Birdlife Victoria Group

Convenor’s Report for the BirdLife Victoria Regional Group for 2016 and 2017

Background

BirdLife Victoria was formed to work with the Branches and their members in Victoria to deal with issues and events that occur at the State level in Victoria. BirdLife Victoria operates as a Regional Group (as provided for in the BirdLife Australia constitution). It does not operate as a conventional Branch (as there are 18 existing BirdLife Branches in Victoria) or get involved in local Branch issues or activities, unless assistance is requested by a local Branch. Many issues in Victoria need to be addressed at the State level, often with the Victorian Government, and BirdLife Victoria operates primarily at this level. It deals with activities that have broader than a local perspective, including issues that cross Branch boundaries.

BirdLife Victoria operates as a network with a Victoria-wide perspective that can act as a resource for Victorian Branches to call upon for assistance and possibly funding for any special projects or for issues that are of State significance in their areas.

The key elements of the Group and its activities (as approved by the BirdLife Australia Board in 2013) are contained in a modified form to ensure currency in Attachment A.

Activities

Conservation

See attachment B

IBAs

See attachment C

Research grants

See attachment D

Portland Pelagics

A number of trips were run during the period. Reports are available under "Portland" on the Birding-Aus archive..

Victorian Ornithological Records Appraisal Committee (VORAC).

The committee was just being formed and approved in the latter part of the 2015-2017 period. Activity will commence in the 2017-2018 year.

Twitchathon

The 2015 Twitchathon raised $5963.70 which went to the Mallee Emu-wren project.

The 2016 Twitchathon raised $3500 which went to the Shorebird conservation project

Financial Report

A Balance Sheet and an Income Statement for BirdLife Victoria are presented at Attachment E.

Elections of Office Bearers

There are three Office Bearers on the management committee of the BirdLife Victoria Regional Group, being the Convener, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. They have two year terms and are elected by the Victorian Branches.

We will be holding an AGM for BirdLife Victoria in November 2015. We will be calling for nominations for the Office Bearer positions in September and, if necessary, elections will be conducted at the AGM.

The other members of the management committee are nominated by the various sub-committees and interest groups that are part of BirdLife Victoria. They are named on our web site.

Attachment A:

BirdLife Victoria Regional Group

  1. Membership of BirdLife Victoria:BirdLife Victoria is a network for all Branches and members of BirdLife Australia who reside in Victoria. Victorian members have the opportunity to opt out, if they wish. Members not residing in Victoria but living adjacent to the borders have the opportunity to opt in. BirdLife Australia members residing in Victoria and those who have opted in are entitled to receive all BirdLife Victoria e-news and newsletters.
  1. Role of BirdLife Victoria Management Committee: To manage the meetings and state-wide activities and business in conjunction with the Victoria Branches of BirdLife Australia and to produce a state-wide newsletter. These Branches will be involved in the processes of setting priority areas for state-wide collaboration on activities that include:
  2. State-wide conservation issues,
  3. Victorian Research Scholarships (available to students in Victorian academic institutions),
  4. State-wide education issues,
  5. Victorian IBAs (dealing with state-wide co-ordination of their management and
    bird surveys),
  6. An annual Victorian Branches’ Meeting,
  7. “Social Camps” (i.e. where traditionally members from all over Victoria attend primarily for recreational birding) and “Survey Camps” (i.e. where surveys are done in various areas (like Rushworth or burnt areas) and members attend from many Victorian locations),
  8. the Portland Pelagic Trips, and
  1. the Victorian Twitchathon
  1. Office Bearers of the BirdLife Victoria Management Committee: Office Bearers of the management committee will be:
  • Convener,
  • Secretary, and
  • Treasurer.
  1. Other Members of the BirdLife VictoriaManagement Committee: Nominated members of the management committee currently comprise the Chair of the Victorian Conservation Committee (or nominee), Chair of the Victorian Research Scholarships Committee (or nominee), a Victoria-wide Activities Coordinator, the Camps Organiser, a Newsletter Editor, a Web Site Co-ordinator, Chair of the Victorian IBA Committee (or nominee), the BGM and Annual Victorian Branches Meeting Organiser, the Twitchathon Coordinator, the Portland Pelagic Organiser and the Victorian Ornithological Records Appraisal Committee (VORAC). If other Victoria-wide interests are identified, the management committee may accept nominees from relevant sub-committees as members.
  1. Victorian Branch Representation on the Management Committee: It is very important that there is representation on the BirdLife Victoria management committee from the Victorian Branches. Therefore, representatives from each of the Victorian Branches are encouraged to join the management committee and attend meetings as regularly as possible. Where Branches are a considerable distance from Melbourne, representatives may participate in meetings using electronic means, such as teleconferencing.
  1. Elections: The Victorian Branches of BirdLife Australia will elect the three Office Bearers every second year. The remaining members will be nominated by the relevant Victoria-wide interest groups or sub-committees dealing with Victoria-wide issues on the invitation of the management committee. It is anticipated that these elections will coincide with an appropriate Victorian Branches’ Meeting.
  1. Term of Office: Each member is elected or nominated for 2 years. (They may wish to seek renomination for a further 2 years.)
  1. Management Committee Meeting Schedule: The management committee currently meets every third month on a Tuesday at National Office. This can be varied by the management committee.
  1. Constitution: A constitution is not required as BirdLife Victoria will comply with the aims and objectives of BirdLife Australia, as contained in its constitution. Where necessary, an operating procedure can be documented and minuted for future reference.
  1. Nomination and Voting for Office Bearers: Nomination forms are to be produced in sufficient time prior to the election to be processed. If the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies, an election will be held. Each Victorian Branch will have one vote for each Office Bearer position.
  1. Vacancies on the Management Committee: The management committee is able to fill positions that become vacant on the committee, including where there are no nominations for the Office Bearer positions.
  1. Appointment of Other Management Committee Members: The management committee may appoint additional members as it sees fit.
  1. Appointment of Non-Management Committee Coordinators: The management committee is able to appoint people who do not become management committee members to roles of coordinator (or similar) for activities, as required.
  1. Funding: The BirdLife Victoria management committee is not seeking a regular budget allocation from BirdLife Australia at this stage. It raises funds from the Victorian Twitchathon and occasional events. It will not need funding for its Newsletter as that will be produced only as an electronic version. However, the management committee would like the opportunity to bid for funds in the BirdLife Australia annual budgeting process for specific initiatives, if and when it develops them.
  1. Newsletter: BirdLife Victoria wishes to produce a BirdLife Victoria Newsletter, quarterly. It will be an electronic document available from the BirdLife Victoria section of the BirdLife Australia web site. It will report on state-wide conservation issues, state-wide activities, particularly those organised by BirdLife Victoria, issues in a Branch that have a broader Victorian perspective or that provide useful training or guidance, a summary of significant Victorian bird sightings, significant bird-related bird research projects, particularly those funded by our research grants, and any other matter with a Victorian-wide perspective on birds, their conservation or their habitats.
  1. Website: The BirdLife Victoria web site is operational and maintained regularly.

Attachment B:

Victoria Conservation Committee report 2017

The committee meets regularly every month excluding in January and in a few instances when the convenor or substitute have not been available.

Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010

This plan shows those Australian birds that qualify for listing under the IUCN rules. Work has continued to determine which of those that are in Victoria are not on the Victorian Flora and fauna guarantee list. The plan is to continue to get those species recognised and placed on the Guarantee list.

Water fowl hunting:

Prior to and during each hunting season members undertake surveys of wetlands and when non game birds and in particular Freckled Duck and Blue-billed Duck are located the survey results are passed to the Department (DELWP) waterfowl monitoring representative at Arthur Riley Institute.

Government continues to have Waterfowl hunting seasons in spite of all the indicators suggesting this should not be allowed.

Glenfern Green Wedge Reserve open day:

A presentation was made to support conservation and publicise Birdlife.

Victorian Forests industry taskforce:

A representative attended stakeholder forums on the industry. The taskforce failed to achieve any outcomes.

White Ibis in Jells Park:

Discussions and liaison held to attempt to find a solution to this issue raised by a member. Whilst various solutions have been attempted in similar situations, management relies on Parks Victoria taking the initiative which in this situation they have not done.

VEAC – Yellingbo investigation:

Ongoing interest in this investigation and the recommendations. Comment made to the Minister following rejection of some key recommendations were rejected by the Minister.

General:

A watch was maintained on many issues not mentioned above. Submissions were not always required or within skills of the committee.

Attachment C:

Victorian Important Bird and Biodiversity Area report 2017.

The IBA program in Victoria has been slowly picking up speed. At the beginning of the reporting period we assisted with the development of the data form that is now used for the Easter Health Check. In 2017 approximately half of the 36 IBAs were given an Easter Health Check up from about five in 2016. This reflects the increase in the number of IBA Guardians who are now keeping an eye on these areas.

In 2015 an information sign was prepared for the Coongie Lakes IBA in north-eastern South Australia. Although this IBA is outside our area several Victorian members have been working with the Friends of the Innamincka Reserves in the role of IBA guardians and have been completing Easter Health Checks for this IBA. The information sign was installed in the information centre (restored Australian Inland Mission building) in Innamincka.

In 2015 & 2016 we ran two GPS training courses for BirdLife members. The aim of these courses was to improve people’s understanding of navigation and the GPS system so that they can more safely undertake bird surveys and other monitoring of the IBAs. We have also conducted several talks and field sessions with BirdLife branches and affiliated groups to train people in the methodology of the Easter Health Check program.

In 2016 there was an international announcement that IBAs would become Key Biodiversity Areas. Locally there has been interest in expanding the program to include other life forms under the KBA banner. In particular, the forests east of Melbourne would qualify for protection of the Leadbeater’s Possum.

Euan Moore

Key Biodiversity Area Coordinator,

Attachment D:

BirdLife Australia Victorian Regional Group - Student Research Awards 2016 - 2017

Project / Student / Organisation
Individual foraging specialisation in Australasian gannets (Morusserrator): reproductive consequences and its implications on conservation and evolution
The overall objective of this project is to identify the individual foraging strategies of Australasian
gannets and to relation these strategies with the reproductive advantages. The specific aims are to
determine:
1) Inter‐ and intra‐individual variation in foraging behaviours and diet in order to determine the
degree of individual specialisation. 2) The intrinsic (e.g. sex, body mass, morphology) and extrinsic
(e.g. environment) factors influencing this phenomena. 3) The reproductive consequences of
specialisation. 4) The winter foraging areas and diet, and to stablish its relationship with post-winter
individual breeding success. 5) The overall and individual inter-annual diet changes. / Marlenne Rodriguez Malagon
PhD / Dr John Arnould
Deakin University
Adaptive predator management to protect the ecotourism of an iconic species
Specific aims of this study are to:
1) Identify individual ravens (specifically colour-banded individuals) targeting and preying upon
penguin clutches;
2) Examine the degree of genetic relatedness between ravens known to prey upon penguin clutches
and those not known to target penguin clutches;
3) To better understand the factors which render burrows vulnerable to predation (e.g. habitat,
sensory cues, etc.);
4) To create a validated spatial model of raven predation of penguin eggs which will direct managers
to priority areas; and,
5) Provide Phillip Island Nature Parks with critical information to make an informed decision
regarding management of Little Raven predation of Little Penguin clutches. / Laura Tan
PhD / Dr Mike Weston
Deakin University
The prevalence of circovirus and chlamydia in free-range Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo south eastern subspecies (Calyptorhynchusbanksiigraptogyne) and sympatric psittacines: implications for population conservation
1.To investigate whether circovirus infection, a key threatening process in several psittacine species, is common in the endangered Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo south eastern Sub species;
2.To determine if red-tailed black cockatoos have their own species specific isolates of circovirus or whether circulating viruses are derived from spill-over events from sympatric psittacine species;
3.To determine if non-invasive, non-disturbing methods of sample collection such as collection of faeces at known frequented watering holes is a useful method of investigating infections in free-ranging bird populations / Heidi Chan
DVM / Dr A N Chamings
Uni Melb, Werribee
Improving the breeding success of captive bred and released Regent Honeyeaters into Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park.
1. This project aims to supplement the wild Regent Honeyeater population; maintaining numbers in the north-east Victoria / southern NSW end of the species range above a minimum viable threshold.
2. Assess the success of the reintroduction by evaluating short term survival to inform the recovery team and help make decision in the future about best management practices both pre and post release.
3. To improve the breeding outcomes of the captive released cohort by reducing predation and providing supplementary feeders for later in the season. This will enable the regent honeyeater to move past the initial establishment phase and facilitate the persistence of this species in the wild.
4. Engage with the local and wider community by providing an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of a Critically Endangered endemic species. We encourage volunteers to witness the release and to be involved with the post release monitoring. We provide equipment, training and advice which hopefully instils a sense of collaboration effort in the species recovery. . / Gemma Taylor
PhD / Dr John Ewen, Monash and Dean IngwersenBirdLife

Attachment E:

The financial records are not available to date.