Declining bird populations on Sydney’s lower north shore

Ornithologist Dr Andrew Huggett, of Insight Ecology, studied 25 sites across the Willoughby LGA in December 2015 and August 2016. He said the two surveys, at breeding and non-breeding periods, were undertaken in the area’s remnants of native bushland, including H.D. Robb Reserve, Explosives Reserve, Gore Hill Cemetery and three local golf clubs. “The aim was to determine what bird species occurred in their bushland, reserve and parks, but also along the Gore Hill Freeway,” he said. “Gore Hill Cemetery has a lot of old, planted English shrubs; within the western part I found a small breeding population of white-browed scrubwren. It’s surviving because of the dense nature of the hawthorn, English box and honeysuckle.” Dr Huggett said he sought to identify the key declining species in the region, eventually coming up with 12. This included the powerful owl (Ninox strenua), superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), eastern yellow robin (Eopsaltria australis) and the red-browed finch (Neochmia temporalis).
Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia), November 4, 2016
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/north-shore/smallbird-popula…