Only 12 breeding pairs of Australian rare bird left

Beach stone-curlews are under threat from feral foxes in New South Wales

Published: 14:06 August 15, 2018

Australasia region are under threat from feral foxes in New South Wales (NSW).

The aboriginal community in the coastal bushland has now taken up action to protect the rare birds by laying fox traps, Xinhua news agency reported.

Conserving the ground-nesting birds is important as there are only 12 breeding pairs left, said Banahm Slabb from the Tweed Byron Aboriginal Land Council.

The foxes were first introduced Down Under from Europe in the mid-1800s for sport hunting. Later they proliferated on minimal competition and have now started affecting native species.

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Tuesday, August  28, 2018

                                                                                                                                                                          

With just 12 breeding pairs left, authorities move to protect rare Australian bird

Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-14 13:37:25|Editor: Shi Yinglun

SYDNEY, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The last 12 breeding pairs of the beach stone-curlew in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) are under threat from feral foxes, with the local community now taking action to protect the rare birds.

Local media reported on Tuesday that community groups have laid fox traps in an attempt to exterminate the introduced threat to local wildlife.

"We've got nice big areas of coastal bushland, which is habitat to lots of birds and animals, particularly ground-nesting birds such as the bush stone-curlew, also the beach stone-curlew," Tweed Shire Council's manager of natural resources Jane Lofthouse said.

"The beach stone-curlew is especially vulnerable because there are only, that we know of, 12 breeding pairs in the whole of NSW, so if we have one here on Fingal it is important we help them to breed."

Foxes were first introduced to Australia from Europe in the mid 1800's for the purpose of sport hunting, with a number of animals being deliberately released to establish a wild population.

Due to the Australian continent lack of equivalent native predators, the foxes proliferated on minimal competition for resources, and an abundant supply of prey unaccustomed to threat from apex predators.

Continued