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Cowra Woodland Birds

Cowra Woodland Birds Program (CWBP), a series of projects aimed at helping to reverse the decline of woodland birds in the Cowra district, is now entering its 10th year. The projects are focused on scientific research and the management of birds in their woodland habitats. The CWBP was launched in July 2001 by members of Birds Australia Southern NSW & ACT Group and local landholders and land managers.

Ongoing Bird Surveys

Our main activity is conducting regular (quarterly) bird surveys on nearly 86 sites in the shire. From the initial survey in May 2002 recording 122 species, we are up to 210 species and have had over 50 volunteer surveyors. Surveys are carried out on both Saturday and Sunday mornings and are completed by 11 am, leaving Saturday afternoons free for birdwatching in one of the local national parks or for a visit to the local wineries. Most surveyors gather for an “event” before the BBQ or dinner on Saturday night. Recent events included an ‘ID session’ on honeyeaters by David Geering in April, a “hands-on” GPS training session led by Geoffrey Hook and in October another 'ID session' on raptors by Birds Australia’s Chris Purnell at the Pridham Centre where we were able to admire the snowy peak of Mt Conobolis in Orange.

A comprehensive analysis of the database (funded by the Lachlan CMA) was carried out by Julian Reid & Ross Cunningham in 2008. The full report, Statistical Analysis of the Cowra Woodland Birds Program's Bird Database - Trends in Individual Bird Species and Composite Indices, with brief comments on their relevance to Monitoring & Evaluation and Setting Targets for Habitat Management and Restoration, is currently available at both BASNA and BA National Office libraries. A short 10 page summary was produced and launched on 18 April 2009 during our autumn survey weekend.

Following the recommendations of the report another 24 sites (including both riparian and
revegetation sites as well as ten high-quality woodland and heath sites) have been added to the surveys. The selection of sites, all with beautiful new site maps & directions, was finalised in time for the spring surveys in October which were exceptional for the extreme weather – snow, sleet and hail! As if that wasn’t enough of weather, it was followed by floods in November and early December. With the Wyangala Dam currently at 93%, we can expect a lot of changes in both the flora and fauna in the coming year/s but unfortunately, the first change has been bumper crops of weeds! Already in October the weeds were thriving and some of the new riparian sites were impossible to survey thoroughly. The situation was much worse for the summer surveys which were held on 22 & 23 January with many sites inaccessible by car and tracks choked with weeds - a lot of slow walking for the surveyors but still, 111 species were recorded.

Our bird and habitat surveys to date have shown us which sites are better for woodland birds and based on these observations, we can make a number of general recommendations (e.g. fence off rivers, creeks and other remnants and manage grazing on these sites; increase native ground covers and woody shrubs, especially Callitris spp; increase the amount of fallen timber, rocks and leaf litter; discourage the removal of fallen timber from woodland remnants and roadsides) for land managers interested in reversing the decline in woodland birds. This year, we expect to learn much more about the vegetation on our sites as 2 ANU honours students will be carrying out detailed habitat assessments on them as part of their projects.

Community Involvement

If you want to know more about the program contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 02 6342 9282 in Cowra or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 02 9647 1033 in Sydney.

The survey dates for 2012 are January 21/22, April 14/15, July 21/22 and October 13/14. If you are interested in becoming involved in the surveys, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it on 02 6253 0772.

Newsletter
Cowra Comments Jun 2008
Cowra Comments Apr 2009
Cowra Comments Dec 2009
Cowra Comments Oct 2010
Cowra Comments Dec 2010
Cowra Comments Jun 2011
Cowra Comments Sep 2011