Birdwatchers' Delight The second Bruny Island Bird Festival is to be held from Thursday October 25th to Sunday 28th, 2012. The first festival in 2010 was a wonderful event and we are planning for the next to be even better. See the Bird Festival section for more details as planning progresses.
There are over 150 bird species on Bruny Island including all 12 Tasmanian endemic species. In addition, nine threatened species can be found on and around the island. Bruny Island is regarded as a hotspot for birdwatching, an activity that attracts many overseas and interstate visitors each year. Of particular interest to families is the little fairy penguin and shearwater viewing area at The Neck rookery. The greatest diversity of bird species occurs in the dry eucalypt forests and the heathlands but Bruny has all but the true alpine vegetation types so is a good place to see a wide variety of birds and their habitats. EndemicsThe twelve Tasmanian endemic species can be seen on Bruny Island all year round. These are: Tasmanian Scrubwren
Tasmanian Native-hen
Tasmanian Thornbill
Scrubtit
Forty-spotted Pardalote
Green Rosella
Yellow Wattlebird
Yellow-throated Honeyeater
Strong-billed Honeyeater
Black-headed Honeyeater
Black Currawong
Dusky Robin Threatened
Threatened species on Bruny Island include Wedge-tailed eagle, white-bellied Sea Eagle,(white) grey goshawk, Masked owl and Fairy tern. Bruny is the hot spot for two species in particular, the Forty-spotted Pardalote and the Swift Parrot. The Forty-spotted Pardalote is listed as endangered and approximately half of the known population occurs on Bruny. There has been concerted effort to save these tiny birds by protecting their habitat in reserves and revegetating degraded areas with their prime food source, the white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis). A survey of colonies on Bruny Is recently found disturbingly fewer birds than the last survey several years ago. The crash of numbers in colonies in the north of the island is of particular concern. To learn how you can assist this endangered species visit this link on Forty-spotted Pardalotes. The Swift Parrot, another endangered species, arrives each spring to breed and forage. In 2009 the majority of the population came to Bruny to breed. Groups of this quite small, beautiful and gregarious parrot sweep overhead to settle to feed in the majestic flowering bluegums ( Eucalyptus globulus). For the latest news on this species visit the Spirit of Bruny site dedicated to the protection of the Swift Parrot. These two bird species are significant factors in the whole of Bruny Island being designated and Important Bird Area in a recent research project by Birds Australia. Seen a bird you would like to identify ?
Go to this birdfinder tool provided by Birds Australia. For a very comprehensive list of birds on Bruny download the list by Tonia Cochran of Inala tours. For more info on Birds in Tasmania click on http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/tasmania.html END |
increase local community and visitor awareness about the vulnerability of those shore birds that nest in the sand high up the beach. Bruny Island has a small resident population of around 650 but it a is a popular summer holiday location with all the consequent impacts on the breeding success of shorebirds. The Bruny Island District school embraced the project wholeheartedly in keeping with the school logo “We Care”. They have been wonderful ambassadors for the hooded plover!
explaining the many hazards that affect the success of breeding. The children discussed how we might all help and enthusiastically set about designing signs and information leaflets to place at our nesting beaches.