MAY 2014

ContactsTSC Rangers 02 6670 2400 (a.h. 1800 818 326)

TSC KBWHMC contactsMark Kingston Marama Hopkins 02 6670 2593 02 6670 2787

Pamela Gray 02 6670 2778 (Feral Animal Control)

Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers24 hour wildlife hotline 02 6672 4789

Koala Beach websitehttp://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/KoalaBeach

Next Meeting Wednesday 4 June 4:00pm, at Koala Beach Sports Fields. All Welcome.If you can’t make it to the meeting, please feel free to raise any issues with one of the Council contacts above.

WILDLIFE PROFILE BROWN

THORNBILL

Koala Beach Wildlife & Habitat Newsletter May 2014

KOALA BEACHWILDLIFE & HABITAT NEWSLETTER

Pottsville Primary Pitches In!Early in March, Pottsville Primary School Year Five students provided a helping hand with planting Lomandra and other clumping plants around the sediment pond at Sugar Glider Drive. The planting was part of a program to exclude Cane Toads from the sediment pond at this site, and to revegetate the bank to improve the habitat values for native fauna.

This program is jointly funded by the Koala Beach Wildlife and Habitat Management Committee and the NSW Environmental Trust.

75 students attended the morning and put over 500 plants in the ground in less than one hour! It was a lovely morning, with everyone pitching in and having a great time. The students then returned to school to listen to a Frogs and Toads Talk by local frog expert John Pumpurs.

Thank you Pottsville Primary!!

WANTED Rabbit and Indian Myna trappers.Call Council on 02 6670 2400 to get involved.

Koala Beach Wildlife & Habitat Newsletter May 2014

Wildlife ProfileBROWN THORNBILL (Acanthiza pusilla)

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

The Brown Thornbill is known

to mimic other birds and will respond to

humans

DescriptionLength: 10cm Weight: 10g

The Brown Thornbill is one of our smallest birds, but is medium-sized among the 12 species of Thornbill in Australia. It can be confused with other thornbills, but identified by:

• rufous forehead with lighter crescents;

• dark red eye;

• throat and chest off-white, streaked with black; and

• tail grey-brown with a black band and pale tip.

Males and females are similar.

Habitat Dense, shrubby vegetation in woodlands, forests, shrublands and heathlands. The Brown Thornbill is commonly found in parks and gardens near remnant vegetation.

DietBrown Thornbills usually forage in pairs in understorey shrubs and low trees. Their diet is mainly insects, but seeds, fruit and nectar are also eaten.

BreedingBrown Thornbills form long-lasting breeding pairs and defend a territory throughout the year for feeding and breeding. Females build a small, oval nest low down in grasses or prickly shrubs, constructed from grass and bark and lined with feathers or fur. 2-4 eggs are laid between July and January. Young are fed by both parents until being driven out of the parental territory in Autumn.

VoiceVariable and musical warbling, known to mimic calls of other birds. A harsh, “zit-zit-zit” alarm cry. The Brown Thornbill will respond to imitation of calls by humans.

Threats to the Brown ThornbillRemoval of understorey vegetation by clearing or fire impacts on nesting and foraging habitat. Birds are vulnerable to predation by feral animals including cats and foxes.

A female building a small oval nest.

Keep Wildlife WildWe are privileged at Koala Beach to be able to observe and interact closely with our native animals. We also carry a responsibility to learn how to live alongside them without harming them.

While feeding may seem like a great way to get close to the wildlife, and is something that many people do, it has broader, often unseen implications for the wellbeing of wild animals.

• Human foods can cause digestive problems and deprive animals of the nutrients which their natural foods provide.

• Feeding native animals can put them at risk. They can become dependent on this food source and can be more vulnerable to attack from predators while they are feeding.

• Hand-fed birds are susceptible to illnesses that can then be transferred to other birds. This can affect breeding, inhibit bone and feather development in young birds and cause eggshell failure.

• Encouraging the large omnivorous birds such as Magpies, Butcher Birds and Kookaburras with handouts of mince and meat can cause them to be overly aggressive towards other birds and may drive them away.

You can experience true wildlife interactions and get up close without providing artificial food sources.

• Take up the challenge to learn about the animals’ natural activity patterns and feeding behaviour.

• Provide feeding habitat for your favourite animals in your garden, which might include dense, spiky shrubs for small birds, thick leaf litter for insectivorous animals or seed-producing native grasses.

• Provide water and nesting places by making a nesting box, water pond or birdbath.

The best food for native animals is the food they find themselves.

Snapshots from KB BushlandInfra-red, motion-detecting cameras have been installed in bushland around Koala Beach Estate primarily to record feral animal activity, however some great data on native fauna (including threatened species) is also being collected.

Some snapshots from cameras located on and around Koala Beach Estate.

Koala Swamp Wallaby

Brush Turkey Short-eared Possum family