Date June 13, 2016
It's a critically endangered
native bird that's been likened to the character Mr Bean, because of its looks
and somewhat awkward manner.
But while the clumsy Mr Bean has
a high profile in both film and TV, the Plains-wanderer has had such a low
profile in recent years that researchers have been worried about its
future.
But after a number of difficult
years after floods hit northern Victoria, hopes have been raised that the
Plains-wanderer, one of the nation's most critically endangered birds, is
bouncing back.
During survey work in the native
grasslands of the Terrick Terrick National Park near Bendigo last month,
researchers and volunteers found seven birds in one night. According to
Parks Victoria, it is the biggest number of birds detected in a single survey
for several years.
"In a sea of discouraging
news on conservation issues and battles, it's very encouraging to find wherever
a trend is turning the other way," said chief conservation scientist for
Parks Victoria, Mark Norman.
"They're kind of like the
Mister Bean of the endangered birds. They're strange looking awkward birds that
live in strange and difficult habitats. And they don't have an easy time,
particularly with invasion of weeds and land management practices and changing
climates," he said.
"(They're) special creatures
that are part of the unique Ark that Australia is, in terms of the animals that
have evolved here," he said.
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