Forget the cat, curiosity could kill the bird
Teresa Nirta

Curiosity killed the bird Photo Steve Gale

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW) is funding a research program on the Lord Howe Island (LHI) Currawong to collect data and information on the birds.

A subspecies to mainland currawongs, the LHI Currawong has a larger beak and a more melodious call. They also exuberate a playful curiosity and confidence that their mainland cousins lack.

Flying down to take a closer look at bushwalkers, they sometimes sit in bushes waiting for morsels of food. Although not a favourite of local residents because of their nature to prey on adults and nestlings of other bird species, many locals are still enthusiastic over the birds.

Baited rats are an easy meal for a Lord Howe Island Currawong Photo Ian Hutton

Executive Officer Leonie Gale, Lord Howe Island and currawong enthusiast, has become well acquainted with these birds and their keen sense of curiosity, “You often see them sitting in bushes or following people around. They’re usually waiting for handouts, like a piece of sandwich or insects dug up while we are weeding.”

It seems that their curious nature, though, may be the very thing that places currawongs under serious threat once the eradication program of the ship rat (Rattus rattus) begins.

“Because of the currawong’s inquisitive nature it might be curious enough to taste the rat baits,” Leonie told PAWS. “Another real threat is that it may suffer secondary poisoning from eating poisoned rats.”

What we already know and what we need to find out

Very little is known about LHI currawongs. There is no reliable data or estimates on the population size. Once considered to number 37 to 70 birds, subsequent research suggests that there is more than double that number.

Nicholas Carlile, Project Officer Sea Birds for Threatened Fauna and Ecology, told PAWS that 122 birds were banded in October this year. This suggests that the bird numbers are larger than previously estimated.

“This figure”, according to Nicholas, “represents perhaps only a third of the entire population.” Nicholas believes that this alone demonstrates just how little is known about the birds.

Threatened sea bird specialist Nicholas Carlile banding a currawong for study. Nicholas found the birds easy to catch at first, but the LHI Currawong is a fast learner. Photo Ian Hutton

It also highlights the need to collect and record information on the currawongs including data on population size and conservation status, home range and movement patterns of individual birds and identifying any threats to the population such as the rat baiting.

This information would then be used as baseline data to enable the development of techniques and procedures to assess future trends in population size.

The project

Project officers are currently monitoring currawongs and their nestlings, looking at population numbers, movement patterns and the food parent birds provide to their chicks. They are also assessing the faunal interactions of the currawongs to see how they impact on the white tern and other birds they prey on.

An important element of the project is research into rodent baiting alternatives that won’t harm currawongs or other fauna. The project will also look at developing an understanding of how currawongs will behave in captivity in the case the eradication programme uses baits that are lethal to the birds.

“Depending on the baits used, captivity may be necessary for up to six to eight weeks,” Nicholas told PAWS earlier this month. “We need to know how captivity for this amount of time will affect the currawongs.”

After only the second trip to the island there is still a lot more information to discover. By collecting the data and preparing for the future, those involved in the project may be able to protect the currawongs from their curiosity to ensure that they remain prominent on LHI and continue to keep locals company for many years to come.

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