Category: Nest
Red Mulga Lerp
At a recent Land for Wildlife property assessment, I came across a great example of Red Mulga Lerp that I wanted to share with the members. Red Mulga Lerp (Austrotachardia acacia) is a structure produced by the larvae of ‘lac’ insects. The Red Mulga Lerp is found on Mulga (Acacia aneura) bushes and the crystallised
Goodbye, my Kindred Spirit
I feel like the Western Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus guttatus) is my kindred spirit. Quirky, hops around making silly noises while trying to look serious, and generally collecting all manner of things to make a nice home. When I first arrived in Central Australia, I was living in Mutitjulu at the base of Uluru and working for
Building Bat Boxes
By John Tyne (Parks and Wildlife Commission NT) John Tyne (Parks and Wildlife Commission NT) and Erin Westerhuis (Charles Darwin University) gave an excellent presentation and workshop on bat boxes at the Land for Wildlife birthday event recently. Here, John gives some hints and tips on how to create bat boxes of your own. Thanks for
The Structure and Insulation of Avian Nests
Birds’ nests have evolved into many shapes and sizes, but they all function to provide a secure substrate for eggs and hatchlings, camouflage and defence from predators, as well as protect the eggs, hatchlings and incubating parent from harsh climatic conditions. My doctoral studies focused on understanding the factors influencing the structure and insulation of
Bird Breeding Bonanza
Many avian species are breeding in town at the moment, with young chicks and fledglings making their way out into the world. Several Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) chicks and Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) cygnets have been seen at the Alice Springs sewerage treatment ponds over the last couple of months. In my own yard, I
Parks and Wildlife NT Lorikeet Survey
By John Tyne On September 28th, eight volunteers assisted Parks and Wildlife to conduct a census of introduced Rainbow Lorikeets in Alice Springs. The volunteers came from a number of organizations including Birdlife Central Australia, Alice Springs Field Naturalist Club and Land for Wildlife. Thirty nine locations were surveyed for rainbow lorikeets, with volunteers recording
Air Bee n Bee: Creating Hotels for Native Pollinators
Spring is here and gardens are a buzz! Insects play an important role in the environment as pollinators and nutrient recyclers. While it is easy to get carried away with the huge role that introduced European Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play in pollinating crops, there are many more species of native solitary bees (harmless and non-aggressive)
Video: Red-capped Robin
The Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii) is a gorgeous little bird that can be found through much of semi-arid and temperate Australia within woodland habitats. A juvenile and two adults was snapped by the Land for Wildlife coordinator at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, while on a trip with the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club last month. The
Keep an Eye to the Sky: Nesting White-Plumed Honeyeaters
A bougainvillea in my yard has been home to some breeding White-plumed Honeyeaters (Lichenostomus penicillatus) over the last couple of weeks. The nest is a delicate hanging cup made of grasses and spider web, lined with miscellaneous fur. I only discovered them when they were a few days old and in a little over a
Ntaria Junior Rangers
The Land for Wildlife coordinator, Caragh, made the trip to Ntaria / Hermannsburg to help with the Junior Ranger program. With the assistance of the Tjuwanpa Women’s Rangers and Gerard Lessels, LfW helped the Ntaria Junior Rangers understand birds’ nests. The Junior Rangers learned about bird nest design, material use, nest shape and the consequences
The structural and thermal properties of avian cup-shaped nests
Rangeland Biology and Ecology Seminars April 29, Friday, 3.30pm at Charles Darwin University, Lecture Theatre HE, Alice Springs * The structural and thermal properties of avian cup-shaped nests Dr Caragh Heenan Land for Wildlife Coordinator, Low Ecological Services P/L, Alice Springs Incubation in birds is energetically demanding and the energy invested to maintain egg temperature