Woodland Birds Project Officer

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

Connecting Country currently is seeking a suitable Project Officer to implement this important 2 year project.  Connecting Country also has a long-term program for monitoring populations of Brush-tailed Phascogales and for Woodland Birds.  The Project Officer would also have a significant role in managing and implementing this monitoring program.  Applications are due by 9am on Thursday 27 March 2014.

Click here to view the Woodland Birds Project Officer position description.

What are project objectives?
Over the 10 year period in which Connecting Country’s broader woodland bird program is to be implemented, we have set the following goals for the five target species.

By 2023, the program will achieve and/or maintain an average reporting rate of:

• Brown Treecreeper – 30% across all 11 priority zones.
• Diamond Firetail – 7% across 10 of the 11 priority zones
• Jacky Winter – 20% across all priority zones.
• Hooded Robin – 5% across two particular priority zones A & B and 3% across the 8 of the 9 remaining priority zones.
• Painted Button-quail – 5% across 10 of the 11 priority zones.

This Stage 1 of ‘Securing Threatened Woodland Birds in the Mount Alexander Shire’ project aims to contribute towards these broader goals by achieving the following objectives within the two year timeframe:

1. Establish at least five 10-year stewardship agreements with landholders and community groups to undertake habitat enhancement and protection activities across 300 ha within the priority zones.
2. Increase community awareness of the five focus species (and woodland birds in general) by running at least 2 talks and hosting at least 5 field observation days for the local community, as well as other relevant activities.
3. Develop and strengthen partnerships with other organisations, agencies and groups who will help to deliver the long-term project, by establishing an advisory / steering committee that meets regularly through the project.
4. Continue and extend regular bird monitoring surveys across the Mount Alexander Region, such that at least 20 surveys are conducted within each of the 11 priority zones over the course of the project.

Why Woodland Birds?

This project aims to address the decline of the Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird Community (VTWBC).  Across the state, and particularly in central Victoria, there has been a well-documented decline in the VTWBC, which is recognised by this bird community’s listing as ‘threatened’ on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Many of the individual species within this community are also considered to be threatened at the regional, state and national level. Although the Mount Alexander Shire and immediate surrounds retains a relatively high cover of woodland, this habitat type mostly occurs in the least fertile areas and is therefore able to support fewer birds. With drought, on-going habitat decline and other threatening process, the region has suffered declines in this bird community over recent years and decades.

The above-mentioned five species from the VTWBC have been chosen as focus species the following reasons:

• They are still recorded in the local area with sufficient regularity to allow meaningful long-term monitoring. However, there is evidence that they were more widespread and abundant historically;
• They are all known as species that predominantly forage at ground level;
• Individually, they are species considered to be either threatened with extinction in Victoria or at a higher risk of significant population declines. It is likely that the identified threats to these species will remain and/or intensify over the next 20-30 years and that the additional impact of climate change will amplify threats from habitat fragmentation and loss of key habitat elements;
• Expert advice indicates that their local populations would respond positively to feasible and cost-effective management interventions; and
• They are charismatic bird species that already have considerable public appeal locally. They are also readily distinguishable from other similar bird species, increasing the likelihood of success in encouraging public interest and participation.