostudies 1997, Milledge 1991, Milledge and McKinley 1992, Milledge et al. 1995, Murray and Baverstock 1991, NSW NPWS 1995; M. Fitzgerald, D. Milledge unpubl. data. Consequently, it was decided that field investigations should target the most poorly known Threatened species in the Shire rather than attempting a more general Threatened species survey. Concentration on the
Page 1 and 2:
Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 A
Page 3 and 4:
A GREENPRINT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTU
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34: A GREENPRINT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTU
Page 83: A GREENPRINT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTU
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143:
Page 147:
Page 151:
Page 155:
Page 159:
Page 179:
Page 183:
Page 187:
Page 191:
Page 195:
Page 199:
Page 203:
Page 207:
Page 211:
Page 215:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239:
Page 243:
Page 247:
Page 251:
Page 254 and 255:
BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999 J
Page 256 and 257:
BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999 2
Page 258 and 259:
Page 260 and 261:
Page 262 and 263:
BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999 T
Page 264 and 265:
Page 266 and 267:
BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999 T
Page 268 and 269:
Page 270 and 271:
Page 272 and 273:
BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999 a
show all

Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?