Bird enthusiasts came together in Rankins Springs last week to learn about protection of the much loved and endangered ground dwelling bird, the malleefowl.
Ron and Andrea Finch hosted 32 landholders on their conservation property, Selby, and were joined by Murrumbidgee Landcare and the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust.
The Trust's Regional Conservation Officer Cassie Douglas and Senior Ecologist Mason Crane spoke about working with landholders like Ron and Andrea to conserve malleefowl habitat on privately held land, giving interested locals insights into the bird’s unique needs
"We want landholders to know there are a number of land management activities they can undertake to help keep this bird in our native ecosystem and prevent further population decline," Ms Douglas said.
Malleefowl are found in semi-arid to arid shrublands and low woodlands, especially those dominated by mallee and acacias, and their main threat is habitat loss.
Ms Douglas said the birds need a lot of leaf litter on the ground to build incubation mounds, which Ron and Andrea’s property provides. The Rankins Springs area is home to some of the last remaining habitat for the endangered bird.
The bird's range extends from Western Victoria to the south of Western Australia, but due to severe habitat loss, pests and climate change many malleefowl populations have been reduced to isolated areas of remnant habitat.
Local Land Services' and the Lake Cowal Foundation were also in attendance and provided information for landholders. The event was delivered under the Private Land Conservation Matters project between the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust and Landcare NSW.
Landholders interested in future education days can visit www.bct.nsw.gov.au/events
Media contact:
NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust
Mindy Greenwood
0472 742 414
[email protected]