Chapter 5 Feeding Ecology of the Australian Raven on Rottnest Island

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Table 2.2 : Literature review: Terrestrial avifauna <strong>of</strong> Rottnest Island as extracted from Lawson 1904, Glauert 1929, Serventy 1938, Storr 1965 (a, b, c), Saunders and De Rebeira 1985, Saunders and De Rebeira 1993, Ma<strong>the</strong>r 2009, Saunders and De Rebeira 2009; with incidence <strong>of</strong> occurrence during 2010 surveys. Categories and codes as per Saunders & De Rebeira 2009: Habitat codes: B = All coastal habitats (beaches, reef platforms, cliffs and <strong>of</strong>fshore islets and stacks); H = heath (including golf course and airport verges); W = woodland (including settlement areas); and S = salt lakes and swamps. Status codes: Resident = species breeds on <strong>the</strong> island and remains <strong>the</strong>re all year; migrant = species occurs on regular pattern each year; vagrant = species is recorded on <strong>the</strong> island occasionally, but <strong>the</strong>re is no pattern to its presence. 1 Berry 2003. Taxonomy follows Johnstone (2010). 24
Increases Twelve species have increased in abundance on Rottnest Island, with five species being recently recorded (Table 2.2) in <strong>the</strong> last eight years. Three <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> newly recorded species, Little Eagle Aquila morphenoides, Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus and Grey Shirke-thrush Colluricincla harmonica are most likely vagrants. However <strong>the</strong> remaining two are being recorded on a more regular basis. Although it has not yet established itself permanently, <strong>the</strong> highly invasive Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus is regularly observed around <strong>the</strong> Thompson Bay settlement and may be increasing in frequency. Painted Button-quail Turnix varia were observed at Rottnest early this century (Berry 2002) and are listed by Saunders and de Rebeira (2009) as ‘… now established as an uncommon resident’. However “quail” are noted to have been hunted by Governor Weld and E.H. Angelo c1869-75 and also by E.J Watson (1870-1939) (in Somerville 1976). It is possible <strong>the</strong>se may have been Painted Button-quail (R.E. Johnstone 1 pers. comm. 2011). The appearance <strong>of</strong> Painted Button-quail on Rottnest Island coincides with <strong>the</strong> increase in <strong>the</strong> population in <strong>the</strong> Perth area (Berry 2002). Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor, Galah Cacatua roseicapilla,, Spotted Turtle-Dove Streptopelia chinensis and Laughing Turtle-Dove S. senegalensis have colonised and increased on Rottnest Island following increases on <strong>the</strong> mainland (Storr and Johnstone 1998; Storr and Johnstone 2004). O<strong>the</strong>r species, such as Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus, Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus, <strong>Australian</strong> Kestrel Falco cenchroides, <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Raven</strong> and Tree Martin Hirundo nigricans have changed in status to that <strong>of</strong> breeding residents or increased in abundance, through <strong>the</strong> modification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> habitat in favour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se species (Saunders and de Rebeira 2009). Although <strong>the</strong> population <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Raven</strong> on Rottnest Island has recently decreased through controlled culling, it benefited greatly from <strong>the</strong> changes to <strong>the</strong> island use, in particular <strong>the</strong> increase in food availability from waste generated by tourists, and Quokka carcasses. The changes in raven distribution and abundance are examined in detail in <strong>Chapter</strong> 3. The Western Gerygone was presumed to have established itself on <strong>the</strong> island around 1950, 1 Ron Johnstone, Curator <strong>of</strong> Ornithology, Western <strong>Australian</strong> Museum, Welshpool WA 25
Page 1: Ecological Impacts of</stro
Page 5 and 6: Abstract The Australian</st
Page 7 and 8: Contents Acknowledgements vii <stro
Page 9 and 10: 5.2.2 Laboratory examination <stron
Page 11 and 12: Acknowledgements My sincerest thank
Page 13 and 14: Chapter 1 Introduc
Page 15 and 16: 1.2 Why is the <st
Page 17: Chapter 5 Investig
Page 20 and 21: 2.1.2 History Archaeological eviden
Page 22 and 23: Figure 2.1: Rottnest Island in rela
Page 24 and 25: Figure 2.2b: Rottnest Island with t
Page 26 and 27: Early observers did not document <s
Page 29 and 30: 2.2 Methods 2.2.1 Literature review
Page 31 and 32: 2.3 Results 2.3.1 History o
Page 33 and 34: Genus species Common Name Habitat S
Page 35: Gerygone fusca Western Gerygone W R
Page 39 and 40: diversity (Figure 2.5). These sites
Page 41 and 42: 13 Figure 2.5: Combned monthly freq
Page 43 and 44: some species, but causing t
Page 45 and 46: smaller in size than the</s
Page 47 and 48: Pest Management Plan, with 180 indi
Page 49 and 50: within the settlem
Page 51 and 52: Figure 3.1: Age characteristics <st
Page 53 and 54: highest daily frequency of<
Page 55 and 56: individuals in the
Page 57 and 58: pair of Osprey als
Page 59 and 60: There were a higher number
Page 61 and 62: and multiple nests support
Page 64 and 65: Chapter 4 Nest Pre
Page 66 and 67: 4.1.3 Hypothesis t
Page 68 and 69: To reduce the impa
Page 70 and 71: The outside of <st
Page 72 and 73: Five nests, one of
Page 74 and 75: 4.2.8 Control - naturally occurring
Page 76 and 77: Total Settlement (a) Nests SITE 1 5
Page 78 and 79: Figure 4.4: Linear regression test
Page 80 and 81: This can be explained by th
Page 83 and 84: Chapter 5
Page 85 and 86: conducted in 2011 (May - September)
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Figure 5.1: Sources of</str
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Figure 5.2: Raven
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Food Category (i) Seed/Plant Grit/
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Initially, culling was conducted at
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settlement for foraging, roosting a
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6.3 Recommendations for future rese
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Given that several bush bird specie
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Program may already be influencing
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Appendices Appendix I Characteristi
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49 2 B 49 11/10/2010 GW Exposed YES
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101 5 C 101 8/11/2010 LTD Exposed Y
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Appendix II Summary: Nest predation
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Appendix IV Summary: Nest predation
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References Alexander, W.B. (1921).
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Burbidge, A.A. (2010). Australia’
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Glauert, L. (1929). Contributions t
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Major, R.E., Pyke, G.H., Christy, M
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Ricklefs, R.E. (1969). An analysis
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Skutch, A.F. (1966). A breeding bir
Page 127:
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Chapter 5 Feeding Ecology of the Australian Raven on Rottnest Island

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