North QLD - Birds Australia

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Regional Groups

North QLD

Geographic Range

BANQ covers the northern third of Queensland - from Ayr/HomeHill north to the Torres Strait Islands and west to the Northern Territory border. Regional contacts are based in Townsville, Mount Isa, Cairns, Atherton Tablelands, Mossman/Daintree and Weipa on Cape York.

Latest News

ALAN GILLANDERS, Convenor, BANQ reports: Cassowary Scat Surveys have commenced at Mission Beach under the leadership of David Westcott of CSIRO, Atherton. 38 community members and nine professionals were involved in the first workshop. 64 dung specimens were collected from 201 piles, many being too old for DNA testing. It is hoped that further analyses will allow for the identification of individuals. The annual Pied Imperial-Pigeon count went off well at Mission Beach under the direction of Jo Wieneke. Just after the briefing two female Great Frigatebirds flew over. This was followed by the Group's Christmas party and buffet dinner. The Black-throated Finch survey, involving more than 40 participants at waterholes in the Townsville area in mid October, was probably a bit early in the season. A review is planned.

We will have restarted wader counts at important sites along the coast. A wader workshop on 21 March will be followed by Wave the Waders Goodbye on the Esplanade at 3.30 pm. For details of group activities visit our website.

Special Birds of the Region

The birds of the region include rainforest specialists such as the Southern Cassowary and Golden Bowerbirds, dry area specialists including the elusive Grasswrens, all the Finches, migratory birds from New Guinea and beyond, shorebirds and dry tropical savannah specialists. Some other species unique to the region are the Atherton Scrubwren, Fernwren, Palm Cockatoo, Golden-shouldered Parrot, Yellow Honeyeater and the stunning Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. In all a current count of 490 species for the region.

Projects in the Region

The Group is actively involved in a number of projects, including Important Bird Area (IBA) monitoring activities and annual counts of Cranes, Pied Imperial-Pigeons and Black-throated Finches.

Conservation Issues

Fringe urban development in Townsville and Cairns; loss of wetlands; fragmentation of cassowary habitat in the lowlands rainforest; shorebird disturbance, weed infestation and fire management across the region.

Activities

A variety of excursions, surveys, and bird monitoring activities occur throughout the year. Please visit the BANQ website for more details.

What's On

For a list of events in North QLD, please check out our calendar.

Contacts

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - Convenor
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - Secretary

Publications

BANQ publishes a quarterly newsletter, Contact Call, which details activities, news, and events happening in the region, along with a list of contacts.

Contact Call December 2009