As part of Birds Australia's commitment to ornithological research and conservation, it manages the annual Stuart Leslie Bird Research Award.

The Award was established in 1997 by Mr Stuart Leslie, AM, who was one of Birds Australia's long-time major donors and a keen bird watcher. Aware of the crucial importance of ongoing ornithological research and the financial challenges facing Australian students, Mr Leslie generously committed to giving $15,000 per year to support post-graduate field work and travel to scientific conferences. In late 2004, he was awarded a Fellowship of Birds Australia.

"Originally, I was going to give $15,000 to the Winston Churchill Trust," said Mr Leslie, "but that would have meant only one student receiving a $15,000 Fellowship. By setting up the Award and having it managed by Birds Australia, a larger number of students can be assisted. It's worked very well."

Since establishment, the Award has provided $240,000 and has assisted more than 100 projects, including studies on threatened species such as the Powerful Owl, Regent Honeyeater and Hooded Plover.

Each year, the number of applications received by Birds Australia has increased steadily, evidence of the vital need for grant schemes such as the Award.

Mr Leslie chose to fund bird research because they are good indicators of the overall health of the environment. He encouraged other individuals and corporations to consider donating to research organisations.

"Wildlife research is vital to our future," said Mr Leslie. "Many species are declining and sometimes we don't know why. Many Australians are in the position, individually or through their position in business, to make a real difference to the future of our wildlife. It is a relatively easy and a very satisfying thing to do."

The award will continue into the future thanks to a generous bequest from Mr Leslie, who passed away in 2005, and the ongoing support from Mrs Leslie.

Supporting students of ornithology and ecology is a high priority for Birds Australia, as they will make a major contribution to the future of Australia's native birds.

Stuart Leslie Bird Research Award 2008 Recipients

Supporting students of ornithology and ecology is a high priority for Birds Australia, because they will make a major contribution to the future of Australian birds. This year's crop of successful applicants were:

Research Awards

Alex Anderson, James Cook University - Rainforest biodiversity and climate change: interactions between climate, primary productivity and birds in Northern Australian Rainforests.

Daniela Binder, University of NSW - Chick development and foraging ecology of the Providence Petrel

Steven Camilleri, Monash University - Biodiversity modelling using the 2nd Atlas of Australian Birds to evaluate patterns of land use in the Murray-Darling Basin

Anastasia Dalziell, ANU - The function of mimicry in the Superb Lyrebird

Anna Kearns, University of Queesland - Fine scale phylogeographic structure of Black (Cracticus quoyi) and Grey (C. torquatus) Butcherbirds inferred from mtDNA and cross-amplified Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) microsatellites

Nicole Schumann, Deakin University Burwood - Trophic relationships of Bass Strait seabirds

Jolene Scoble, Adelaide University - Identifying historic and contemporary refugia for arid avifauna threatened by climate change across ecotones of intact and relictual mallee vegetation in South Australia

Anja Skroblin, ANU - Phylogeny and conservation biology of the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren

Sarah Tassle, UTAS - The impact of the Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) on Tasmania forest ecosystems

Michael Todd, UTAS - Ecology of Tasmanian Masked Owl

Conference Awards

Christa Beckman, University of Sydney - Can native wading birds control numbers of invasive, toxic Cane Toads (Bufo marinus) in Australia?

Simon Cherriman, Curtain University - The Wedge-Tailed Eagle near Perth - findings of an honours project 2007

Full list of previous Stuart Leslie Bird Research Award Recipients 2000 - 2007