Southern QLD - Birds Australia

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Southern QLD

Geographic Range

We extend some 400 km down the east coast of southern Queensland from Bundaberg to the NSW border and west 1700 km to the NT border past Birdsville. The annual rainfall ranges from 160 mm in the west to 1850 mm in the east. If you have postcodes 4000-4470 and 4479-4670 you are one of our 690 members. This is a diverse area from the white dunes of the World Heritage Fraser Island to the red dunes of the Simpson Desert National Park. In between are beaches, mountains, and plains containing wetlands, heaths, rainforests, mulga and brigalow scrubs, grasslands, eucalypt forests and woodlands.

Latest News

Ross Smith, Editor, reports: The Armchair Twitch is fast becoming one of Australia's premier birding events. In only two years participation has doubled and the money raised for bird conservation has quadrupled. From backyards in Brisbane to beaches in Broome people are watching birds from their armchairs. Carbon-footprint friendly, the Armchair Twitch encourages birdwatchers to sit in one spot and let the birds come to them, and it's amazing how many do. Last year's champions, Sawtell Public School, counted 90 birds in one day! The rules are simple, record the number of birds seen or heard in one 5m diameter circle. For a great time socialising with friends while indulging in your favourite pastime join the Armchair Twitch 2008 in September. For information visit the website or email the This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Special birds of the region

Most special about this climatically and floristically diverse region is the great number (approximately 480) of birds found here. Species from the tropical north cross over with species from the temperate south. Some of particular interest include: Pale-headed Rosella (the group mascot), Red Goshawk, Pacific Baza, Black-breasted Button-quail, Albert's Lyrebird, Grey Grasswren, Eyrean Grasswren, Logrunner, Hall's Babbler, Paradise Riflebird, Russet-tailed Thrush.

Projects in the region

BCC Partnership
A 10 year agreement between Brisbane City Council, BASQ and Birds Queensland to monitor the bird species present on Conservation Covenant and Land for Wildlife sites in the Greater Brisbane area.

Atlassing in the Regions
BASQ is investigating the distribution of birds by habitat type in the Burnett-Mary Region, especially in the poorly atlassed the western part of the region.

Lower Namoi Cotton Project
Biodiversity values assessment and regular bird surveys on 17 cotton farms. A joint project between BASQ, Australian Cotton Growers Research Association and the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC.

Cravens Peak
A survey of the birds on Bush Heritage’s Cravens Peak Reserve, as part of the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland scientific expedition.

SEQWater Biodiversity Corridors Project
BASQ, Birds Queensland and BrisBOCA are conducting surveys around Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine Dams. This Natural Heritage Trust project aims to restore vegetated linkages between existing remnants in the area to enhance wildlife habitat.

Conservation issues

A number of interested organisations have joined together as the Stock Route Coalition: Applied Environmental Decision Analysis, Birds Australia, Bird Observation & Conservation Australia, Birds Queensland, Citizens Wildlife Corridors Armidale, National Parks Association NSW, National Parks Association of Qld, Nature Conservation Council NSW, Toowoomba Field Naturalists Club, Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld, and the World Wildlife Fund. The Coalition is working to have the NSW and Queensland Stock Routes declared ‘Protected Corridors for Travelling Stock and Biodiversity’, managed by the current managers and adequately resourced with supplements from public funds.
For more information: www.basq.org.au/policy/TSR.htm

Activities

Armchair Twitch is an annual competition to observe the most species of birds from a fixed location.

Birds in Backyards monthly surveys by Toowoomba residents for Toowoomba City Council.

Albert's Lyrebird, Regular location of calling birds for the QPWS survey.

Mulligan River Nature Refuge, bird surveys on a 216,000 ha Reserve 120 km south west of Boulia.

What's On

For a list of events in Southern QLD, please check out our calendar

Contacts

Convenor, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Secretary, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Conservation Contact, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Publications

BASQ produce a quarterly newsletter Rosella Ramblings included in Wingspan, and an irregular email newsletter Rosella Feathers sent to those who request it.

Regional website

www.basq.org.au