Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T21:08:20.152Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Managing a breeding population of the Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis in a high-use recreational environment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

Bernice Dowling  and
Michael A. Weston
Bernice Dowling
Affiliation:
Parks Victoria, Mornington Peninsula National Park, PO Box 117, Sorrento, Vic., 3943, Australia
Michael A. Weston
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., 3052, Australia
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Summary

Mornington Peninsula National Park, Victoria, Australia, is heavily used by recreationists. It also holds a breeding population of the Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis, a rare endemic shorebird. We monitored the population of plovers over seven breeding seasons, 1991–1998. Mortality of nests (about 60%), and of chicks (over 70%) was high, but preliminary data suggests mortality was low in juveniles. The major cause of mortality of nests was trampling by people. The causes of mortality in chicks is unknown, but mortality was age dependent, and was highest in the youngest chicks. A combination of management techniques that have been phased into operation over the seven years of the study appear to be increasing the reproductive success of the population.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , September 1999 , pp. 255 - 270
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1999

References

Anon. (1991) Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council list of endangered vertebrate fauna—April 1991. Canberra, Australia: Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service (Environment Australia).Google Scholar
Buick, A. M., and Paton, D. C. (1989) Impact of off-road vehicles on the nesting success of Hooded Plovers Charadrius rubricollis in the Coorong Region of South Australia. Emu 89: 159–172.Google Scholar
Duncan, J. S. (1982) Atlas of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government.Google Scholar
Flather, C. H., and Cordell, H. K. (1995) Outdoor recreation, historical and anticipated trends. Pp. 3–16 in Knight, R. L., and Gutzwiller, K. J., eds., Wildlife and recreationists: coexistence through research and management. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.Google Scholar
Garnett, S. T. (1993) Threatened and extinct birds of Australia. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (Birds Australia) Report 82.Google Scholar
Marchant, S. and Higgins, P. J. J. F. (1993) The handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, 2. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Maxon, S. J., Mortensen, S. A, Goodermote, D. L. and Lapp, C. S. (1996) Success and failure of Ring-billed Gull deterrents at Common Tern and Piping Plover colonies in Minnesota. Col. Waterbirds 19: 242–247.Google Scholar
Mayer, P. M. and Ryan, M. R. (1991) Electric fences reduce mammalian predation on Piping Plover nests and chicks. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 19: 59–63.Google Scholar
Melvin, S. M., Hetch, A. and Griffin, C. R. (1994) Piping Plover mortalities caused by off-road vehicles on Atlantic coast beaches. Wildl. Soc. Bull 22: 409–414.Google Scholar
Victoria, Parks. (1998) Mornington Peninsula National Park and Arthurs Seat State Park Management Plan, May 1998. Melbourne: Parks Victoria.Google Scholar
Patterson, M. E., Fraser, J. D. and Roggenbuck, J. W. (1991) Factors affecting Piping Plover productivity on Assateague Island.J. Wildl. Manag. 55: 525–531.Google Scholar
Pienkowski, M. W. (1984) Breeding biology and population dynamics of Ringed plovers Charadrius hiaticula in Britain and Greenland: nest-predation as a possible factor limiting distribution and timing of breeding. J. Zool., Lond. 202: 83–114.Google Scholar
Prellwitz, D. M., Erickson, K. M. and Osbourne, L. M. (1995) Translocation of Piping Plover nests to prevent nest flooding. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 23: 103–106.Google Scholar
Powell, A. N., Cuthbert, F. J., Wemmer, L. C., Doolottle, A. W. and Feirer, S. T. (1997) Captive-rearing Piping Plovers: developing techniques to augment wild populations. Zoo Biol. 16: 461–477.Google Scholar
Rimmer, D. W. and Deblinger, R. D. (1990) Use of predator exclosures to protect Piping Plover nests. J. Field Orn. 61: 217–223.Google Scholar
Schulz, M. and Bamford, M. (1987). The Hooded Plover: a conservation statement. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union Report 35.Google Scholar
Vaske, J. J., Rimmer, D. W. and Deblinger, R. D. (1994) The impact of different predator exclosures on Piping Plover nest abandonment. J. Field Orn. 65: 201–209.Google Scholar
Watkins, D. (1993) A national plan for shorebird conservation in Australia. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union Report 90.Google Scholar