Norfolk Island parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii) Case Study

MBZF Grant 13256192
Bird

Continent: Oceania

Country: Australia

Grant Amount: $10,850

Awarded Date: June 26, 2013

Raymond Nias

Island Conservation


2161 Delaware Ave

Santa Cruz

California

95060

United States

Tel: +61 414 917 297

Mob:

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Determining the population size of the Norfolk Island parakeet and to developing conservation measures

The objective of the project is to determine the size of the endemic Tasman parakeet population on Norfolk Island and to detect if a recent population crash has occurred. This will lead to proposals for remedial conservation measures. The project will develop and trial survey methods for Tasman parakeets and collect other ecological information that will form the basis of monitoring and recovery efforts.

Island Conservation's mission is to prevent extinctions by removing invasive species from islands. The Tasman parakeet Cyanoramphus cookii is threatened by feral cats, rodents and by competition with introduced parrots. Unfortunately monitoring of numbers and impacts of invasive species on Tasman parakeets has ceased and there are fears that a major population crash may have occurred in recent years. Determining the population size of this cryptic species in its forested habitat has been problematic and further refinement of techniques is needed if accurate estimates of population size are to be made. This project is designed to "kick-start" a more comprehensive process to address the on-going decline of biodiversity on Norfolk Island and the potential extinction of one of the islands most charismatic species.

This will inform future management action, including how and where these invasive species interact with this threatened species, and will provide a baseline assessment of relative abundance necessary to determine population trends.

 

MBZF Grant 13256192 - located in Australia, Oceania