Summary of Birds Ringed on The Grand from February to early April 2014

In February 2014, the author met with Rod Cook and Michael Bowers to discuss the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (AICSP).  It was agreed that I would undertake the site assessment. Because out reach activities are important and a part of the requirements for the AICSP it was suggested that piloting bird banding in 2014/15 would not only serve as a long term activity but a valuable tool for developing avian baseline information on the property. As a result, several station sites on the property were selected but the area identified as the dumpsite for the golf course became most productive. Other sites will be assessed in the near future.

The objectives for avian population monitoring through capturing and ringing birds in a highly managed and modified habitat such as The Grand GC are:

• ·      To gather avian baseline information by using a constant mist-netting effort (i.e. constant number of nets in permanent location for a constant time period)

• ·      To determine the presence and seasonal occurrence of resident, and migrating birds

• ·      To determine avian population changes over time

• ·      To determine robustness or health of species in a managed environment and compare with similar populations elsewhere within south east Queensland

For each species captured and ringed, we collected the following morphometric and associated data (e.g. age, sex, wing chord, tail, total head, exposed culmen, bill to skull, tarsus, radius, weight fat, skull pneumaticitization, muscle, primary moult/wear, photos, time, date) during our visits to the GC (Table 3 ).  Five 12-metre long by 31-mm mesh mist nets were operated in permanent locations for approximately 6 hours each visit beginning at 0700 hrs.  A daily site census was obtained when possible.  However, if there was a chance of a unacceptable risk to captured birds or birds in the nets, collecting sight observations were forgone.

Stephen Macdonald and Rainer Ebel, both licenced bird ringers in Queensland, are supporters of the Southeastern Queensland Bird Banding Group.  This group is composed of a dozen or so other licenced ringers and interested supporters and is organized by Jonathan Coleman, who is the master permit holder.  The group does not purport to a structured format or organization.  Most banding is done on weekends by the group and at predestinated locations in specific habitats outside of the Grand GC

Five banding days in 2014 (Feb 25, March 5, March 22, March 31, April 04) at The Grand were devoted to capturing, handling, and processing 64 birds representing 12 species (Table 1). White-throated Honeyeater was most abundant followed by Golden Whistler and Red-browed Finch.

The large number of White-throated Honeyeaters may represent local family groups or post breeding dispersal movements while the other abundant species may be more sedentary.

 Table 1.  List of captured species with their banding codes, numbers banded, and their relative abundance during late February to early April 2014.

Species	Banding Code	Number Captured	Relative Abundance (%)
White-throated Honeyeater	WTHO	15	23.4
Golden Whistler	GOWH	12	18.8
Red-browed Finch	RBFI	10	15.6
Eastern Yellow Robin	EYRO	6	9.4
White-browed Scrubwren	WBSC	6	9.4
Rufous Fantail	RUFA	4	6.3
Laughing Kookaburra	LAKO	3	4.7
Superb Fairy-wren	SFWR	3	4.7
Grey Fantail	GRFA	2	3.1
Long-billed Scrubwren	LBSC	1	1.6
Lewin’s Honeyeater	LEHO	1	1.6
White-throated Treecreeper	WTTR	1	1.6
Total		64	100.2
Species		12

 Table 1.  List of captured species with their banding codes, numbers banded, and their relative abundance during late February to early April 2014.

 The daily banding effort at two station sites on The Grand is presented in Table 2.  A total of 26 birds were captured on March 22 and 17 birds on April 4 representing an effort of 0.8 and 0.6 birds per net hour, respectively.  The capture rate (less that one bird per hour) appears insignificant but may in fact be normal for dry sclerophyll forest habitat from late February to early April found at the dump or in southeast Queensland.  Species occurrence and bird numbers are locally dependent on floral presence (honeyeaters) and prey availability.  Regional climatic conditions often regulate the occurrence and distribution of avian species at a local level. Post breeding dispersal, migration, and seasonal occurrence and altitudinal movements are important factors that define the presences and absence of a number of species in the southeast region of Queensland.

Date: 2014	Hours Banding	No. of Birds Captured	No. of Nets	Net- hours	Effort (Birds/net-hour	Site	Coordinates
25 Feb	5.0	0	5	25.0	0	W of the large turf nursery	28° 1’ 12”S    153° 18’ 16”E
5 Mar	5.30	8	5	26.5	0.3	Dump area	28° 0’ 54”S   153° 18’ 2”E
22 Mar	6.75	26	5	33.75	0.8	Dump area	28° 0’ 54”S   153° 18’ 2”E
31 Mar	5.15	12	5	25.75	0.5	Dump area	28° 0’ 54”S   153° 18’ 2”E
4 Apr	6.0	17	5	30.0	0.6	Dump area	28° 0’ 54”S   153° 18’ 2”E
Total	28.2	63	5	141	2.2

Table 2.  Banding effort on the Grand expressed in birds/net-hour