Jill Shephard

Wildlife toxicology faces increasing threats from pesticide use, yet the impacts on biodiversity remain unclear, as current toxicity thresholds often rely on laboratory data that do not reflect environmental exposure. Here we present a two-step methodology integrating ecotoxicology and movement ecology to investigate pesticide exposure in endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris). Using GPS telemetry and satellite tracking, this study identified pesticide exposure sites and quantified the likelihood and consequences of exposure. A total of 26 pesticides were detected in forage sources (agricultural seed), with 80% of seed samples having one or more pesticides detected. The Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) was exceeded for multiple pesticides including imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, difenoconazole and metalaxyl. Results have highlighted the risks that granivorous birds face being exposed to insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in agroecosystems. This methodology is broad in scope and applicable across species, providing the ecological realism missing in laboratory-based studies. [Display omitted]

Birds are widely regarded as important indicators of environmental change, and identifying areas that are critical for their conservation is pivotal. The Australian bustard (Ardeotis australis), a wide-ranging species of ecological and cultural significance, faces ongoing habitat modifications, yet its future distribution under changing climatic conditions remains uncertain. This study applies ensemble Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) to quantify the species' current and future habitat suitability under four climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, SSP5-8.5) for 2050 and 2070. Results indicate that 69.7% of Australia is currently suitable for Australian bustards, primarily in arid and semi-arid regions. Future projections show moderate habitat contraction, with losses mainly in coastal and semi-arid regions, particularly in southern Australia, while inland arid areas remain relatively stable. Overlay analyses suggest that protected areas, including Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs), will continue to support suitable habitat, reinforcing their role as long-term climate refugia. Key environmental drivers influencing habitat suitability include precipitation seasonality (BIO15), precipitation in the coldest quarter (BIO19), and mean diurnal temperature range (BIO2), underscoring the species' reliance on predictable climatic patterns. Anthropogenic variables, particularly proximity to built-up areas also contribute to habitat suitability, forecasting that ongoing land-use changes may exacerbate climate-driven habitat loss. Using estimated cleared areas (0.3 ha/MW), we also found that around 41% of under-construction, 36% of operational, and 46% of proposed wind farms overlap with suitable habitat for the species, highlighting potential future conflict zones. This study provides the first national-scale assessment of current and projected habitat dynamics for the Australian bustard, offering critical insights for conservation planning. Future conservation strategies should prioritise habitat connectivity, minimise anthropogenic disturbances, and integrate Indigenous-led management approaches to ensure the species' long-term persistence in a changing climate.

The collection of baseline health data is an essential component of an endangered species conservation program. As for many wildlife species, there are minimal health data available for wild populations of the endangered Carnaby’s cockatoo (Zanda latirostris). In this study, 426 wild Carnaby’s cockatoo nestlings were sampled from nine breeding sites throughout the range of the species over an 11-year period. In addition to a physical examination, samples were collected to test for hematologic and biochemical parameters, psittacine beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), avian polyomavirus (APV), psittacine adenovirus, psittacine herpesvirus, Chlamydia, disease serology and endoparasites. Environmental sampling was performed to screen for BFDV and APV in nest hollows. Descriptive health data are presented for nestlings of this species, with BFDV, APV and Chlamydia infections reported. Reference intervals for hematologic and biochemical parameters are presented in three age groups, and factors affecting blood analytes and body condition index are discussed. This longitudinal dataset provides insights into health parameters for Carnaby’s cockatoo nestlings and a reference for future monitoring of breeding populations.

Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) are an endangered species that has experienced major loss of habitat over the past century. Proponents seeking land clearing approval that may impact Carnaby’s cockatoos need to provide detailed habitat assessment. However, the current forage species list is outdated and generally restricted to the Swan Coastal Plain rather than the Carnaby’s full distribution range. This study provides an updated forage list, including the Swan Coastal Plain and much of the Carnaby’s breeding and non-breeding areas outside this region. Carnaby’s cockatoos were captured and satellite tagged, at five breeding sites in the wheatbelt and Great Southern areas in Western Australia (between 2017 and 2022). Spatial data collected from the tags facilitated the identification of forage plants used by Carnaby’s cockatoos. A total of 44 ‘new’ native plant species were identified as Carnaby’s cockatoo forage species, including five genera that have not previously been recorded. The updated forage list will inform proponents and regulators on the potential use of habitat patches by Carnaby’s cockatoos, aiding the referral process and enabling the protection and conservation of important and diminishing habitat resources.

The use of anthropogenic resources is becoming increasingly common as species adapt to human‐induced environmental changes, but their use can expose species to new risks. Understanding how animals exploit these resources is important for guiding conservation management, particularly where species are threatened. The introduction of canola cropping to breeding areas of endangered Carnaby's cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) has been attributed to an increase in the birds' reproductive success; however, the seed may be protein‐limiting for nestling growth and its use by cockatoos has been implicated in the emergence of a new disease. We used high‐resolution accelerometer‐capable GPS tags to track eight birds. Accelerometer data were used to calculate overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA), a proxy for energy expenditure, and to identify and quantify canola and native vegetation foraging behaviours. We used linear mixed models to determine which factors affected patterns of resource use and to determine whether, and to what extent, canola use was associated with reduced energetic and movement costs. We then compared the energetic content of canola seed and native food sources to inform patterns of behaviour and habitat use revealed by our tracking data. Use of canola was associated with reduced movement costs and energy expenditure. However, there was an apparent reluctance to increase foraging on canola above a threshold of time, even when conditions reduced time available to utilise native food sources. While anthropogenic resources may appear to improve population trends in some cases, careful investigations of patterns of resource use are necessary to guide appropriate conservation management efforts. For Carnaby's cockatoos, conservation efforts should focus on retention, protection and expansion of native food sources.

We used accelerometer‐capable GPS tracking to investigate the use of a novel food source by endangered Carnaby's cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) during nestling provisioning. We found the importance of canola relative to native food sources increased with increased maximum daily temperature; however, there was a threshold for time spent in canola, even when conditions required time spent foraging on native food sources be reduced. Our findings highlight the care that conservation managers should take to investigate patterns of novel resource use, even where they appear to improve conservation outcomes for threatened species.

Context
Carnaby’s cockatoos in Western Australia are experiencing ongoing population declines. Despite being highly mobile and adaptable, this endangered species has been impacted by fragmentation of its habitat, with an ongoing need for research on its movements in regional areas across its range to gain an understanding of habitat requirements, and to inform conservation plans.

Aims
This study aimed to determine whether regional differences in movement (distances travelled, revisitations and home range) exist for foraging and roosting behaviour for this species.

Methods
Movement analysis of satellite-tagged Carnaby’s cockatoos (n = 11) across three agricultural regions was conducted.

Key results
When comparing distances between roosts and daily foraging behaviour, no significant differences were found between regions (P ≥ 0.05). Resident home ranges (home ranges in areas of resident daily movement) of flocks were much larger in the Esperance region, however, showing differences in movement patterns between regions.

Conclusions
Because flocks were similar in size (n = ±300) between regions and used a similar amount of native vegetation for foraging (±20%), we concluded that movement may have been influenced by the spatial separation of patches of native vegetation. In addition, key foraging habitat often occurred within patches of non-native foraging species.

Implications
The information derived from this research has proven valuable in assessing the use of native vegetation in the landscape, identifying key habitat and determining daily and seasonal movement patterns. In addition, the importance of non-native food sources must be recognised and protection of native and non-native food sources must play a critical role in the species’ conservation management.

Anthropogenic landscape modification which leads to the displacement of species, is arguably one of the most profound impacts on animal movement globally. In urban landscapes, animal movement is generally impacted by varying levels of increased urbanization. However, this is species dependent and is mostly guided by the surrounding habitat. Fragmentation and habitat patch isolation must be considered at scales appropriate to the study species. Using telemetry, we test these assumptions investigating movement patterns of flocks of Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso; RTBC) between three regions: urban, peri-urban, and forest using GPS and satellite PTT. This species occurs at varying levels of urbanization, however, how this might affect its movements is largely unknown. We did not find evidence that RTBC movement was impaired in the urban region compared with peri-urban or forest regions. It found, however, a significant within-region variation in movement extent among flocks and across regions depending on foraging resource availability and location. Differences in daily movement distance (Av. 4.96 - 16.41 km) and home range size (6.02 - 52.57 km2) between urban flocks appeared to be associated with the proximity of green spaces as roosts and foraging sites, with roadside vegetation providing important foraging resources and movement corridors. Key urban habitats were predominantly located in public nature reserves and private properties, with roadside vegetation connecting these sites for RTBC. The findings of this study highlight that conservation management for this and many other threatened species should regard the urban landscape as a critical habitat for urban adapted species. This would include management of its green spaces with connectivity and offsets from roads in mind. Furthermore, future research should focus on identifying additional key habitat sites (resource selection) and species distribution modeling, which will facilitate an active and adaptive approach towards this species' conservation management.

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is one of the most adaptable carnivorans, thriving in cities across the globe. We used GPS-tracking of five suburban foxes across high-density residential suburbs of Perth, Western Australia to quantify (1) their habitat selection and (2) home range area. All five foxes showed statistically significant avoidance of residential locations (p < 0.001) and preference for parkland (p < 0.001), with native vegetation reserves, golf courses, and water reserves showing disproportionately greater use. Landuse category also influenced their movements, with foxes moving quickest (i.e., commuting) in proximity to roads and slowest (i.e., foraging) when they were further from roads. Three females had core home ranges (50% autocorrelated-corrected kernel density estimate; AKDEc) averaging 37 ± 20 ha or 95% AKDEc averaging 208 ± 196 ha. One male had a 95 ha core home range and 349 ha 95% AKDEc but the other male covered an area ~ 20 times this: using a 371 ha core home range and 7,368 ha 95% AKDEc. The extensive movement patterns we describe are likely to be common for urban foxes, with half of published home range estimates for urban foxes (principally based on VHF data) excluding data for ‘lost’ individuals or animals that showed ‘excursions’. It is likely that the home range estimates for these urban exploiters have therefore been grossly underestimated to date. Further application of GPS trackers that allow remote download will vastly improve our understanding of habitat preference and exploitation of resources by urban foxes.

Context: Carnaby’s (Calyptorhychus latirostris), Baudin’s (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) and forest red-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) are threatened parrot species endemic to south-western Australia. Behavioural monitoring has previously involved direct observation, which has proven challenging because of their cryptic nature, the type of habitat they move through and their speed of movement. The development of a model to accurately classify behaviour from tri-axial accelerometer data will provide greater insight into black cockatoo behaviour and ecology.

Aims: To develop an automated classifier model to classify accelerometer data from released black cockatoos to determine behaviour and activity budgets for three species of black cockatoo.

Methods: In the present study, we attached tri-axial accelerometers, housed in GPS tags, to four Carnaby’s cockatoos, three forest red-tailed black cockatoos and two Baudin’s cockatoos in captive care, undergoing rehabilitation for release back to the wild. Accelerometer data from these birds was coupled with 19 video files of the birds’ behaviour when flying, feeding and resting, to develop an automated behaviour classifier. The classifier was then used to annotate accelerometer data from 15 birds released after successful rehabilitation and to calculate activity budgets for these birds post-release.

Key results: We developed a classifier able to identify resting, flying and foraging behaviours from accelerometer data with 86% accuracy, as determined by the percentage of observed behaviours correctly identified by the classifier. The application of the classifier to accelerometer data from 15 released cockatoos enabled us to determine behaviours and activity budgets for all three species of black cockatoo. Black cockatoos spent most of their time at rest, followed by foraging with a short period of time flying.

Conclusions: Application of the classifier to data from released birds gives researchers the ability to remotely identify patterns of behaviour and calculate activity budgets.

Implications: Combining behaviour and activity budgets with location data provides useful insight into cockatoo movement, distribution, and habitat use. Such information is important for informing conservation efforts and addressing outstanding research objectives. Further studies including larger sample sizes of Baudin’s and forest red-tailed black cockatoos and comparing behaviour and activity between birds in breeding and non-breeding areas are warranted.

Long-term studies are required to reveal responses by long-lived, top-order predator populations to ongoing seasonal fluctuations. However, such investigations are rare in the Australian context. Between 2009 and 2019, the breeding density and productivity of an arid and a mesic wedge-tailed eagle Aquila audax population, each occupying an area of 2800 km2, were compared (11–98 pairs monitored annually). Breeding pairs spaced themselves evenly in both study areas, with no significant difference between the average arid zone nearest-neighbour distance of 5.32 ± 1.98 km (n = 44) and that determined for the mesic zone (4.88 ± 2.32 km, n = 54). This similarity in spacing suggests a maximum average density is tolerated by these territorial raptors. By contrast, annual breeding success (proportion of pairs fledging young) and productivity (fledged young per pair) differed significantly between the two populations, with rainfall (but not temperature) influencing reproduction. In the arid zone, the proportion of successful pairs per occupied breeding home range was consistently low each year (mean = 12 ± 7% fledged broods per pair, range 0–26%) and positively correlated with annual rainfall. In the mesic zone, it was consistently high each year (mean = 69 ± 9%, range 57–91%) and not significantly correlated with annual rainfall. Overall productivity figures showed similar differences, with 0.13 and 0.77 fledglings per pair per year for arid (n = 9 years) and mesic (n = 11 years) eagles, respectively. Such low arid zone productivity, the lowest ever recorded for the species, could have long-term implications in the face of the increased frequency of extreme weather events. That breeding density can be independent of climatic factors provides new insight into the way a large Aquila species integrates with Australia’s predominantly arid environment. This study provides an important baseline data set for continued research on long-term occupancy and productivity trends.