A delicate overnight operation recently saw 17 eastern bristlebirds successfully translocated from Booderee National Park and Jervis Bay National Park in south-eastern New South Wales to Wilson’s Promontory National Park.
The lone Victorian population of eastern bristlebird at Howe Flat in the Croajingalong National Park is under imminent threat from climate change, predation and habitat loss.
Howe Flat is a fireprone area devastated in the wake of the 2019-2020 bushfires, where an emergency extraction ahead of the fire-front secured an insurance for eastern bristlebird survival in Victoria.
Longterm climate change mitigations for the species, such as translocation, have been a focus for DELWP since at least 2012, endorsed and supported by from Parks Victoria, Australia’s best minds in bird conservation, Traditional Owners, rangers, land managers and researchers.
The eastern bristlebird’s population stronghold in New South Wales was used as a launchpad for establishing Victoria’s second population at Wilsons Promontory.
IMAGE: 17 eastern bristlebirds arrive at Wilsons Promontory to establish a second population in Victoria. INSET: The eastern bristlebird translocation cross-jursidictional team relied upon the technical expertise of 12 agencies. (Photos supplied by: DELWP)
