The first presentation will be a “supercharged BOM” (bird of the month) talk by Geoffrey Dabb entitled: Are you absolutely certain which raven that is? Some thoughts on our two local ravens, with observations on: how the books have treated them; the identification problem; and the limitations of the field guide.
The background story of how we have come to perceive our raven species extends from Gould to Toganmain Station to Trucking Yard Lane. Apart from the historical story, separating our two local species (Australian and Little Raven) in the field can be quite a challenge. However, today, the relative ease of capturing photographic images helps throw some more light on the finer points. It also draws attention to the problem that field guide authors have in trying to be helpful.
The main presentation will be by Debbie Saunders, a Post-doctoral Researcher at the ANU’s Fenner School of Environment and Society on “Saving Our Swift Parrots”.
This presentation will provide an overview of the NSW Environmental Trust “Saving Our Swift Parrots and Other Threatened Woodland Species” project, as well as provide the latest information on Swift Parrots within their breeding range. The recent results from the first radio-tracking study of Swift Parrots within their winter range will also be discussed.
The objective of the NSW Environmental Trust project is to improve the long-term viability of the critically endangered Swift Parrot population in New South Wales, as well as a diversity of co-occurring threatened woodland species and endangered ecological communities. We aim to achieve this by identifying priority sites, empowering established community networks and land managers to implement habitat rehabilitation and restoration works at these sites, and securing their long-term management, monitoring and protection. We will also contribute to the ongoing state-wide volunteer survey coordination for monitoring Swift Parrots and Regent Honeyeaters, and identify future state-wide habitat management requirements for Swift Parrots under climate change to enable long-term adaptive management for this dynamic migratory species. The project will be implemented across a diversity of tenures within two priority regions of NSW (south west slopes and central coast), where Swift Parrots have been repeatedly recorded over the past 18 years.