sicklebill
well-known Cretaceous relic
Just published, delayed for obvious reasons, and threw up a few surprises in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, as summarised by Dominic Chaplin:
The biggest news of 2020 concerning birds in the Wet Tropics was the release of Steve Williams JCU study 2000-2016. This major work involving 2000 bird surveys showed substantial reductions in population density of 14 seemingly common Wet Tropics bird species. These species were subsequently given given new conservation status (Near Threatened to Endangered) in the other big news of the year, the release of The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020
Endangered: Brown Gerygone Wet Tropics nominate race, Australian King Parrot Wet Tropics race minor, Fernwren
Vulnerable: Large-billed Scrubwren Wet Tropics race viridior, Atherton Scrubwren, Eastern Whipbird Wet Tropics race lateralis, Bower's Shrike-thrush, Mountain Thornbill, Victoria's Riflebird
Near Threatened: White-throated Treecreeper Wet Tropics race minor, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Golden Bowerbird, Grey-headed Robin
Some of this is very surprising, as the treecreeper and whipbird as well as the riflebird seem vocal and widespread. Also very surprised to see no mention of the nigrifrons race of Crimson Rosella which was always uncommon and now seems even harder to find
The biggest news of 2020 concerning birds in the Wet Tropics was the release of Steve Williams JCU study 2000-2016. This major work involving 2000 bird surveys showed substantial reductions in population density of 14 seemingly common Wet Tropics bird species. These species were subsequently given given new conservation status (Near Threatened to Endangered) in the other big news of the year, the release of The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020
Endangered: Brown Gerygone Wet Tropics nominate race, Australian King Parrot Wet Tropics race minor, Fernwren
Vulnerable: Large-billed Scrubwren Wet Tropics race viridior, Atherton Scrubwren, Eastern Whipbird Wet Tropics race lateralis, Bower's Shrike-thrush, Mountain Thornbill, Victoria's Riflebird
Near Threatened: White-throated Treecreeper Wet Tropics race minor, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Golden Bowerbird, Grey-headed Robin
Some of this is very surprising, as the treecreeper and whipbird as well as the riflebird seem vocal and widespread. Also very surprised to see no mention of the nigrifrons race of Crimson Rosella which was always uncommon and now seems even harder to find
