Background

The Capertee Valley is the most important remaining breeding site for Regent Honeyeaters. Relatively large numbers of Regent Honeyeaters arrive in the valley in late winter each year to breed. This presents an opportunity to capture and individually colour-band this species.

The primary objectives of the project have been to identify local and long distance movements and breeding site fidelity, to provide an insight into the breeding biology of this endangered species and to provide data on recruitment rates of immature birds into the adult population. Supplementary objectives include gathering sufficient morphological data to compile a guide to ageing and sexing.

The Draft Regent Honeyeater Recovery Plan for 1999-2003 has two actions which highlight the importance of these activities:

3.2 Obtain an annual estimate of recruitment to the population by measuring the

proportion of immature birds, and sex ratios, in pre-breedingflocks at the three main

breeding regions.

Explanation: Monitoring of nesting success is very labour-intensive and thus very costly. Furthermore, it does not provide any information on survival rates after fledging. The recent discovery of communal roosting behavior in flocks gathering at the main breeding sites means that it should be possible to capture a sample of the population at each site and determine the age and sex structure of the flocks (by plumage characters and morphometrics). This will provide a cost-effective annual index of recruitment at each site, essential information for meaningful population viability analysis.

4.2 Continue to assess the degree of isolation between populations breeding in the

Barraba-Bundarra, Capertee Valley and north-east Victoria regions. This is best

achieved by colour-banding an annual sample of birds (at least 20) captured for Action

3.2 and on-going searches for colour-banded birds at the three main sites, for example

while carrying out Action 3.1.

Explanation: Information from DNA and morphometric studies suggests that there has been little partitioning within the Regent Honeyeater population in recent evolutionary time. However, habitat fragmentation during the past 150 years may have led to population fragmentation which is yet to be reflected in DNA or morphological studies. Such information is important for determining management strategies at the regional scale.

Current Activity

From 1994 to 1998, 290 Regent Honeyeaters have been banded as part of this project. 281 of these have been individually colour-banded. Results include an impressive data set on local movements, including dispersal of pre-breeding flocks to breeding sites and local post-breeding dispersal as well as some information on site fidelity and movements between years.

Regent Honeyeaters are also being banded elsewhere as part of this cooperative project. Long distance movements, to date, include two Capertee Valley birds to Munghorn Gap (~85km), one bird to Castlereagh Nature Reserve near Richmond (83km), a bird banded near Wollar to the Capertee Valley (86km), two birds from Howes Valley to the Capertee Valley (~70km), and two birds banded in Canberra in 1995 to the Capertee Valley (~270km) in 1997/98.

An honours student from Charles Sturt University at Bathurst will commence a research project in the Capertee Valley in July 1998. Kerryn Herman will be investigating the association between breeding Regent Honeyeaters and Noisy Friarbirds.

Locating Regent Honeyeaters

Regent Honeyeaters have usually arrived in the Capertee Valley by the end of July. Arrival dates, however, can depend on conditions - large numbers of Regent Honeyeaters were present from May 1997 associated with good flowering of White Box. When present, Regent Honeyeaters are usually easy to locate as they are generally very vocal prior to breeding.

The use of playback tapes has proven to be very successful in locating Regent Honeyeaters once the flocks have spit up and breeding has commenced.

Catching Regent Honeyeaters

In the past Regent Honeyeaters have been mist-netted:

• at water

• at flowering trees and shrubs. This often involves elevating mist-nets to a considerable height

• at sites where birds are roosting

• when birds are coming to the ground collecting nesting material

• just prior to, and during, breeding, with the use of playback tapes. This has been very successful and has been demonstrated not to affect breeding when conducted in a sensitive manner.

Colour-banding

Some Regent Honeyeaters are being individually colour-banded (see picture above).

The objective of this study is no longer to band as many Regent Honeyeaters as possible, but to ensure that a sample (about 30 birds) is obtained each year. This winding back of colour banding is necessary in order to conserve the remaining available colour schemes.

Reporting

An annual report is submitted to the the Regent Honeyeater Recovery Team, and also to the ABBBS. Details of banders are maintained and any recoveries reported to the bander. Banders are acknowledged where appropriate.

David Geering,

Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator

National Parks And wildlife Service

P.O. Box 1007,

Dubbo, NSW, 2830

Phone: 1800 621 056

Fax:    (02) 6884 9382

email: david dot geering at npws dot nsw dot gov dot au

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