Ken Newbey's report

Ken Newbey, a farmer who became a plant ecologist, had made a study of the soils, geomorphology and vegetation of the vacant Crown Land north of the then Fitzgerald River National Park in 1976, while he was a mature age student at Murdoch University. The goal of the study was to evaluate two conflicting land uses: agriculture and conservation.

In  1982, with some updating, he sent a version of the report to the Working Group on Land Releases, as well as to relevant politicians and Government Departments. It was the only detailed report on this area available at the time.

The diagrams below, taken from the report, show the area in question which sits between Old Ongerup Road and the existing Fitzgerald River National Park. Conservation values were estimated by Ken based on his initial surveys. It can be seen that he thought at this stage that both conservation and agriculture could be realistically accommodated in this area. However he also emphasized the need for further surveys before a land use final decision.

Later as more detailed information was determined about the Swamp Parrot (Western Ground Parrot) - its scarcity, presence in some of the land he had considered suitable for farming, and its requirements, as well as the high risk of erosion of some of the soils if the vegetation were to be cleared, Ken changed his view.

Below are two fragments of the text of the report which was entitled 'North Fitzgerald Land Use survey'.

Land release concern revisited

The next few postings will go back in time to 1982 and 1983 when land north of the then Fitzgerald River National Park (FRNP) was under consideration for release for agriculture. Previous postings dealing with this period were 17 January 2014, 25 January 2014, 1 February 2014 and 7 February 2014.

R.A.O.U. (WA) was the Western Australian branch of the organization now known as Birdlife Australia.


Below is the draft of part of the first letter from B. Newbey, a member of the R.A.O.U., advising the organisation of the proposal re the land north of the FRNP. Ken Newbey also wrote with further details about the natural values of the North Fitzgerald, an area he had studied with particular regard to vegetation and geomorphology. (These letters pre-date the personal computer.) 

Draft of part of second letter to RAOU (WA) expressing further concern.

Reply

RAOU (WA) suggested to the Director of the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) (now the Department of Parks and Wildlife) that the land should be surveyed for gazetted rare birds - especially the Ground Parrot and the Brown (Western) Bristlebird, 'so that a reasonable assessment can be made of the value of the land for agriculture as against its value for fauna conservation purposes'.

RAOU offered to organise, under contract to CALM, the requisite survey. 

A recovery plan for the ground parrot in Western Australia

Following an unpublished research plan (Cale,P., and Burbidge, A.H. (1993): Research Plan for the Western Ground Parrot, Western Whipbird and Western Bristlebird. Unpublished report to ANPWS Endangered Species Unit, Canberra.), an Interim Recovery Plan was produced by the Western Australian Department responsible for acting to conserve the State's fauna.

Burbidge, A.H., Blyth, J., Danks, A., Gillen, K., and Newbey, B.(1997) Western Ground Parrot Interim Recovery Plan 1996-1999 (Department of Conservation and Land Management, Interim Recovery Plan No. 6. Perth.)

Below is an extract from Recovery Plan No. 6. It shows the lack of good information on parrot numbers due to changes such as fire and new records. Although Cape Arid National Park is listed as a ground parrot location, no birds had been recorded there since 1989.

Conservation of the Ground Parrot in Western Australia 1992

 Shapelle McNee surveying plants in ground parrot habitat in the Fitzgerald River National Park after the December 1989 fire. Photo: Allan Burbidge,1990.

The paper below summarizes information to date (1992) on Western Australia's ground parrots. The paper is in 'Issues in the Conservation of Parrots in Australasia and Oceania: Challenges to Conservation Biology' (Ed. L.Joseph). (RAOU Report No. 83: 46-9.)

Note: Although in 1992, most of the known population of WA's ground parrots was in the Fitzgerald River National Park (FRNP), by the time this posting was prepared (January 2014), it is uncertain that any ground parrots remain in the FRNP. The total number of wild adult birds is currently given as 140, all in Cape Arid National Park. Fire management is essential for the survival of the species and a major challenge as their habitat is both fire-prone and remote.

Iris colour and age determination

Left is a Western Ground Parrot, a breeding adult male, photographed by Brent Barrett. The iris is a golden colour with a slightly paler inner ring.

Right is an adult Eastern Ground Parrot photographed by Rohan Clarke showing a white iris as described below in (3).

The full series of age-related changes in the iris colour of the Eastern Ground Parrot is shown in Table 4  below. The full series of age-related changes of the iris colour of the Western Ground Parrot has not yet been described. Certainly the adult bird's iris colour differs from that of the Eastern Ground Parrot. 

McFarland was able to make the table as he retrapped birds on many occasions.

The text is copied from McFarland, D.C. (1991). Flush behaviour, catchability and morphometrics of the Ground Parrot in south-eastern Queensland. Corella 15, 143-149.

The photo (centre) by A. and R. Smart, is a Western Ground Parrot (WGP) fatally injured by a vehicle. It is a mature female and has a pale iris. From these and other photos of WGPs it seems likely that the iris of the WGP pales over time, but not as rapidly as that of the Cooloola Queensland Ground Parrots. This bird is now part of the Western Australian Museum collection, no. 27142.

Breeding problem for Ground Parrots

Long-billed Corella      Photo: Wikipedia

David McFarland in his 1989 report (see previous posting) put together a table (below) which compares egg failure in several species of Australian parrot. All the Ground Parrot data refers to Eastern Ground Parrots. There is almost no data available on Western Ground Parrot egg failure.

Note that the egg failure excludes predation and desertion. Although the number of Ground Parrot eggs is separated into three studies, each of the failure percentages is higher than any of the other species listed.

Nests and Nesting

Top photo shows adult bird (male) on a feeding visit to its nest. The domed cavity can faintly be seen.

The lower image is a view of the floor of the nest with three nestlings.

Photos are Eastern Ground Parrots: Norman Chaffer estate copyright Australian Museum.

(These images were not taken as part of the McFarland study.)












The text below is taken from "The Ground Parrot Pezoporus wallicus wallicus (Kerr) in Queensland: Habitat, Biology and Conservation", by Dr David McFarland, April 1989. This report was prepared for the Division of Conservation, Parks and Wildlife; Department of Environment and Conservation, Queensland.

......juveniles were ever heard calling  ('teek' call) in sites burnt within the previous three years."

Note: It is probable that the general pattern of nest-building and nesting is fairly similar for Eastern and Western Ground Parrots. However there will be some differences. For example, work done on Western Ground Parrots (WGPs) in 2006 showed that male birds feed brooding females away from the nest. This has been one of the difficulties which has prevented researchers finding the nests of WGPs.

The plant species listed incompletely in (c) Empodisma minor, Xanthorrhoea fulva, Banksia oblongifolia.