23
October 2017
October 24, 2017
Native marsupials reintroduced in
south-western Australia are a threat to ground-dwelling birds, a University of
Queensland study has found.
Researcher Graham Fulton said
ground-nesting and ground-dwelling birds had generally declined at a greater
rate than other Australian bird groups, with the loss of eggs believed to be an important
factor.
"We don't know a lot about
the identity of ground-nest predators," he said.
Mr Fulton, a PhD student in the
UQ School of Biological Sciences, said his research at Dryandra, south-east of
Perth, highlighted the need for a greater understanding of the impacts of
reintroducing native marsupials.
"Marsupials are not generally
regarded as potential nest-predators of these birds, partly because the biology of
rare Australian marsupials is not fully understood due to their rarity,"
he said.
The study found that three
marsupials – boodie and woylie bettongs (Australian rat kangaroos) and
brushtail possums (pictured right and left) – took eggs from artificial nests
similar to those of the threatened painted button quail (pictured below right).
"Approximately one-third of
the eggs were taken by the two bettongs and another third by brushtail
possums," Mr Fulton said.
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