Northern Territory Naturalist Number 17 July 2003 ISSN 0155-4093 The Journal of the NT Field Naturalists' Club NORTHERN TERRITORY FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB Founded 1977 Officers for 2002/03 President (vacant) Secretary. Heather Ryan Treasurer. Fiona Douglas tfT Naturalist Editor. Alaric Fisher ISSN 0155-4093 © 2003 Northern Territory Field Naturalists' Club The objectives of the Northern Territory Field Naturalists’ Club are to promote the study and conservation of the flora and fauna of the Northern Territory. The Club holds monthly meetings and field excursions. Meetings are held in the Seminar Room of the Faculty of Indigenous Research and Fiducation at the Northern Territory University Casuarina Campus, Darwin, at 7:45 pm on the second Wednesday of each month. All members receive the monthly newletter Terriioty Tsid the journal Northern Territory NaturaUst For information on membership, club activities and publications, please write to: Northern Territory Field Naturalists’ Chib PO Box 39565, Winnellie NT 0821 Front Cover:: A satellite view of the huge intermittent lakes in the Barkly Tableland in April 2001 (see articles by R. Jaensch). At this time the lakes’ extent was close to the largest ever observed, with the Sylvester and Tarrabool complexes connecting. This image is approximately 180km wide. (Geoscience Australia) Rear Cover: The Black-footed Tree-rat Mesemhrion^sgoulcUi n a large and distinctive arboreal rodent found in Top End forests - see the Species Profile in this issue. (Martin Armstrong) Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 1-6 Vertebrate pollinators visit flowers of an Umbrella Tree Schefflera actinophylla almost exclusively in the afternoon Don Franklin Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, Northern Territory University, Darwin, NT 0909. Email: don.franklin@ntu.edu.au Abstract Quantified observations of use of the flowers of a large cultivated specimen of the Umbrella Tree Schefflera actinophylla by potential pollinators show that the flowers were visited by a range of birds, and occasionally by a Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto, but almost always in the afternoon from about 1400 hours until sundown. This pattern is consistent with pretious and other anecdotal observations. There was no evidence of the characteristically noisy aggregations of flying foxes at the flowers at night. Most bird-pollinated flowers secrete nectar, and are visited by birds, in the morning or throughout the day. The apparently unusual pattern exhibited by this Umbrella Tree might be explained as a response to competition for pollinators, but further study is required to confirm the generality and significance of the pattern. Introduction Plants provide nectar as one of several possible rewards for the animals that effect their polhnation. However, they do not do so indiscriminately. One of many parame¬ ters of nectar secretion that may be optimised to the plant’s needs is its timing so that availability corresponds with and/or manipulates the activities of pollinating agents. T he flow'ers of plants specialised for pollination by birds typically open and/or com¬ mence nectar secretion shortly before dawn, those for diurnal insects later in the day when it is warmer, and those specialised for pollination by bats or nocturnal moths at about dusk (Cruden et ai 1983, Bawa 1990). For example, the south-east Australian mistletoe Amyema pendulum has flowers with a narrow, tubular corolla such that the nectar is accessible only to birds, and nectar is secreted from dawn to about midday (Bernhardt & Calder 1981). In contrast, the Queensland rainforest tree Syejgium cormi- florum has a generalised pollination syndrome with open flowers, secretes nectar throughout the day and night and is pollinated by birds, blossom-bats and insects (Crome & Irvine 1986). The Umbrella Tree Schefflera actinopirylla is a small tree of tropical rainforests in Queens- 2 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) D. Franklin land, the Northern Territory and New Guinea. Its flowers attract a range of nectariv- orous birds, as reported for both natural occurrences (Brown & I lopkins 1995, Franklin 1998) and plants in cultivation (Jones 1986, Brock 199.3, Franklin 1998). Anecdotal observations, however, suggest that the Umbrella Tree is \dsited by birds mainly in the afternoon (Franklin 1998). The flowers of the Umbrella Tree are pink or red, a col¬ our often associated with bird or butterfly pollination (Facgri & van dcr Fiji 1979). The flowers are apparently odourless, also characteristic of bird pollination syndromes. On the other hand, the large, robust and terminally-displayed inflorescences and small open flowers suggest adaptation to pollination by a range of animals and perhaps by bats in particular. This combination of traits and patterns of usage raises questions about the pollina¬ tors and pollination adaptations of the Umbrella Tree. There appear to be no previous studies of the polhnation biology of any species of Scbejjkra. In this note, I quantify temporal (daytime) patterns of use of the flowers of a single cultivated specimen dur¬ ing its 2000-01 flowering season. The specimen is the same tree that was the primary source of my earlier (1997-98 flowering season) observations. I also extend the con¬ sideration of vertebrate flower visitors by examining whether the late afternoon floral visitation is a prelude to evening visitation by flying foxes. Methods The study was conducted from 6 Januar)’ to 19 Februar)' 2001, peak flowering time for the large (10 m tall) study specimen at Nightcliff (12° 23' S, 130° 51' E), a leafy, coastal suburb of Darwin. The specimen was growing in a well-treed home garden comprising a diverse mix of palm and non-palm tree species. Most observations were made on nine days dispersed throughout the study period, these observations being supplemented on other days throughout the study period to ensure more or less even coverage of all times of the day. 1 did not collect data if it was raining. Observations consisting of instantaneous scan counts of the fauna feeding at the in¬ florescences were made on the hour in daylight hours. The scans were conducted from the second floor of a block of flats, which placed me at approximately eye level with, and about 30 m from the flowers, a good distance for observing birds but too far away to identify and frequently to even locate invertebrate visitors. 1 had a clear view of the majority of inflorescences, but some were partly obscured by foliage. 1 also counted the number of inflorescences in use. The inflorescences were not visible after dark, being shaded from street lights. On 17 occasions (2000 hrs - 8 evenings; 2100 hrs - 7 evenings; 2200 hrs - 2 evenings) dis¬ persed through the study period I listened for activity at the inflorescences and watched and Ustened for activity in nearby areas for 1 minute with the aim of detecting the Vertebrate pollinators of Schefflera Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 3 presence of flying foxes Pteropus spp. Results The Umlirella Tree produced about ten inflorescences during the study period, with generally between three and seven in use on a scan when vertebrates were foraging. N'ertebrates were recorded feeding at these inflorescences during 40 of the 99 daylight scans. These records were, with one exception, entirely between 1400 and 1900 hours (Fig. 1), a time subsequently referred to as the vertebrate activity period. The vertebrates recorded feeding at the Umbrella Tree flowers during daylight hours comprised one parrot, seven honeyeater and one flying fox species (Table 1). The WTiite-gaped Honeyeater Uchetwstomus unicolor recorded both most frequently and most abundantly, followed by the Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus. In addi¬ tion to the two diurnal scan observations, 1 also observed a Black Flying Fox Pteropus aketo foraging at the flowers in daylight hours on two other occasions. These four observations were all of one individual, were on four different days, and occurred between 1650 and 1900 hours. 1 0700 0800 09001000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Time of day Figure 1. The diurnal distribution of vertebrate foraging at the flowers of an Umbrella Tree Schefflera actinoplylla presented as the proportion of scans at which foraging vertebrates were present. The number of scans is eight at all times except 0700, 1600 am,! 1700 hours with 6 scans each, 0800 hours with 7 scans and 1200 and 1800 hours with 9 scans each. 4 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) D. Franklin Table 1. \'crtebrates recorded feeding at the flowers of an Umljrella Tree Schejflera actinophylla during 99 daylight observations. The mean number of individuals is calculated for only those observations at which the species was present, to give an indication of group size. No. of observations Mean no. individuals Parrots Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus 32 3.7 Honeyeaters Helmeted Friarbird Philemon buceroides 21 2.4 Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis 17 1.9 Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis 2 2.0 White-gaped Honeyeater Lichenostomus unicolor 39 5.3 Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta 22 1.8 Rufous-banded Honeyeater Conopophila albogularis 13 1.4 Dusky Honeyeater Myzomela obscura 9 1.1 Flying foxes Biack Flying Fox Ptempus alecto 2 1.0 Foraging by honeyeaters consisted of rapid probing of flowers as if obtaining nectar, whereas that of the Rainbow Lorikeets and the Black I'lying Fox was slow and me¬ thodical and I could not rule out pollen feeding as the main activity. Unfortunately, the inflorescences were inaccessible and could thus not be examined closely.' During the vertebrate activity period, average attendance at the Umbrella Tree at any in¬ stant was four species and 11 indhiduals. The aggregation of birds was commonly such that a small movement by one caused the displacement of another, and a size- based hierarchy was evident in which the smaller honeyeaters were almost constantly flying from inflorescence to inflorescence or to adjacent perches apparently awaiting foraging oppormnities. The behaviour of the abiuidant VCTiite-gaped 1 loneyeafers in particular suggested ad hoc aggregation at a concentrated food source rather than any coordinated flocking behaviour. The sole vertebrate observation at the flowers out¬ side the vertebrate activity period was of a single VCTiitc-gaped Uoneyeater feeding at 0900 hours. Figure 1 suggests a distributional tail of activity at 1400 hours and perhaps also again at 1900 hours. On three days, four species of birds (a Rainbow Lorikeet and a Little Friarbird, one White-gaped 1 loneyeater and one Rufous-banded I loneyeater respec- Vertebrate pollinators of Schefflera Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 5 tively) were observed at 1400 hours to be sitting on the inflorescences but not feeding, a Ijchaviour noted outside the vertebrate activity period on only two occasions. I observed large invertebrates - butterflies or moths - at the flowers on only three occasions, once at 0900 hours and twice at 1200 hours. In each case there was only one individual involved. Because of the distance, I could not confirm that they were feeding nor identify the species. In 17 nocmrnal recording periods, there was no evidence of use of the Umbrella Tree flowers. That Black Flying Foxes were in the general area and therefore potentially able to make use of the blossom is indicated by the four daytime and three incidental nocturnal observations, well-spaced through the study period. I believe I would have detected groups of flying foxes because they interact noisily at nocturnal foraging sites, but could easily have missed solitary individuals. Discussion The timing of visits to flowers by animals can be influenced both by the timing of nectar secretion and by the activities and other priorities of the fauna inv^olved. The remarkably consistent afternoon foraging by birds observ'ed in this study, with activity commencing in the heat of the afternoon at c. 1400 hours and continuing for about five hours until close to sunset, runs counter to the general observ^ation that bird ac¬ tivity is greatest (especially in hot chmates) in the morning and secondarily in the late afternoon. The pattern of afternoon activity observed in this study is consistent with previous observations at this tree and opportunistic observations at other cultwated and one wild specimen (Franklin 1998 and unpubl. obs.). Brice Wells (pers. obs.) also noted that bird activity at a cultivated specimen in his Wanguri (Darwin) garden was consistently concentrated in the afternoon. These observations stronglj' suggest that bird activ'itj' at the flowers of Umbrella Tree is structured by the onset of nectar se¬ cretion in the early afternoon. No foraging activity was identified after sunset, and although some such activity could have occurred undetected, clearly the flowers did not attract aggregations of flying foxes in the way that they had attracted aggregations of honeyeaters and lorikeets pri¬ or to sunset. It seems, therefore, that the “strategy” of the Umbrella Tree is to attract birds as polli¬ nators. Wily then commence nectar secretion in the early afternoon when bird activity is normally at its lowest? blowers of the hummingliird-pollinated iris Kigidellajlammea open in the late afternoon (Cruden 1971), an even more unusual pattern. Cruden et al. (1983) suggested that aberrant diurnal patterns of flower-opening and/or nectar se¬ cretion could be an adaptation to avoid competition with other plant species for pollinators. This seems a plausible hypothesis for the evidently unusual pollination 6 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) D. Franklin biology of the Umbrella Tree, and one worthy of further investigation, ideally in the tree’s natural rainforest habitat. Acknowfcdgements Richard Noske and John Woinarski commented helpfully on earlier drafts. References Bawa K.S. (1990) Plant-pollinator interactions in tropical rain forests. Annual Review of Ecology and Sjstematia 21,399-422. Bernhardt P. and Cialder D.M. (1981) I'he floral ecology of sympatric populations of Amyema pendulum and Amyema quandang (I .oranthaceae). bulletin of the Torrey hoiankal Club 108, 213- 230. Brock J. (1993) Native plants of northern Australia. Reed, Uliatswood, NSW Brown I'i.D. and Hopkins M.|.(!. (1995) A test of pollinator specificity and morphological convergence between nectarivorous birds and rainforest tree flowers in New (luinea. Oecologta 103, 89-100. Crome P.l l.j. and Irvine A.K. (1986) “Two bob each way”: the pollination and breeding system of the Australian rain forest tree Sygyginm cormiflomm (Myrtaceae). Biotropica 18, 115-125. (iruden R.W (1971) The systematics of (Iridaceae). Brittonia 2}>, 217-225. Cruden R.W, Hermann S.M. and Peterson S. (1983) Patterns of nectar production and plant- pollinator coevolution. In The biology of nectaries (cds B. Bentley and T. Idias), pp. 80-125. (Columbia University Press, New 3'ork. b'aegri K. and van der Pijl 1,. (1979) The Principles of Pollination Ecology. Pergamon Press, Oxford. f ranklin D. (1998) An avian smorgasbord. Nature Territory junc 1998, 5. Jones D.L. (1986) Ornamental Rainforest Plants in Arrstralia. Reed, Prcnchs b'orest, NSW Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 7-19 Aerial survey of vertebrates in the Mann River district, central Arnhem Land J. Koenig^ A.D. Griffiths^ C. Godjuwa^ and 0. Campion^ * Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, Northern Territory University, Darwin, NT 0909. ^ Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation, Maningrida, PMB 102 Winellie, NT, 0821. Abstract An aerial survey of large vertebrate fauna was undertaken in the Mann River district of central Arnhem Land in September 2000. 'The survey covered 3936 km^ of the eastern and central part of the Arnhem Plateau and 1944 km^ on the adjacent low¬ land. A total of 747 individual animals from eight species were observed during the survey. Of these, four species were native (antilopine wallaroo, black wallaroo, emu and euro) and four were feral (Ituffalo, cattle, horse and pig). The majority of sight¬ ings (92%) were of feral animals, of which 78% were buffalo. The distribution of feral animals was largely similar to that of previous surveys with a high concentration in the upper Mann River and McCaw Creek regions. Sightings of native species were scattered throughout the survey area. The uncorrected density estimates (km'^ + SE) for species observed in this aerial survey were: buffalo 0.74 + 0.08; cattle 0.10 ± 0.04; horse 0.009 ± 0.008; pig 0.007 + 0.003; black wallaroo 0.02 ± 0.006; and emu 0.006 + 0.003. Intnxhiction .\rnhem Land is a large area of Northern Australia that is owned and managed by Aboriginal people, .\rnhem Land covers over 95,000 km^in the north-east of the North¬ ern Territory and encompasses an array of habitats from coastal and inland water systems, to monsoon forest, open woodland and the escarpment of the Arnhem Pla¬ teau (Cole 1978). The area is home to a large number of feral animals such as buffalo {Buba/us bubalii), cattle (Bos laurus), horses (Equus caballus) and pigs {Sussenfd) that were introduced to the Northern Territory in the late 1800’s (Chaloupka 1982). WTiile some feral animals arc utilised as a food resource by Aboriginal communities (Altman 1987), they can also cause significant environmental damage and are a potential disease threat when densities are high (Bayliss ;md Yeomans 1989a). The continued monitoring of feral vertebrate populations in Arnhem Land is important to ensure that densities are maintained at appropriate levels. 8 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) J. Koenig etal. Aerial surveys provide the means by wliich large vertebrate populations can be moni¬ tored over great area and in remote locations (Clancy 1999). The vertebrate fauna of central Arnhem l.and has previously been surveyed by light aircraft on tw’o occasions in the past two decades (Bayliss and Yeomans 1989a, Saalfeld 1998), and these surveys have shown significant but decreasing numbers of feral animals over a thirteen-year period. This report provides information on the distribution, density and population size of feral animals (buffalo, pigs, horses, and cattle) in the northern section of the Arnhem Land plateau and adjacent lowland areas northwest of the plateau. The current survey was not intended to replicate previous broad-scale surveys, bur rather attempted to provide information on the range and distribution of emu {Dromaeus nomehoHandiae) and macropod species. I lowever, it became evident early in the surv'ey that the tech¬ nique was not precise enough for this purpose and the focus of the survey switched to feral animals, in particular feral buffalo. Nevertheless, some information for emu, black wallaroo Macropus bemadus and antilopine wallaroo Macropus antUinopus is includ¬ ed here. Methods Aerial survey An aerial survey was carried out between 7-11th September 2000 in central Arnhem Land by members of the Key Centre for Tropical Wildhfe Management (^Tony Grif¬ fiths and Jennifer Koenig) and the Djelk Rangers (Charles Godjuwa, Otto (iampion and Dean Yibarbuk). The surv'ey was based at Margalwo outstation on the Arnhem Plateau (12° SO.TS, 133° SS.l’E), appro.ximately 100 km southeast of Maningrida town¬ ship. The survey area (5880 km^ is composed of two distinct habitat types, plateau (3936 km^ and lowland (1944 km^. The plateau is characterised by rugged sandstone outcrop with low open rocky woodland while the lowland is primarily floodplains and tall open forest on deep sandy soils. The survey area was systematically sampled by cast-west transects placed 2.8 km apart on the plateau and 3.7 km apart on the lowland survey (Fig. 1). A total of 39 transects, each 54 km long, were flown giving a samphng intensity' of 18.5% (626 km^ on the plateau and 12.2% (237 km^ on the lowland survey. A Cessna 185 fitted with a radar altimeter and global positioning system was used for the survey. The aircraft was flown at an altitude of 200 ft (61 m) above ground level at a ground velocity' of 100 knots (185 kmh '). The transect width of 200 m each side of the aircraft path was delineated using fibreglass rods attached to the wing struts. The transect width was calibrated by flying at 61 m over two forty-four gallon drums placed 200 m apart on the runway. Aerial survey in Arnhem Land Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 9 There were two observers (port and starboard) in the rear of the plane, while a third person (seated front starboard) acted as recorder. For a sub-sample of transects, the recorder acted as a third observer. The position and time of each observation was recorded using a Hewlett Packard 11P200LX palmtop computer programmed as a da- talogger and linked to a GPS. For each observation the following information was recorded: species; number of animals per group; habitat in which the group (or indi¬ vidual) was seen; and oltserv'er. Habitats were grouped into four broad categories: open woodland (moderate canopy cover and height); wet woodland (wetland and ripar¬ ian haltitats); rocky woodland (low and sparse canopy); and sandsheet forest (tall forest dominated by Eucalyptus tetrodontd). Data analysis Density and population estimates were calculated for each species using the ratio method (Caughlcy 1979). Correction factors were not calculated for this survey as double counts were only gathered for a small suit-sample of transects. However, we have included results based on the correction factors from a previous aerial survey of Arnhem Land (Bayhss and Womans 1989b). These factors correct for observer bias in the open wood¬ land and are applied here to provide a more accurate approximation of the actual number of buffalo, cattle and horses present. Students t-tests were used to compare the density of each species (with ten or more sightings) in plateau and lowland areas. Students t-tests were also used to compare animal sightings between the port and starboard side of the plane. A contingency ta¬ ble analysis was used to test whether species differed in the proportion of animals observed in each of the major habitat types. We also tested for difference in buffalo abundance across habitat types using a one-way ANO\A, using the raw group size data. For all buffalo sightings, we calculated the distance to the nearest drainage line using Arc View 3.2a. Results Distribution, density and population estimates A total of 747 indi\4dual animals from 8 species were sighted during the aerial survey. Of the 8 species observed, 4 were native (emu, antilopine wallaroo, black wallaroo and euro) and 4 were exotic (l)uffalo, cattle, horse, pig). The sightings, number of indi¬ viduals and mean group sizes for each species are presented in Table 1. The majority of sightings were for feral animals (92%), with buffalo accounting for 78% of sight- ings. Figures 2 and 3 show the distribution of sightings for each species. Although buffalo were widely distributed throughout the survey area, most were concentrated on the 10 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) J. Koenig etal. Table 1. Summary of sightings, individual counts and mean group size estimates (± one standard error) for wildlife species recorded during the aerial survey. Sightings Individuais Mean group size Buffato 185 623 3.4 ±0.27 Cattle 24 88 3.7 ± 0.9 Horse 2 8 4±3 Pig 6 6 1 ±0 Antitopine Wallaroo 1 2 2 Black Wallaroo 12 14 1.2 ± 0.11 Emu 4 5 1.3 ±0.25 Euro 1 1 1 eastern side of both the plateau and lowland survey blocks, and in particular around the McCaw Creek and Mann River regions in the southeast. Feral cattle had a more patchy distribution and horses were confined to the southeast of the survey. In con¬ trast, sightings of the black wallaroo w-ere concentrated in the northwest region of the plateau, west of Margalwo outstation. The small number of sightings of the other native and feral species were scattered throughout the survey area (Fig. 3). The uncorrected density estimates for each species are presented in Table 2, calculat¬ ed for the entire survey area and separately for the plateau and lowland. There were no significant differences in density between the plateau and lowland areas for buffalo (t = 0.93, p = 0.35), black wallaroos (t = 0.89, p = 0.38) or cattle (t = 1.79, p = 0.082). The uncorrected population estimates calculated for each species sighted in the sur¬ vey are presented in Table 3. Due to the low number of sightings the precision (measured by the SE) of the estimate is poor for all species except buffalo. Corrected estimates for buffalo, cattle and horses are presented in Table 4. Habitat variables Contingent:)' table analysis showed that the proportion of animals in each major habi¬ tat ty'pe differed significantly between species (c‘ = 85.41, p < 0.001). These results reflect two distinct patterns, with feral animals (buffalo, cattle, horse and pig) sighted more often in the open and wet woodland and native species (l)lack wallaroo and emu) more often in the rocky woodland (Table 5). The size of each buffalo group was significantly related to the habitat in which the group was seen (F = 2.93, p = 0.03). The mean group size (+ one standard error) of Aerial survey in Arnhem Land Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 11 10 0 10 20 Kilometers Flight Transects Rivers Roads Figure 1. Location of aerial survey flight transects. 12 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 1. Koenig etal. Kibmelers N * Buffalo Sightings .- Rivers — Roads -Density Contours Figure 2. Distribution and density patterns of buffalo sighted in the aerial survey. Density contours have a base of 1 and an interval of 1. Aerial survey in Arnhem Land Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 13 134 • Ca (lie □ Black Wallaroos « Antilopinc Wallabies —^ Rivers Roads Figure 3- Distribution of all species (except buffalo) sighted in the aerial survey. 14 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) J. Koenig etal. Table 2. Uncorrcctcd density estimates (animals per km’ ± one standard error) for wildlife species recorded during the aerial survey. Estimates were calculated for the entire survey area and separately for the two topographic regions (plateau and lowland). Total (5880 km2) Plateau (3936 km2) Lov^and (1944 km2) Buffalo 0.74 ± 0.08 0.79 ± 0.09 0.61 ± 0.18 Cattle 0.10 ± 0.04 0.14 ±0.05 0.004 ± 0.004 Horse 0.009 ± 0.008 0.013 ± 0.011 0 Pig 0.007 ± 0.003 0.008 ± 0.004 0.004 ± 0.004 Black Wallaroo 0.02 ± 0.006 0.02 ± 0.008 0.008 ± 0.006 Emu 0.006 ± 0.003 0.002 ± 0.002 0.02 ± 0.009 Table 3. Uncorrected population estimates (± one standard error) of wildlife species recorded during the aerial survey, September, 2000. Estimates were calculated for the entire survey area and separately for the two topographic regions. \'alucs in parentheses are the standard error as a proportion of the estimate. Total (5880 km2) Plateau (3936 km2) Lo\Mand (1944 km2) Buffalo 4349 ±492 (0.11) 3105 ± 366 (0.12) 1195 ± 352 (0.29) Cattle 614 ± 213 (0.35) 566 ± 191 (0.34) 8 ± 8 (1) Horse 56 ± 49 (0.88) 52 ± 46 (0.88) 0 Pig 42 ± 19 (0.45) 33 ± 16 (0.48) 8 ± 8 (1) Black Wallaroo 98 ± 34 (0.35) 78 ± 30 (0.38) 16 ± 11 (0.69) Table 4. Corrected density and population estimates (± one standard error) of buffalo, cattle and horse observed during the aerial survey. The correction factors arc those of Bayliss and Yeomans (1989b) for the open woodland habitat. Total (5880 km2) Plateau (3936 km2) Lo\Mand (1944 km2) Buffalo 4349 ±492 (0.11) 3105 ±366 (0.12) 1195 ±352 (0.29) Cattle 614 ±213 (0.35) 566 ± 191 (0.34) 8 ± 8 (1) Horse 56 ± 49 (0.88) 52 ± 46 (0.88) 0 Pig 42 ± 19 (0.45) 33 ± 16 (0.48) 8 ± 8 (1) Black Wallaroo 98 ± 34 (0.35) 78 ± 30 (0.38) 16 ± 11 (0.69) Aerial survey in Arnhem Land Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 15 buffalo in open woodland, wet woodland, sand-sheet forest and rocky woodland was respectively: 3.13 ± 0.49; 4.43 ± 0.51; 2.54 ± 0.37 and 2.37 ± 0.60. Over 80% of all buffalo sightings were within 400 m of a drainage line (Fig. 4). Observer bias The mean number of animal groups sighted per transect was 3.72 for the starboard side of the plane compared to 2.08 for the port side (t = 2.87, p = 0.005). Similarly, the mean number of individual animals counted per transect was significantly higher on the starboard side (10.72 vs 5.54: t = 3.08, p = 0.003). The observers on the port Table 5. I'he number of sightings for each species in each of the four habitat types, as a percentage of the total number of sightings (in parentheses) . Open woodland Wet woodland Sandsheet forest Rocky woodland Buffalo (185) 38 33 19 10 Cattle (24) 70 17 4 9 Pig (6) 33 50 0 17 Black Wallaroo (12) 0 0 8 92 Emu (4) 0 0 25 75 too 200 300 400 500 >500 distance (m) Figure 4. Distance of buffalo sightings to the nearest drainage line. 16 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) J. Koenig etal. and starboard side of the plane remained consistent for 31 out of the 39 transects. Analyses of the most commonly sighted species (buffalo) for these 31 transects re¬ vealed a similar pattern to that described above for all animal sightings. Discussion Distribution, density and population estimates Feral buffalo were widespread throughout the entire survey area (Fig. 2) with particu¬ larly high concentrations around the McCaw Creek and Mann River region in the east of the plateau survey area. In contrast, feral horses, pigs and cattle were patchily dis¬ tributed, with concentrations in the Bulman Gorge and upper Mann River area at the southern end of the survey area (Fig. 3). This area has been identified in previous aerial surveys as having a relatively high density of feral animals (Saalfeld 1998, Bayliss and Yeomans 1989a). The uncorrected buffalo density estimates from this sUidy are higher than those re¬ ported in the last extensive aerial survey of Anrhem Land in 1998 (Saalfeld 1998). However, buffalo density from the 1998 survey for the same area was 0.85 km - (K. Saalfield, pers. comm.). This suggests a relatively stable buffalo numbers over the two years between these surveys. Buffalo densities reported for this area from an aerial survey in 1985 (Bayliss and Yeomans 1989a) were higher than the results from the present survey. The apparent decrease in buffalo numbers over the 15 year period may be due to the BTEC (Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Control) program, which operated in Arnhem Land between 1985 and 1995 (Ridpath and Waithman 1988, Saalfeld 1998). Alternatively, mustering may have reduced numbers, particularly in the southern part of the survey area. The density estimates for feral cattle are also similar to those reported by the 1998 Arnhem Land feral animal survey (Saalfeld 1998). In contrast, density estimates for horse are much lower in the present survey, but our survey did not encompass the areas of high horse density sampled by Saalfield (1998). A factor that may influence the results of aerial survey is the choice of sampling plat¬ form. There are particular advantages and disadv'antages associated with each sampling platform (helicopter versus fixed-wing aircraft) and these will determine the method used in a particular survey. A helicopter is able to travel slower and at lower heights than a fixed-wing aircraft allowing for easier species observation and identification (Clancy 1999). However, the cost of a helicopter survey is considerably greater, the duration of each flight shorter and consequently the survey area is much smaller than if using a fixed-wing aircraft (Clancy 1999). For this survey we used a fixed wing air¬ craft in order to cover a large area of central Arnhem Land. While the use of this sampling platform enabled us to effectively sample the larger vertebrates (buffalo and cattle) it compromised our ability to detect the smaller native animals. A recent heli- Aerial survey in Arnhem Land Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 17 copter survey of a small section of Arnhem Land (covering part of the lowland area sampled in this survey) recorded a much higher density of large macropods (9.3 km ^ and emu (0.3 km'-; Yibarbuk elal. 2001) than was detected with the present fixed-wing aircraft survc)'. Estimates of density and population from aerial surveys are negatively biased and rep¬ resent only a proportion of the actual population (Bayliss and Yeomans 1989b). The use of correction factors is a method of accounting for this negative bias (Cairns 1999). Ideally, survey specific correction factors should be obtained by using a combination of the double count methodology (Marsh and Sinclair 1989; Bayliss and Yeomans 1989b) and ground survey techniques. The correction factors of Bayliss and Yeomans (1989b) used in this report are a combination of both observer and environmental bias and should be used with caution when applied to other surveys. Thus, while the corrected density and population estimates for buffalo, horses and cattle (Table 4) pro¬ vide a more accurate approximation than the uncorrected values, they are unlikely to be entirely accurate. Habitat vanables We found that the mean group size for buffalo was significantly different between the major habitat types. Previous surveys have demonstrated a negative relationship be¬ tween visibility of buffalo and canopy cover, and have derived correction factors for each habitat based on mean group size (Bayliss and Yeomans 1989b). Thus, our re¬ sults may reflect a group visibility bias in relation to habitat type. Alternatively, some habitats may be more favouralile to buffalo and support larger group sizes. The pres¬ ence of water seems to be one factor influencing the distribution of buffalo, with over 80% of all buffalo sighted within 400 m of a drainage hue. Similarly, previous surveys have noted that wetland and Eucalyptus woodland endowed with fresh water (rivers, creeks, springs and billabongs) were areas of high buffalo density (Bayhss and Yeomans 1989a). Observer bias This survey served, in part, as an educational exercise in aerial survey techniques for members of the Key Centre for Tropical Wildhfc Management and the Djelk Aborig¬ inal Rangers. The participants of this aerial sufVey had minimal experience in observing and counting animals from the air. It is recommended that observers have a mini¬ mum air training time of 100 hours before being included in the collection of data (13ayliss and Yeomans 1989a; Beard 1999). The reasons for training include learning to work and concentrate in a confined and stuffy space for long periods; learning to work in turbulent conditions without feeling ill, and the need to develop a search image for each species form the air (Beard 1999). The use of inexperienced observers in this survey undoubtedly accounted for some inaccuracies in the data. 18 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) J. Koenig etal. Recommendations and conclusions The original aim of this study was to survey for emu and macropods. Mowever, we were not able to accurately detect these species from a ftxed-wing aircraft. For future surveys a helicopter may be a better alternative as they provide greater visibility and accuracy when surt'eying native animals (Clancy 1999; Pople et at. 1998). In order to obtain more accurate aerial survey data and to decrease habitat and observer bias we also recommend incorporating double-count techniques, habitat specific correction factors and ground-truthing into future aerial surveys (Bayliss and Yeomans 1989b; Clancy a/. 1997). The feral animals in Arnhem Land are a valued resource to the Aboriginal owners. Large feral animals such as buffalo, cattle and pig provide an important food resource (Altman 1982, Altman 1987, Vardon et ai 1996), and commercial income is obtained from buffalo through “safari” tourism and periodic mustering (Johnson 2000). How¬ ever, feral animals can cause significant environmental damage and are a potential disease threat (Bayliss and Yeomans 1989a, Ridpath and Waithman 1988). In order to manage feral animal populations to the benefit of local landowners, the distribution and density of feral species needs to be closely monitored. The use of aerial surveys provides the cost effective means of achieving this goal. Acknowle^ments Thanks to our pilot Luke, Ian Munro and the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation, Keith Saalfeld of the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Peter Cooke of the Northern Land Council, the Djelk Rangers and the Traditional Owners of Mar- galwo outstation. Two reviewers provided helpful comments. References Altman J. (1982) Hunting buffalo in north-central Arnhem Land; a case of rapid adaptation among Aborigine.s. Oceania 9>2, 274-285. /MtmanJ. (1987) Hunter-gatherers today: an Aboriginal economy inNorth Australia. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra. bayliss P. and Yeomans K.M. (1989a) Distribution and abundance of feral livestock in the “’Pop Lnd” of the Northern 'I'erritory (1985-86), and their relation to population control. Australian Wildlife Research 16, 651 -676. Bayliss P. and \eomans k.M. (1989b) C.orrecting bias in aerial survey population estimates of feral livestock in northern Australia using the double-count method. Journal of Applied Ecology 26, 925-933. Beard L.A. (1999) Training observers. Australian Zoologist 31, 287-291. f.airns S.C. (1999) Accuracy and consistency in the aerial survey of kangaroos. Australian Zoologist 31,275-279. Aerial survey in Arnhem Land Northern Territory Naturaiist 17 (2003) 19 (iiaughlcy (1. (1979) Sampling tcchnk)ucs for aerial census. \n Aerial surveys oj Jauna populations (ed. (i. (^aughley), pp.9-13. Australian (Jovernment I’ublisliing Service, Canberra. (ibaloupka (i. (1982) Burrunguy, Nourhngie Rock. Nortliart, llarwin. (dancy 'I'.l''. (1999) Choice of survey platforms and technii.|ues for broad-scalc monitoring of kangaroo populations. Australian Zoologist }>\, 267-274. (dancy d'.b', Pople A.R. and (iibson L.A. (1997) (d)mparison of helicopter line transects with walked line transects for estimating densities of kangaroos. Wildlife Research 24, 397-409. (iole K. (1978) The Aborigines of Arnhem hand. Rigby, Adelaide. Johnson V. (2000) Bamnanga Aboriginal Corporation AnnualR£port 1999-2000. Bawinanga Aboriginal (iorporation. Marsh 11. and Sinclair D.b! (1989) (iorrecting for visibility bias in strip transect aerial surveys of aquatic fauna, journal of Wildlife Management bh, 1017-1024. Pople A.R., (dtirns S.C., Cilancy d'.l'., Clriggs (•.(}., Beard L.A. and Southwell C.J. (1998) An assessment of the accuracy of kangaroo surveys using fixed-wing aircraft. Wildlife Research 25,315-326. Ridpath M.Ci. and Waithman ). (1988) Controlling feral Asian water buffalo in Australia. Wildlife Society Bulletin 16, 385-390. Saalfeld K. (1998) Aerial survey of targe vertebrates in Arnhem Land. Parks and Wildlife Ciommission of the Northern I'erritory, Darwin. Vardon M.)., Missi C., (deary M. and Webb, Ci.j.W (1996) Aboriginal use and conservation of wildlife in northern Australia: a cultural necessity. In Conservation outside Nature Reserves Conference, University of Oueensland, pp 1-14. Wildlife Management International Pty Ltd. Yibarbuk I)., Wliitehead P.|., Russell-Smith j., Jackson D., Ciodjuwa (d, bishcr A., Cooke P., (ihoquenot D. and Bowman D.M.J.S. (2001) b’ire ecology and Aboriginal land management in central Arnhem Land, northern Australia: a tradition of ecosystem management./oaraa/ of Biogeography 28, 325-343. Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 20-30 Records of northern waterbirds in the Barkly wetlands, Northern Territory, 1993-2002 Roger Jaensch Wetlands International - Oceania c/- Queensland Herbarium, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, QLD, 4066 Abstract Nine species of waterbirds that principally occur in seaward-draining catchments of the Northern Territory were recorded in cndorheic catchments of the Barkly Tableland, Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion, following major floods in 1993 and 2001. The migratory Garganey Anas querquedula, Swinhoe’s Snipe Gallinago megala and Griental Reed-Warbler orientalis'xexe. observed in small numbers and White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias kucoptems in moderate numbers. Green Pygmy-goose Neltapus pulchelks. Pied Heron Ardeapicata and Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiatkus were recorded in small numbers and Wandering VCTiistling-Duck Dendrocygiia araia/a and Cattle Egret Ardea ibis in moderate numbers. Black-necked Stork probably bred in at least one wetland, a vast Coolibah swamp. Some of the nine species may have been colo¬ nists at these inland wetlands and their possible breeding status should be monitored in future surveys, others were most likely vagrants. Introduction During 1991-5 and 2000-2, temporary wetlands of the Barkly Tableland - the ‘Barkly wetlands’ - in the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion (Environment Australia 2002a) were extensively inundated. The largest floods were early in 1993 (jaensch 1994) and 2001. The principal wetlands, Tarrabool Lake, Lake Woods and Lake Sylvester, provided vast areas of open lake, wooded swamp, shrub swamp, grass/forb swamp and bare muddy shores as waterbird habitat. The author and associates conducted 10 surveys of the Barkly wetlands on ground, by boat and/or by helicopter durmg 1993-2002: five in 1993; two in 1994; three in 1995; one in 2001; and one in 2002 (jaensch 1994, jaensch & Bellchambers 1997, R. Jacnsch unpublished data). As a result, records of several waterbird species were obtained for the first time from the Barkly wetlands or added substantially to knowledge on occur¬ rence, habitat use and/or breeding (jaensch 2002a, b). This paper summarises the records of waterbird species that normally occur in seaward-draining, northern catch¬ ments of the Northern Territory. Northern waterbirds in Barkly wetlands Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 21 Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arcuata Storr (1977) and Blakers et al. (1984) provide no records of Wandering Whistling-Duck from the Barkly wetlands. However, this waterltird is highly dispersive with vagrants reaching south-western and south-eastern Australia from the far north and east of Australia (Marchant & Higgins 1990). There are six records of Wandering Whistling-Duck from the Barkly wetlands in the fauna database of the Parks & Wildhfe Commission of the Northern Territory (A. Fisher pers. comm., August 2002) for the period 1982-91; another 13 records were obtained during 1993-2002. Most (15) of the records are from the Wet season (De- cember-April). The species was recorded from more wetlands, and in larger numbers, in 2001-2 than in 1993-5 despite far fewer surveys. The highest counts from each ma¬ jor wetland are listed in Table 1 the location of major wetlands is shown in Fig. 1). Where recorded in inundated woodland of Coolibah (presumed to be Barkly Cooli- bah Eucalyptus barklyensis) or Cooba Acacia stenophylla, the Wandering-Whistling-Ducks were not closely associated with other ducks. At beach, spit or bank roosting sites they were always associated with large numbers (up to 8000) of Plumed Whistling-Duck. It is conceivable that mixed flocks of these species travelled to the Barkly wetlands from northern parts of the Territory. The records show that Wandering-Whisthng-Duck is a regular visitor to the Barkly wetlands. All of the high counts occurred when the wetlands were full or with more than 10 000 ha of water. Table 1. I lighest counts of Wandering Whistling-Duck, Barkly wetlands, 1993-2002. ‘Eva Downs Swamp’ is an unnamed wetland at the terminus of Cherub Creek.. Wetland (sector) Habitat Date Count Corella Lake (N) Sand & gravel beach/chenier 6 Jun 2001 960 Lake de Burgh (N) Muddy spit on drying shore 17 Dec 1993 415 Lake Sylvester (E) Delta channels of Brunette Creek 13 Apr 2002 200 Tarrabool Lake (N) Sand & gravel beach/chenier 29 Mar 1994 46 Lake Woods (W) Coolibah wooded swamp 10 Apr 2002 40 Eva Downs Swamp Cooba wooded swamp 6 Jun 2001 40 22 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R.Jaensch Figure 1. Locations on the Darkly Tableland mentioned in the text::l, Longreach Waterhole; 2, Lake Woods; 3, Eva Downs Swamp; 4, Tarrabool Lake; 5, Cresswell Ck; 6, Corella Lake; 7, Big I lole waterhole; 8, Lake Sylvester; 9, Lake de Burgh; 10, Brunette Downs homestead; 11, Upper Amazon lagoon. Shaded areas are subject to periodic immdation, although some lakes (particularly the Tarrabool and Sylvester complexes) may become larger than shown here. The boundary of the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion is shown by the dotted line. Green Pygmy-goose Nettapus pulchellus Before the 1993-2002 surveys, only one record of Green Pygmy-goose in the Mitchell Grass Downs had been published (Blakers et at. 1984) and an undated record west of Tennant Creek (Storr 1977, Marchant & Higgins 1990, PWCNT fauna database) was the only other Northern Territory record outside the seaward-draining catchments. On 24 September 1993, a pair of Green Pygmy-goose was observed in the north¬ western, wooded part of Lake de Burgh (18° 53.1’ S, 135° 29.9’ E). Water was 0.3-0.5 m deep and devoid of aquatic plants on the surface. At the time, the receding lake still covered more than 15 000 ha. The pygmy-geese were identified by their dark green or Northern waterbirds in Barkly wetlands Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 23 black backs, upper-wing coverts and primaries, which contrasted strongly with their white secondaries. In size they were smaller than the Grey "X&'A Anas gracilis present and their wing-beats were fast and shallow. The two pygmy-geese were probably vagrants. Long-distance dispersal of this northern waterbird sometimes occurs and there are records from south-western and south-eastern Austraha (Marchant& Higgins 1990). Garganey Anas qnerquedula On 18 May 1993, a male Garganey in full breeding plumage was observed in the north¬ ern part of Lake Woods (17° 44.4’ S, 133° 31.3’ E), in a swampy zone more than 1 km wide. The sw'amp contained shrubs of lignum MuehknbeckiaJhruknta to 2 m height in water up to 1 m deep, among which the atjuatic creeper Ipomoea ?diamantinensis grew prolifically, as well as dense thickets of budda pea Aesef^nomene indica to 3 m in water about 0.5 m deep. This community lay between extensive Coolibah woodland and open lake. The Garganey was seen in flight at a height of about 20 m; its flight was rapid, at least as fast as that of Hardhead aar/ra/A with which it flew, and its light grey upper¬ wing coverts were conspicuous. It was about half the size of a I lardhead and its brown head and chest were in strong contrast to its pale eye-stripe and white central belly. Individuals or small groups of Garganey, a migrant from Asia, occur in wetlands of the Darwin Coastal bioregion (Environment Australia 2002a), and are reported main¬ ly in the late Dry season and early Wet season (Marchant & Higgins 1990, PWCNT fauna database, R. [aensch pers. obs.). The Lake Woods bird was undoubtedly a va¬ grant. A record from Alice Springs in December 1978 (Marchant & Higgins 1990) is the only previous, published record of Garganey from inland Northern Territory. Gar¬ ganey occasionally travel much flirther south, reaching south-western and south-eastern Australia (Storr 1977, Blakers et al. 1984). The species is listed as ‘Data Deficient’ un¬ der Northern Territory legislation. Pied Heron Ardeapicata Apart from records in October-November 1993 from the Alice Springs area and uncon¬ firmed records from the Tanami and Great Sandy Deserts, the Pied Heron is not normally recorded outside seaward-draining catchments in the Northern Territory (Storr 1977, Blakers et al. 1984, Marchant & Higgins 1990, PWCNT fauna database). Vagrants occasionally reach south-eastern Australia. Records of Pied Herons in the Barkly wetlands in 1993, 2001 and 2002 are listed in chronological order in I'able 2. The 1993 birds were all adults, with a blue-black cap 24 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R.Jaensch Table 2. Records of Pied Heron from the Barkly wetlands, 1993-2002. Wetland (sector) Habitat Date Count Lake Woods (NE) Shallow open water & shore 22 Sept 1993 1 Lake de Burgh (N) Muddy open shore 17 Dec 1993 2 Lake Woods (N) and Longreach Waterhole Coolibah wooded swamp; inundated mixed woodland fringing the waterhoie 30 May 2001, 7 Jun 2001 16 Eva Downs Swamp Cooba wooded swamp 6 Jun 2001 1 Big Hole waterhole Inundated mixed woodland fringing the waterhole 6 Jun 2001 8 Big Hole waterhole Bare gravel beach near end of waterhole 12 Apr2002 6 Lake de Burgh (N) Coolibah wooded swamp with mats of aquatic weed 13 Apr 2002 1 and yellow legs. The Pied Herons at Lake de Burgh were discovered in a roost of 8 400 whistling-ducks on a marshy spit and five of the larger White-necked I leron A. padftca, which has no black cap and has grey legs, were nearby for comparison. Many of the 16 birds observed at Longreach Waterholc in June 200] were immature, lacking black caps. Some birds at Lake Woods and Eva Downs Swamp in June 2001 were associated with colonies of nesting Great Egret A, alba in Cooba wooded swamp. Although no nesting by Pied Heron was confirmed, presence in the colonies and oc¬ currence of immatures lends some support to the possibility that this species bred in the Barkly wetlands in 2001. It remains to be seen if the species establishes a long¬ term presence in these wetlands as a result of the 1993 and 2001 floods. Pied Herons were recorded well south and inland of their normal range in eastern Australia during 2000 and 2001, with small groups observed in the Channel Country bioregion (Environment Australia 2002a) following major floods (J. Reid & R. Jaensch unpublished data) and in the Macquarie Marshes, New South Wales (Eades 2001). Cattle Egret Ardea ibis Cattle Egrets occur and breed in large numbers in the Darwin Coastal bioregion (Storr 1977, Chatto 2000), and vagrants have been reported in the Alice Springs area (Blak- ers et al. 1984, Marchant & Higgins 1990, PWCNT fauna database). One or two birds were seen at Lake Woods and Lake de Burgh in 1993. More signifi- Northern waterbirds in Barkly wetlands Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 25 cantly, substantial flocks were seen at two Barkly wetlands in the period 10-14 April 2002: 60 and 100 near the south-west side of Lake Woods, and 65 and 70 near die north side of Corella Lake and at nearby Edwards Creek respectively. All of the egrets seen in 2002 were feeding in association with cattle in jVnnual Verbine Cullen dnereum and other meadow vegetation on lake bed that had been inundated in 2001 but that had been dry for many months. Cattle Egret continues to expand its range in Australia and it is highly likely that the species will establish a long-term presence in the Barkly wetlands and associated mead¬ ows, possibly influenced by the 2001 flood. Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Casual occurrence of Black-necked Storks in the Northern Territory at least as far south as the Mitchell Grass Downs has been previously documented (Storr 1977, Blakers et al. 1984). At least 19 records of Black-necked Stork in the Barkly wetlands have been obtained over the past two decades (PWCNT fauna database, Jaensch & Bellchambers 1997, R. Jaensch unpubUshed data). Storks were recorded at each of the major lakes (Woods, Tarrabool, Corella, Sylvester and de Burgh) and/or associated waterholes. The largest groups were: 12, most of them immature, at South Newcastle Bore (17° 40.6’ S, 133° 32.6’ E) near the northern limit of Lake Woods, on 10 April 2002; five, all immature, at a small pond near Lake Sylvester on 13 April 2002; and five, at least two of them immature, at a waterhole (18° 13.9’ S, 135° 5.0’ E) in the channel of Cresswell Creek in the north-east of Tarrabool Lake, on 29 March 94. Immature birds had pale or dull- coloured head and neck and some grey-brown, rather than all black, marks on the white upper-wings. The age at which adult plumage is attained by Black-necked Stork is not certain but it may take several years (Marchant & Higgins 1990). Thus, some or all of the free-fly¬ ing immatures seen at the Barkly wetlands during 1993-2002 may have been raised elsewhere, in near-coastal areas, but travelled inland to the Barkly wetlands many months later. Stronger evidence that Black-necked Storks bred locally was obtained on 31 March 1993, when a stork was observed at a nest during an aerial transect survey over the south-western part of I'arrabool Lake. I'he brief view and survey procedure did not permit determination of nest contents or further investigation of the association be¬ tween stork and nest. Habitat was extensive Coolibah wooded swamp with water that was at least I m deep. It is possible that Black-necked Stork has estaltlished a small persistent population in the Barkly wetlands, aided by the wet periods in 1991-5 and 2000-2 during which local conditions - extensive wooded wetlands and abundant food supply - were probably suitable for breeding. I'he range of a number of Australian Ciconiiformes has expanded 26 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R.Jaensch during the 20''’ centurj' (Serventy & Whittell 1976, Blakers et al 1984, Marchant & Higgins 1990). Swinhoe’s Snipe GaUmago megala In the Northern Territory, GalUnago snipe have been recorded mainly from the Darwin Coastal bioregion and adjacent areas, and exceptionally from the Alice Springs area (PWCNT fauna database). Most records of definite identity are of Swinhoe’s Snipe but Pin-tailed Snipe G. stenura and Latham’s Snipe G. bardmckii :ilso occasionally occur (Higgins & Davies 1996). On 14 December 1993, 26 GalUnago snipe were flushed from an area of about 1 ha in swamp on the drying north-eastern side of Lake Woods (17° 45.6’ S, 133° 32.8’ E). Habitat was open shrubland of Lignum to about 1.5 m height over extensive dense Nardoo Marsilea sp., or bare mud. Water depth varied from 0 to 0.3 m due to ‘gilgai’ hollows in the clay substrate. Similar habitat extended for hundreds of metres in a band around the lake. On 16 December 1993, two GalUnago snipe were flushed from a cluster of mud and stone islets with tussocks of couch grass in the drying north-east part of Lake Sylvest¬ er (18° 45.3’ S, 135° 38.9’ E). I.andward of the site was an extensive wet marsh of Rat’s Tail Couch Sporobolus milcbellii that had been cropped short by cattle. Water was of uneven depth due to gilgai hollows but over several hectares was mostly less than 0.1 m deep. After landing 20 m away, the birds were observed closely through tripod- mounted spotting scopes. On 4 January 1995, a single GalUnago snipe was observed squatting on mud beside a Lignum shrub, then flushed twice, in swamp associated with Two Nhle Waterhole on Brunette Creek (18° 39.4’ S, 135° 58.5’ E). The swamp had dried back a little after recent brief inundation. On 31 January 1995, a single GalUnago snipe was flushed and briefly pursued by heli¬ copter, at South Newcastle Waterhole (17° 38.7' S, 133° 32.4’ E). The tree-lined waterhole was almost drj' at this point, with water confined to small shallow pools in its floor. Field identification of GalUnago snipe, and separation of G. megala, G. stenura and C. bardivickii in particular, is difficult (Higgins & Davies 1996) and most field identifica¬ tions without a bird in the hand therefore should be regarded as tentative. However, prior to the Barkly sightings, the author had obtained substantial field experience with each species in Australia - notably with G. megala near Darwin over preceding months in 1993 and 1995 - and/or overseas in situations where the identity of the birds had been estabhshed by capmre or where the other species normally did not occur. Identi¬ fication of most if not all of the Barkly snipe as G. megala was based on that experience Northern waterbirds in Barkly wetlands Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 17 and the following characteristics (Higgins & Dardcs 1996, pp. 29-30); slight or negligible projection of the toes beyond the folded tip of fail when flying (lienee not G. stenura)-, infrequent calling during escape flights (unlike the typically vocal G. hardwickii)-, short (less than 30 m) direct escape flights (unlike typical G. hardwickii)-, and no prominent white trailing edge to the upper-wing (ruling out Common Snipe G.gallinago of South¬ east Asia). Furthermore, the Lake Sylvester snipe (at rest) showed a noticeable protrusion of the tail and vent beyond the folded wing tip, probably longer than typical of G. stenura but not to the extent usually conspicuous in G. hardwickii (Higgins & Davies 1996). Swinhoe’s Snipe is currently listed as ‘Data Deficient’ under Northern Territory legisla¬ tion. Further surveys, especially in the late Dry and early Wet seasons when wetland habitat is least widespread, may provide more information on the (perhaps frequent) occurrence of Gallinago snipe in the Barkly wetlands. White-winged Black Tern ChUdonias leucopterus The White-winged Black Tern is a regular migrant from Asia to the marine and coastal fresh-water wetlands of northern Australia, and to many wetlands in southern Austral¬ ia, but is relatively uncommon inland in the arid zone (Blakers et al. 1984, Higgins & Davies 1996). Generally it is most abundant along the north coast. Substantial numbers were recorded from several of the Barkly wetlands during 1993- 2002: the highest counts are shown in Table 3. In April 2002, the White-winged Black Terns were often in tight flocks of around 100 birds, hawking over water and nearby Table 3. Highest counts of White-winged Black Tern, Barkly wetlands, 1993-2002. Wetland (sector) Habitat Date Count Lake Sylvester (E) Open shallow water with aquatic weed mat, and adjacent grassland and forb meadows 12-14 Apr 2002 1222 Lake de Burgh (N) Open shallow water with aquatic weed mat, and bare muddy shore 13 Apr 2002 455 Lake Woods (SW) Lignum swamp, deeply inundated 11 Apr 2002 100 Upper Amazon Lagoon, Playford River Open water of waterhole & muddy bare shore 1 Feb 1995 59 Corella Lake (N) Open shallow water, with aquatic weed mat 13 Apr 2002 20 28 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R. Jaensch meadows, and many individuals displayed the diagnostic characters of adults in breed¬ ing plumage - fully black chest, head and upper back, in strong contrast to the white upper-wing coverts (Higgins & Davies 1996) - which enabled easy separation from the similar Whiskered Tern C. hybridus. Irruptions of thousands of White-winged Black Terns occur from time to time in Australia, often in association with cyclones (Higgins & Davies 1996). Although large numbers were recorded in the Barkly wetlands in 2002, a similar result was not re¬ corded in other years when lake habitat was extensive. T he 22 records to date (PWCNT fauna database, R. Jaensch unpublished data) indicate that the species is a frequent visitor to the Barkly wetlands, mainly in the VC’fet season (all but 3 records), with infre¬ quent occurrence of large numbers. Oriental Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis The Oriental Reed-Warbler (the relevant population was formerly known as Great Reed- Warbler^. arundinacsu^ breeds in Asia and is infrequently recorded in Austraha. There are several records from the Top End of the Northern Territory: from Melville Is¬ land, the Darwin area and the Fogg Dam area (McKean 1983, Blakers et al 1984, PWCNT fauna database, R. Jaensch pers. olrs.). Identification from Clamorous Reed-Warbler/l. stentoreus in the field is difficult. On 4 January' 1995, the author heard a reed-warbler calling spasmodically in a shallowly inundated pile of dead Parkinsonia acukata, and later in a hve shrub of this woody weed, at a bore on the Barkly Stock Route south-east of Elliott (17° 43.8’ S, 133° 42.3’ E). The bore’s ‘turkey nest’ dam was full and contained a stand of dense live Cumbungi Typha sp. and water lay in broad pools surrounding the dam. The bird remained hidden but its calls were short, with harsh phrases like those of A. orienlalis rather than the more musical calls of A. stentoreus. The calls were consistent with calls of M. orienlalis learnt by the author while resident in Malaysia during 1989-91 and sometimes heard during the Wet season at Fogg Dam (1993-5), but unlike the familiar calls of A. stentoreus. Three birds of another rare .Asian migrant, the Bam Swallow Hinmdo rustka (identified by their dark chest bands), were at this site at the same time; eight were also present on 30 January' 1995. On 5 January 1995, a reed-warbler was detected in thickets of oleander and bougainvil¬ laea shrubs in the gardens of Brunette Downs homestead (18° 38.50’ S, 135° 56.6’ E). First heard at 0730 h, the bird was still calling when revisited at 0900 h. Calls were varied, generally harsh and ty'pical of A. orienlalis-, a brief, weak tape recording was made. The bird readily came closer in response to imitations of its calls and from distances of less than 10 m, thin brown streaks were obvious on the sides of the bird’s chest and throat, a character of A. orientalishoX not of A. stentoreus (Pizzey & Knight 1999). Other plumage and soft part characters were broadly similar to those of A. stentoreus. An identical bird Northern waterbirds in Barkly wetlands Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 29 was seen, and was calling strongly though less frequently, at the same site on 1 February 1995. These records indicate occurrence of Oriental Reed-Warbler as a vagrant in the Barkly Tableland region. Conclusions The four species - Garganey, Swinhoe’s Snipe, Oriental Reed-Warbler and White-winged Black Tern that migrate from Asia and that were recorded in the Barkly wetlands in the period 1993-2002, arc each listed under bilateral treaties with China and/or (apan (CAMBA, JAMBA) and the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conser¬ vation Act 1999 (Environment Australia 20()2b). The Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments therefore have an obligation to protect these species and their habitats. This may have hllle real implication in the case of vagrant occurrence but, over time, some vagrant species have become or proved to be regular migrants. In regard to each of the waterbird species reported above, no immediate threats to their occurrence in the Barkly wetlands are known to the author. Future surveys of waterbirds in these wetlands should include searches for nests of Pied Heron and Black¬ necked Stork in particular, to ascertain the breeding status of these species in die Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion. Acknowledgments The following persons and organisations are gratefully thanked for their support in regard to fieldwork in the Barkly wetlands from 1993 to 2002: the Australian Heritage Commission; the National Wetlands Program of Environment Australia; the Natural I leritage Trust; the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory and staff Mike Fleming, Geoff Dyne, Peter Whitehead, John Woinarski, Alaric Fisher and Craig Hempel; field assistants Janet Holmes, Jill Smith, Wayne Zadow, Chris Johnson, Niven McCrie, Brice Wells and Keith Bellchambers; and managers of the relevant pas¬ toral properties. References Blakers M., Davies S.).|.l‘'. and Reilly P.N. (1984) The atlas of Australian birds. Melbourne Dniver.sity Press, Melbourne. Chatto R. (2000) Waterbird breeding colonies in the'lbp End of the Northern Territory. Technical Report 69, Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territoiy, Danrin. Fades D. (2001) I'witchers’ Corner. W‘'ingspan, Winter 2001. I Environment Australia (2002a) Australia's biogeographical regions. Boundaries of the IBRA re¬ gions, version 5.1. Online: http://www.ea.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibraimcr/ibra_95/cont-bw.html |26 June 2002|. 30 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R. Jaensch Environment Australia (2002b) hist of migratory species under the Environment Protection and biodi¬ versity Conservation Act 1999. Online: http://www.ea.gov.au/biodivcrsity/migratory/ list.html#birds 110 July 2002|. Higgins PJ. and Davies S.J.|.I'’. (cds.) (1996) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Holnme i: Snipe to Pigeons. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Jaensch R.P. (1994) An inventory of wetlands of the sub-humid tropics of the Northern Territory. Unpublished report to Ct)nservation Commission of the Northern Territory and Australian Nature Conservation Agency. Jaensch R. (2002a) Recent records and breeding of Painted Snipe Kostratula benghalensis in the Mitchell (Irass Downs and Sturt Plateau, Northern 'I'erritory. Northern Territory Naturalist 17,31-37. lacnsch R. (2002b) Breeding by I'VecUled Duck Stictonetta naevosa, and a review of recent recfjrds, in the Barkly wetlands. Northern Territory. Northern Territory Naturalist 17, 38-42 . Jaensch R. and Bcllchambers K. (1997) W'dterbird conservation vahres of ephemeral wetlarrds of the Barkly Tablelarrd, Northern Territory. Unpublished rejiort to Australian I leritage Commission and Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin. McKean J.l,. (1983) Some notes on the occurrence of the (Ireat Reed Warbler Acrocephahrs artttrdirracetrs in the Northern Territory. Northern Territory Ncrturalist 6, 3-8. Marchant S. and Higgins PJ. (eds.) (1990) Handbook of Australiarr, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 1: Katites to Ducks. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Pizzey G. and Knight P (1999) The Grahcmt Pi:(pey and Frank Knightfieldgrride to the birds of Airstralia. Angus & Robertson, Sydney. Serventy D.I,. and VHiittcIl I I.M. (1976) Birds of Western Australia, / edition. University of Western Australia Press, Perth. Storr G.M. (1977) Birds of the Northern Territory. Western Australian Museum Special Publication No. 7. Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 31-37 Recent records and breeding of Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis'm the Mitchell Grass Downs and Sturt Plateau, Northern Territory. Roger Jaensch Wetlands International - Oceania c/- Queensland Herbarium, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, QLD, 4066 Abstract Three records of Painted Snipe Kostra/ula benghaknsis obtained in 1993 and 2001 from the Mitchell Grass Downs and Sturt Plateau biogeographic regions are described. They include the first documentation of breeding by Painted Snipe in the Northern Territo¬ ry and confirm it as an irregular rather than vagrant visitor to the Territory’s wetlands. Habitats for the records comprised coolibah, lignum and grass swamps subject to tem¬ porary inundation and under pastoral grazing regimes. The Pabted Snipe is listed as \blnerable under Northern Territory legislation. No immediate threat to the species is known in the regions where it was observed Itut fiirther surveys, to better under¬ stand its status, are recommended. Introduction In Australia, the Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis occurs mably over eastern parts of the continent, apparently in low numbers (Marchant & Higgins 1993). Lane and Rogers (2000) proposed that the Australian population should be considered a sepa¬ rate species, R. australis, from other Old World populations of fC benghalensis. Based on a marked decline in reporting rate over the last 40 years (Lane and Rogers 2000), Gar¬ nett & Crowley (2000) considered the Pabted Snipe to be nationally vulnerable. Pabted Snipe has recently been nominated for listbg as Vulnerable under The Environment Pro¬ tection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (M. Walkington pers. comm.). The Painted Snipe has rarely been recorded in the Northern Territor)^. Apart from the three records described in this paper, the databases of the NT Parks and Wildlife Com¬ mission and of Birds Australia include only 16 other records for the Northern Territory: five from the south, ten from central regions and one from the Top End (A. Fisher pers. comm., D. Rogers pers. comm.). Painted Snipe is listed as Vulnerable under The Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2001. During 1993-5 and 2001-2, the author was engaged by the Parks and Wildlife Com- 32 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R. Jaensch mission of the Northern Territory and Environment Australia to conduct surveys of wetlands and waterbirds in parts of the Mitchell Grass Downs and Sturt Plateau I)i- oregions (Environment Australia 2002a). This involved considerable ground and aerial survey effort in wetlands of the Barkly Tableland during 1993-5 and in June 2001 and April 2002, and a ground survey of wetlands in the Sturt Plateau in May-June 2001. Sighting and breeding at Tarrabool Lake in 1993 On 19 May 1993, Wayne Zadow and the author found five Painted Snipe on the north¬ western shore of Tarrabool Lake (18° 14.3’ S, 134° 51.8’ R). Tarrabool Lake is situated on the blacksoil plains of the Barkly Tableland, in the western portion of the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion. At the time, the inundated area of the lake was in the order of 200 000 ha due to major floods in February 1993 (jaensch 1994). The birds were near a series of shallow pools on gently sloped lake-shore, 10-20 m landward of the current, irregular water line and about I m in elevation below the 1993 high water mark. Vegetation comprised open woodland to 5-7 m of Barkly Cooli- bah Eucalyptus barklyensis, over sparse tussock grassland (of an unidentified grass similar to Rat’s Tail Couch Sporoholus mitcheHii but taller) to 0.5 m, and bare ground. I'hick tussocks were scattered around the pool edges and on some islets in the pools. Water in the lake and pools was fresh and milky in colour. On 19 May (late in the morning) the birds were flushed from dry ground and/or pool edges and flew less than 50 m, 1-2 m above ground. On landing, they ran to cover in the shade of trees or among debris, or remained motionless, sometimes squatting. No calls were detected. One bird was an adult female and the others were either males or immatures (Marchant Higgins 1993). A single male or immature was seen in the same area on 20 May, in mid morning. Key features by which the female was identi¬ fied were its dark hood and upper chest, medium length drooped bill and rail-like flight. The other birds had dull grey hoods and spotted upper-wings, backs and tails. A single Painted Snipe egg was discovered at this locality on 19 May, on dry mud 0.1 m from the edge of a pool that was about 15 m long by 5 m wide and up to 0.4 m deep. The egg was on the shore of the pool (not surrounded by water on an islet or spit), at the base of a clump of unidentified, erect tussock grass that was about 0.5 m tall. There was no nest scrape or materials where the egg was found and the egg was cold. The egg was creamy-white with irregular black blotches that were most frequent and largest at the wide end, but also randomly marked over the whole egg, and there were smaller pale spots m the background. The base colour and markings were notice¬ ably different to those on eggs of Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys ductus and Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles observed nearby on the same day. Deciding that the egg was not part of an active nest and probably had been abandoned, and aware of the signif- Records of Painted Snipe Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 33 131° 134° 137° Figure 1. Location of records for Painted Snipe at Tarrabool Lake (A), Lake Woods (B) and Sturt Plateau (C). icance of the find, the author collected the egg for lodgement with the Northern Ter¬ ritory Museum (NTMT4341). The egg and habitat were also photographed. Sighting at Lake Woods in 1993 On 14 December 1993, the author saw a male and female Painted Snipe in swamp on the north-eastern side of Lake Woods (17° 45.6’ S, 133° 32.8’ E.), which is on the north-western margin of the Barkly Tableland. The wetland covered an area probably exceeding 30 000 ha, having dried back substantially from the maximum extent caused by major floods in February 1993 Qaensch 1994). The habitat was inundated open shrubland of Lignum Muehlenbeckiaflorulenla to 1.5 m in height, with profuse fresh growth. Nardoo Marsilea sp. formed an almost continu- 34 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R.Jaensch ous, lush cover (to 0.1 m height) under and between the lignum shrubs. The clay lake- bed surface was uneven due to ‘gilgai’ hollows between each shrub, hence water depth throughout this plant community v'aried from 0 to 0.3 m (mostly around 0.1 m). The water was fresh and varied from clear to miUcy in colour. Bare muddy or dry areas were at the landward edge of the swamp. The birds were flushed (in mid morning) from near the base of a sprawling lignum shrub surrounded by inundated dense nardoo, about 30 m from the landward edge of the lignum swamp. I'hey flew 30 m in a lakeward direction, just above or through the lignum shrubs, and landed in similar habitat. A female Painted Snipe that was flushed from the landing area flew to the landward edge of the swamp. The female was identi¬ fied by its dark upper chest and hood and few spots on the upperparts, whereas the male had a paler chest/hood and prominent golden spots on its upperwings. No calls were detected. The autlior and Niven McCrie searched unsuccessfully for a nest. Sighting and possible breeding on the Sturt Plateau in 2001 On 3 June 2001, the author observed Kvo Painted Snipe at a small {ca 20 ha) unnamed swamp in the eastern part of the Sturt Plateau (15° 32.6’ S, 133° 22.0’ E). The swamp was one of many, mostly unconnected, small swamps on the eastern Plateau that had retained water following major floods in the Wet season of 2000-1. The habitat for this sighting was the margins of a swamp, where it extended across a 30 m wide laneway, cleared of trees, between parallel fences. The birds were in sparse tussock grassland of Silky Brown-top Jittklia aurea (to 0.5 m tall), with regrowth of a few saplings less than 3 m tall. Water among the tussocks was mostly less than 0.1 m deep and there were low dr)^ ridges, created by past grading of firebreaks, and damp muddy areas. Adjacent inundated swamp was dominated by tall bloodwoods Corymbia polycarpa and some Ixphostemongrandiflorus shrubs over dense grassland of Silky Brown- top and sedge Cyperus procerus, with central open water to 0.5 m deep. Water was fresh and clear, and the substrate was grey clay. The birds were flushed several times, flying less than 30 m. One bird, with a complete grey hood, was judged to be probably an adult male but it was not possible to deter¬ mine the gender or age of the other bird. 'Phe male bird was twice seen on bare damp mud having landed after flying in a low arc around the site. On each occasion it spread its wings and held them open, bowed downward, as it remaining motionless. Such a display by this species is sometimes indicative of the presence of young nearby (March- ant & Higgins 1993). The author and Craig Hempel searched unsuccessfully for a nest and juveniles. Records of Painted Snipe Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 35 Discussion These three records of Paiiifed Snipe were from diverse wetland habitats - Cooliltah wooded swamp and shore. Lignum shrub swamp, and tussock grass swamp. In each case there were bare, muddy open areas and low dense cover of grass/forbs in the vicinity. In two cases the site was part of a particularly large wetland, but the third site was a small wetland. T'hese findings are consistent with the documented wide range of habitats used, alone or in combination, by this species in ,\ustralia (Marchant & Higgins 1993). Previous records of Painted Snipe from the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion in the Northern lerritory are from the middle reaches of the Playford River in 1905/6, from Brunette Creek in April 1906, from the Pdliott area (10 km north-east of Lake Woods) in November 1941, and from the Dunmarra area (apparently Milner Lagoon, near the boundary with the Sturt Plateau bioregion) in August 1991 (Storr 1977, PWCNT P'au- na Database, Birds Australia I listorical .\tlas). The total of sL\ records to 2002 may not seem significant. However, the species is notoriously difficult to find in swampy habitat, often exhibits secretive behaviour and is considered to be most active at night (Marchant & Higgins 1993). Few observers visit these wetlands, none regularly. T ire records to date therefore indicate more frequent occurrence of Painted Snipe in the Mitchell Grass l3owns (Barkly wetlands) than might otherwise be assumed. Until recently there were few breeding records of Painted Snipe in tropical Australia: Marchant & Higgins (1993) mention a record from north-east Queensland and Has¬ sell and Rogers (2002) document records from two localities in the south-west of the Ivimberley Division of Western .\ustralia. I'hc Painted Snipe egg found at Tarrabool Lake in 1993, though not a successful breeding effort, nevertheless is the first docu¬ mented attempt at breeding by the species in the Northern Territory. Additional, though indirect, evidence of possible breeding on the Sturt Plateau was obtained in 2001. The author therefore concludes that Painted Snipe should be considered a non-vagrant, breeding species in the Northern Tcrritttry and that further breeding efforts are likely to be detected in the future. The 1993 and 2001 sightings each occurred several months after particularly large floods on the Barkly Tableland and/or Sturt Plateau. The 1905 and 1906 sightings occurred after average or below-average rainfall in the preceding Wet season; ihe 1941 and 1991 sightings occurred after average to above-average rainfall in the preceding Wet season (DNR 1997). Occurrence of Painted Snipe in these regions therefore may sometimes, but not necessarily, be linked to major flood events. The occurrence and breeding of Painted Snipe, a tmlnerable species, in wetlands of the Barkly Tableland further underlines the regional and national importance ((aensch 36 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R.Jaensch & Bellchambers 1997, Environment Australia 2002b) of these wetlands for tbe con¬ servation of waterbirds. 'Tbe locations of ibe 1993 and 2001 Faulted Snipe records are all from areas under pastoral grazing regimes. It is possible ibat sucb grazing, where operated as an ecologically sustainable enterprise, poses no long term threat to contin¬ ued occurrence of Painted Snipe. 1 lassell and Rogers (2002) point out that cattle may avoid swamps, to some extent, when tbe swamps arc boggy and water is plentiful. However, information is needed on the possible impact of cattle trampbng on active nests. A decline in Painted Snipe has been documented at a national scale (lame & Rogers 2000). Records of this species from the Northern Territory are too sparse to assess whether it has similarly declined here, although these records provide evidence of the persistence of the Painted Snipe in the Mitchell Grass Downs and Sturt Plateau. Fur¬ ther field surveys under appropriate wetland conditions are needed in order to monitor the status of this vulnerable species in this part of Australia. Acknowledgments Fieldwork in the Barkly Tableland and Sturt Plateau from 1993 to 2001 was made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth Government through the Aus¬ tralian Heritage Commission, the National Wetlands Program of Environment Australia and the Natural Heritage Trust. Additional funding, logistical support (vehicles and equipment) and support staff were provided by the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. Thanks are due to Mike Fleming, Geoff Dyne, Peter Wlrite- head, John Woinarski and Alaric Fisher for encouragement, access to data and administrative support and to Craig Hempel for assistance in the field. \^olunteer field assistants were Wayne Zadow and Niven McCrie. T’he managers of pastoral leases on which the sightings were made cooperated fully in regard to access to sites. I lelpful comments on the manuscript were provided by juhan Reid, Danny Rogers and Alaric Fisher. Paul 1 lorner of the Northern Territory Museum provided specimen details. References DNR (1997) Twelve month Austmlimi niiiifnH (yearfrom April to March) relative to historical records, 1900-1997. Department of Natural Kesource.s, Indooroopilly, Qucen.sland (poster). l':nviromnent Australia (2002a) Australia's biogeo,graphical regions. Boundaries of the IBRA regions, version 5,1. An\mc. http://www.ea.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibraimer/ibra_95/cont-bw.html |26 )une 2002 |. linvironment ,\ustralia (2002b) A directoiy of important wetlands in Australia,}"' edition. Online: http://www.ea.gov.au/water/wetlaiKls/database/index.html |26 |une 2002 |. (■arnett S. 1. and (.rowley (i.M. (2000) 'i he action plan for Australian birds. Environment Australia, Canberra. Records of Painted Snipe Northern Territory Naturaiist 17 (2003) 37 I lassdl and Rogers l).I. (2002) I’aiiitcd Snipe nesting at'I'aylor’s Lagoon near Broome, north¬ western .\ustralia. 37/7/41, 14-21. Jacnsch K.P. (1994) An invenlory of wetlands of the snb-hnmid tropics of the Northern Territory. Unpublished report to Conservation Commission of tiie Northern 'lerritory and Australian Nature Conservation ;\gency. Jaensch R. and Bellchambers K. (1997) Wdterbird eoiuerration mines of ephemeral wetlands of the Barkly Tedileland. Northern Territory. Unpublished report to ,\ustralian I leritage Commission and Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern 'lerritory, Darwin. l.ane B.A. and Rogers D.l. (2000) The taxonomic and conservation status of the Australian Painted Snipe Rostratnla [benghalensi.!) australis. Stilt hb. 26-34. Marchant S. and Higgins PJ. (cds.) (199.3) Handbook of Australian, New 'Zealand and Antarctic Bird.t. I 'oinme 2: Raptors to Tapwinps. (Ixford University Press, Melbourne. StorrCi.M. (1977) Birds of theNorthern Territory. Western Australian Museum Special Publication No. 7. Plate 1. I labiiat where Painted Snipe egg was located at 1/ake larrabool and (inset) close-up of egg. (I’hotos: R. jaensch. Wetlands International) Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 38-42 Breeding by Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa, and a review of recent records, in the Barkly wetlands, Northern Territory Roger Jaensch Wetlands International - Oceania c/- Queensland Herbarium, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, QLD, 4066 Abstract During 1993-2002, Freckled Ducks Stictonetta naevosa were recorded throughout the Barkly wetlands of the Northern Territory, most often in the Wet season, in groups of up to 80 birds. Breeding possibly occurred in Lignum Muehlenbeckiafhnilenta swamp in 2tpril 1993 and was confirmed in June 2001 when three broods were observed in Cooba Acacia stenopi^Ua swamp at Lake Sylvester. ITiis was the first documentation of breeding by Freckled Duck in the Northern Territor)'. I’he species is listed as Vulnera¬ ble under Northern Territory legislation but there are no known threats to the continued occurrence and breeding of Freckled Duck in the Barkly wetlands. Introduction I he freckled Duck occurs in central-eastern, south-eastern and south-western Aus¬ tralia and irregularly in other parts of the continent (Marchant & Higgins 1990). It breeds in some inland and coastal parts of its core range and, according to published accounts (Marchant & Higgins 1990), the most northerly breeding localities are in the Channel Country bioregion (Rnvironment Australia 2()02a) in south-western Queens¬ land. It is among the less abundant .\nalidac in .\ustralia, with an estimated maximum population size of 19 000 birds (Martindalc 198.3). T his population size varies mark¬ edly and probably is much lower in most years (Marchant & Higgins 1990). The Freckled Duck is not, however, listed as a threatened species under the Commonwealth’s Enui- ronment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Environment Austraha 20()2b) or by Garnett and Crowley (2000). In the Northern Territory, the Freckled Duck is regarded as a rare or uncommon visi¬ tor to southern interior areas and a vagrant in the north (Storr 1977, Blakers et al. 1984, Marchant & Higgins 1990). In the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion (Environ¬ ment Australia 2002a), Freckled Duck was considered by Parker (1969) to be a regular winter visitor to waterholes in the Brunette Downs area, present in small numbers (up to 160 but usually far less) in most t'cars. It is listed as XTilnerable under the Territory Breeding by Freckled Duck Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 39 Parks and WUdlife Conservation Act 2001. Wetlands on Idacksoil plains in the Northern Territory part of the Mitchell Grass Downs, from Lake Woods in the west to Lake Sylvester in the east (‘the Barkly wet¬ lands’), were substantially inundated during much of 1991-5 and 2000-2. The largest floods, early in 1993 and 2001, created more than 500 000 ha of inundated open lake, wooded swamp, shrub swamp and open shore habitats. A two-person team conducted extensive ground, boat and/or aerial surveys of waterbirds in selected wetlands in both periods: 10 surveys from March 1993 to mid 1995 Qaensch 1994, Jacnsch & Bellcham- bers 1997) and single surveys in June 2001 and April 2002 (R. Jaensch unpublished data). This work yielded new information on Freckled Duck in the Barkly wetlands, which is summarised here. Distribution, numbers, seasonality and habitats in the Barkly wetlands Freckled Duck were recorded in each of the five years of survey during 1993-2002 and, at some time, from each of the major Barkly wetlands (Table 1). Individuals were also sometimes recorded, generally late in the Dry season, at small dams and overflow ponds associated with bores along the Barkly Stock Route. The largest total recorded was 119 birds spread over 3 wetlands on 28-29 March 1994 (Table 1). Table 1. Highest numbers of Freckled Duck counted at the major Barkly wetlands, 1993-2002, with summary of habitats used. Wetland Habitats Date Count Tarrabool Lake Sand & gravel beach/chenier beside open lake 29 Mar 1994 82 Corella Lake Delta channels of Corella Creek and associated Lignum swamp 18 Aug 1993 56 Lake Sylvester Delta channels of Brunette Creek; Cooba/Coolibah wooded swamp 6 Jun 2001 48 Lagoon at Brunette Downs homestead Waterhole with extensive Lignum 1 Feb 1995 40 Lake Woods Lignum swamp; open lake; Coolibah wooded swamp 28 Mar 1994 35 Lake de Burgh Coolibah wooded swamp beside open lake 17 Dec 1993 4 Eva Downs Swamp (end of Cherub Ck) Cooba wooded swamp 29 Mar 1994 2 40 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R. Jaensch Forty dated records of Freckled Duck from the Mitchell Grass Downs and immedi¬ ately adjacent arid areas, drawn from the fauna database of the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory (A. Fisher pers. comm., August 2002) and re¬ cent reports (R. Jacnsch unpublished data), were analysed for seasonality. Highly per cent of the records were from 1993-2002, when at least one survey was conducted in each calendar month except July and October. Of the 40 records, 8 occurred during summer, 21 dunng autumn, 5 during winter, and 6 during spring. There were 26 records in the Wet season (December to .\pril) and 14 in the Dry. Freckled Duck were rccordetl in most of the wetland habitats of the Barkly wetlands (Table 1) except Bluebush Chenupod'mm aurkomum swamp. The largest concentrations, usually of a single, loosely associated flock, tended to be at roost sites on beach/chenier ridges or on banks beside the deepest open water in the wetland. Breeding in the Barkly wetlands In 1993, Freckled Duck were observed by the survey team at several of the Barkly wetlands in circumstances suggestive of breeding. Two pairs were seen at Lake Woods on 16 April and a male in full breeding colours - including a bright red bill-base - and a closely associated female were seen there in Lignum Muehknbeckia flomlenta swamp (12 '44.4’ S, 133" 31.3’ E) on 18 May. Weight of testes and brightness of bill are corre- lated (Marchant& Higgins 1990, p. 1 Dl), and the intensit)' of red bill colour is probably greatest at the breeding site during the early stages of breeding (R. jaensch pers. obs.). On 21 Ma)-, six Freckled Duck, including Kvo males with bright red bills, were flushed from inundated Lignum swamp (18" 48.8’ S, 135'42.6’ E) at I.ake Sylvester. On each occasion, suitable nest sites in Lignum shrubs to 1.5 m in height, inundated to depths of up to I m, were investigated but no active nest or brood of young was detected. Confirmation of breeding was obtained on 6 June 2001. During a helicopter flight at 50 m height, the author saw three broods - each comprising at least three, non-flying dependent juveniles- of Freckled Duck in the far south-eastern part of Lake Sylvester (18 52.9 S, 135 50.6 E). 1 he habitat was Cooba tall shruliland with some Coolibah Eucalyptus harklyemis open woodland to about 10 m height and some Lignum, inundated to a depth of about 1 m from an earlier peak of perhaps 1.5 m. rite juveniles were judged to be about 60-70'’'o of full-grown size, had partly formed wings and were uniformly pale sandy-grey in colour. TTicy were escorted by at least one adult Freckled Duck per brood. Other waterbirds in the immediate vicinity in¬ cluded Hardhead AyUya australis, which has browner juveniles; and Eurasian Coot EuUca atra, which has black juv'cniles. It was not possible to search for nests on this occasion but the FTeckled Ducks may have nested in forking trunks of Cooba or Coolibah trees/ shrubs near water-level, or in Lignum shrubs. These potential nest sites were common Breeding by Freckled Duck Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 41 in the immediate vicinit)' and elsewhere in the south-east of the Lake. Data on incuba¬ tion period (28 days) and development of young (full-grown at .SO days: Marchant & Higgins 1990, p. 1170) suggest that in this case clutches may have been completed at the end of March or in the first week of .Vptil 2001. lixamination of satellite images (Geoscience .Australia 2002) shows that such a date may have been close to the date of highest water-level at Lake Sylvester in the 2000-1 Wet season. Conclusions Surveys during 199.3-2002 have shown that the Freckled Duck occurs throughout the Barkly wetland system, in relatively low numbers (compared with population size), in all seasons but {fon/ra Parker 1969) especially in the Wet, and in most wetland habitats. Breeding by Freckled Duck has been confirmed in the Northern I'erritory. The broods recorded at Lake Sylvester in June 2001 apparently are also the first confirmation of breeding in all of northern, tropical Australia (Marchant & Higgins 1990). It is likely that at least small numbers of Freckled Duck bred in the Barkly wetlands in 1993 and that breeding at this scale may occur whenever inundation of the wetlands is exten¬ sive. The assumed month of laying (proliably iMarch) for the 2001 breeding record is not recorded for Freckled Duck in southern Australia (Marchant & J liggins 1993) but reflects typical temporal patterns of wetland availability in northern .Vustralia. No immediate threat to presumed nest sites or nursery areas of Freckled Duck in the Barkly wetlands is known to the author. No disturbance of active nest sites by cattle would normally occur due to depth of inundation and boggy substrate. Long term effects, if any, on key habitats arising from fire (especially in Cooba stands), from grazing during severe droughts and from continued invasion of the exotic thorny shrub Par- kimonia amkcita, have not been determined. Managers of grazing leases are currently addressing some of these issues in conjunction with government agencies. Further studies on waterbirds in the Barkly wetlands should include more effort to locate nests or broods of Freckled Duck. Identification of preferred diet and habitat for feeding would also enhance conservation management of Freckled Duck in tlic Barkly wetlands. Acknowledgments I'he following persons and organisations are gratefully thanked for their support in regard to fieldwork in the Barkly wetlands from 1993 to 2002: the Australian Heritage Commission; the National Wetlands Program of Environment Australia; the Natural Heritage Trust; the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern I'erritory and staff Mike Fleming, Geoff Dyne, Peter Whitehead, John Woinarski, Alaric Fisher and 42 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) R. Jaensch Craig Hempel; field assistants Wayne Zadovv, Chris Johnson, Niven McCrie, Brice Wells and Keith Bellchambers; and managers of the relevant pastoral leases. References I'.nvironmcnt Australia (2002a) Australia's biogeographica! regions. Boundaries of the IBRA regions, version 5.1. (Inline: httir//w\vw.ca.gov.aii/parla\v el at. 1999, Young and bord 2000). This is particularly true for species that arc high-flying and forage above the tree canopy, so arc rarely caught by traditional trapping techniques. Here we de¬ scribe a significant range extension for one such species, resulting from surveys using Anabat detectors . At 9.30pm on the 20th May 1999, KN recorded a series of bat call sequences on Kil- larney station (16” 28’ S 131” 55’ E; Figure 1) during a quadrat-based census. The census, involving approximately 18 hours of recording across 107 sites, formed part of a vertebrate fauna survey of the I’ictoria River region of the Northern Territory. Bat calls were detected using a hand-held .\nabat 11 detector (Titlcy Electronics, Balli- na, NSW) and recorded directly to audio cassette. T he calls were subsequently analysed using zero crossing analysis and Analook software (florben & O’Farrell 1999). I he characteristic frequency (cf de Olivera 1998) of one call sequence was measured between 11 and 12 kHz (Figure 2), much lower than calls recorded from any of the bat species known to occur in the Top End (Milne 2002). W'c attributed this call se¬ quence to the W'liite-Striped Freetail Bat Tadarida australis, a large molossid bat that occurs primarily south of the Tropic of Capricorn (Churchill 1998). The sequence was identified by examining a set ot unpublished reference calls and confirmed by a number of bat experts around Austraha. The call is also consistent with that described for 7. australis by a number of other sources (Fullard et a! 1991, I lerr & Klomp 1997, McKenzie & Muir 2000). WA regarded the call sequence as appropriate for analysis due to its regular and consistent pulse shape over an extended period (15 seconds). I'adarida australis has not previously been reported from the tropical savannas of the Northern lerritory, this record representing a northerly range extension of c. 400 km. Killarney Station lies on the margins of the Sturt Plateau and \7ctoria River basin and IS predominantly flat to undulating rises, with cucalypt savanna on red calcareous loam Distribution of Tadarida australis Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 47 Figure 1. Previous records of Tadarida australis in the Northern Territory (PWCNT Fauna Database) with the new record from Killarney Station indicated by an arrow. soils. The vegetation at the recording site was low open woodland dominated by Euca- lyplus pndnosa, with a canopy height of 6-7 metres. Discussion Although considerably north of all previous N.T. records (and possibly the most north¬ erly record in Australia), this record of T. atisiralis may not indicate a disjunct population. Rather, it likely reflects the inadequate survey effort for bats and paucity of all bat records throughout the northern N.1‘. In northern Queensland, a specimen of T. arts- 48 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) D. Milne & K. Nash tra/is^as recentl)' collected at Atherton (17” 16’ S 145” 29’ E) in August 1998 (Anon 2001). However, the most northern specimen of this species held by the Queensland Museum was collected from Mt. Carbine (16” 32’ S 145” 08’ E) around 1943. The date of oiu' observation (late May) is consistent with the suggestion that 7. auitra- /Amay migrate north during the southern Australian winter ((^hurchill 1998, Lumsden 1999). Although common at other times, this species is apparently virtually absent from \’ictoria between June to August (Churchill, 1998). One caveat to our identification of the Anabat call sequence is the possibilitj' that the call may hav^e been produced by Scicco/aiwus succoluiwus, for which there are no pub¬ lished reference calls. This species is known to occur in the Northern Territory (McKean et a! 1981), although has not liccn detected for many years. McKean collect¬ ed specimens by listening for their high-pitched, audible sonar clicks and locating them with a spotlight before they were shot (.\. 1 Icrtog pers. comm.). Therefore, it is likely that S. saavkimus has an audible echolocation frequency at or below 20 kl Iz. While we cannot rule out the possibility that the call we recorded may be attributable to this species, the similarity to calls recorded for T. australis from elsewhere in Australia is compelhng. Figure 2. Analook display showing portion of the call sequence identified as Tadarida australis, rhere was minor editing of the sequence to show the calibration tone. Distribution of Tadarida australis Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 49 We recommend the continued use of ultrasonic detection and identification systems, in concert with traditional trapping methods, to survey areas where the bat fauna is poorly known. Along with the refinement of a comprehensive Anabat call reference library for bats of the Northern Territory (Milne 2002), this will continue to provide a belter understanding of the distribution patterns of Australian bats and enable us to better conserve and manage this poorly studied group. Acknowledgments I'hanks to Alex Kutt, Owen Price, Alaric Fisher and Brad Law for their valuable in¬ put. We are grateful to Linda Reinhold, Alex Kutt and I .indy Lumsden for access to unpublished reference calls and for their Anabat identification skills. References •Anon (2001) NatureScarcli for the office bound. EMUsin^g 4, 3. (’.liurclull S, (1998) Australian hats. New I lolland Publishers (/Australia), Sydney. Lorben (1. and O’Parrell M.|. (1999) Techiiicjiies for the effectm use of Anabat in identifying free-flying bat species. Anabat System Manual. de Oliveira M.L. (1998) Towards .standardized descriptions of the echolocation calls of inicro- chiropteran bats: pulse design terminology for seventeen species from (fueensland. Australian Zoologist 30, 405-411. I'ullard ).ll., Koehler C.., Surlykke \. and McKenzie N.L. (1991) Lcholocation, ecology and flight morphology of insectivorous bats (Lhiroptera) in south-western Australia. Australian fourna! of 'Zoology 39, 427-438. Herr \. and Klomp N.l. (1997) Reference calls of the AAdiitc-striped h'reetail-bat Nyctinomus australis. Australian Bat Society Newsletter 8,15-18. Law B.S., .Anderson |. and Lhidel M. (1999) Bat communities in a fragmented forest landscape on the south-west .slopes ot New South AVales, .Australia. Biological Conservation 88, 333-345. Lumsden 1. (1999) An ABS project in which all members in southern .Australia can participate: does the White-striped I'reetail Bat, Tadarida australis, migrate north in winter? Australian Bat Society Newsletter 12, 24-26. McKean ).L., I'riend (1. and I lertog .A.L. (1981) (Iccurrence of the Sheath-tailed Bat Tapbogpus saceolaimus in the Northern Territory. Northern Territory Naturalist 4, 20. McKenzie N.L. and Muir (2000) Bats of the southern (Carnarvon Basin, Western /Australia. Records of the WA Museum 61, 465-477. Milne n.|. (2002) ¥.ey to the bat calls of the Top End of the Northern Territory. Technical report no. 71, Parks and AVildhfe Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin. Young U./\. and Lord ti.l, (2000) Bat fauna of a semi-arid environment in central western Queensland, Australia. Wildlife Research 27, 203-215. Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 50-52 Occurrence of the Yellow Plum Ximenia americana L. as a tidal strand-line plant in Darwin Harbour Donald C. Franklin^ and Christopher P. Mangion^ ' Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, Northern Territory University, Darwin, NT 0909 2 Northern Territory Herbarium, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, PO Box 496, Palmerston, NT 0831 The shrill) Ximenia americana L. (Olacaceae) has a pantropical distribution. In keeping with its wide occurrence it has an array of common names including Yellow Plum, 1 log Plum, Monkey Plum, Nicaraguan Plum, Sea Lemon, Bush Lemon, Tallow Nut, Tallow Wood, Gotoobah and Wild Apneot. It also has the distinction of being the first recorded western identification of any plant in Australia, this being made on 21 September 1606 by Don Diego de Prado y Tovar, a member of Torres’s expedition. 'That plant was observed on an island, possibly Long Island, in Torres Strait (Windolf 2000). Until recently, all Australian records were from Queensland (George 1984), but Liddle et aL (1994) recorded it from five coastal localities in the Northern Territo¬ ry. In this note, we report a new locality for the species. Talc Head (12°29' S, 130°47' E) in Darwin Harbour, 75 km south-west from the nearest previously reported loca¬ tion at Cape I lotham. collection, C.P.Mangion and D.C.Pranklin 1080, is lodged in the Northern Territory Herbarium. Aboriginal people from Darwin and Belyuen knew of X. americana at Talc Head. This information was passed to the Talc Head manager, Duncan McRae, who in turn drew the plant to the attention of members of the local scientific community including our¬ selves. Two plants have been located, 50 m apart, both just above the high-tide mark of the Mandorah-side beach below the Talc Head hostel. Both are growing on white beach sand at the base of small kaolinite cliffs. One of these “plants” has four dis¬ tinct stems wliich may be separate plants or perhaps the product of suckering or layering. Both occur in coastal vine-thicket, in which some of the component species frequent¬ ly occur on tidal strand-lines and others are generalist vine-thicket plants (Table 1). Ximenia americana is a spreading semi-parasitic scandent shrub to 5 m tall with branch¬ es bearing thorns. Stems cur\'e out and dowm, possibly promoting laj'cring. The leaves are elHptic to obovate, to 50 mm long or sometimes longer. T he 25-50 mm long fruits bear a strong but superficial resemble to miniature lemons, but are drupaceous, com¬ prising a single hard-walled seed container (a “stone”) surrounded by a relatively thin fleshy outer layer (exocarp) which is yellow when ripe. TTie flowers are small and white or pale yellow (George 1984). At Talc Head, the plants observed were 5 m tall Yellow Plum in Darwin Harbour Northern Territory Naturaiist 17 (2003) 51 by 5 m across and 3 m tall by 6 m across respectively, with prominently wavy margins to the leaves. Information from herbarium specimens, personal observations and those of D. McRae indicate that X americana flowers and fruits sporadically throughout the year. All Northern Territory collections of X. americana are coastal, and most are from Co- bourg Peninsula castu'ards. At least three are of isolated individuals which grow immediately above the tidal strand-line (G. VX'ightman pers. comm.), although in Queens¬ land the species is by no means confined to tbe tidal strand-line nor even coastal districts (George 1984). Isolated tidal strand-line occurrences suggest fruit dispersal on ocean currents, a feature confirmed by Guppy (1906), Pike & laiach (1997) and Smith (1999). Table 1. Plants associated with Ximenia americana at I'alc Mead. Species marked with an asterisk are frequently associated with tidal strand-lines. Species Common name Abrus precatorius Crabs-eye Vine Acacia holosericea Candelabra Wattle Aidia racemosa Archer Cherry Bambusa arnhemica Top End Bamboo Capparis sepiaria Wild Orange Celtis philippensis Celtis Cordia subcordata * Sea Trumpet Denhamia obscura Orange Root Dioscorea bulbifera Round Yam Drynaria quercifolia Basket Fern Drypetes deplanchei Grey Boxwood Flagellaria indica Supplejack Flueggea virosa White Currant Glycosmis trifoliata Pink Lime Hibiscus tiliaceus * Beach Hibiscus Hypoestes fioribunda Rosy Hypoestes Lindsaea ensifolia Common Wedge Fern Lysiphyllum binatum Memecylon pauciflorum Mimusops elengi * Red Condoo Notelaea microcarpa Small-fruit Mock-olive Pachygone ovata Premna acuminata Psychotria nesophila Gabu Scleria lithosperma Stenocaq^us verticis Strychnos lucida Strychnine Tree Tacca leontopetaloides Polynesian Arrowroot Trophis scandens Zanthoxylum parviflorum Prickly Tree Ziziphus oenopolia Wine Jujube 52 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) D. Franklin & C. Mangion Guppy (1906) also noted that frugivorous birds consume, and may thus disperse the fruits, wlrich presumably accounts for its non-coastal occurrences in Queensland. The fruit of X. americana is reported to be refreshing and tasty to cat if collected after falling, but astringent whilst still on the tree (D. McRae pers. comm.). It is sought out by Aboriginals from Belyuen (D. McRae pers. comm.), and also on Cobourg Peninsula (Blake et al. 1998). In Africa, it is also a favoured bush food. The seeds are rich in iodine-bearing oils (Eromosclc et ai 1994), but may be poisonous (Smitli 1999). The young leaves are edible after cooking (Cribl) & Cribb 1974). In Fiji, the fruit and timber is utilised. It is also a significant bush medicine, and stem bark extracts have shown positive indications as a treatment for the I Il\' AIDS virus (Asres et al. 2001). Acknowfet^ements We are grateful to Duncan McRae for drawing our attention to the plant and provid¬ ing information aliout it. Mark Flamann provided boat transport to revisit the site. Glenn Wightman identified the plant, and he and Phil Short commented helpfully on the manuscript. References Asres K., Bucar I'., Kartnig’l'., Witvrouw M., Pannecouque Sc Dc (dereq P,. (2001) Antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type I (III\'-1) and type 2 (IIIV-2) of ethnobulanically selected Fithiopian medicinal plants. PIfflolherapy Research 15, 62-69. Blake N.M., VV'iglitman (!. & Williams I.. (1998) Iwaidja etbiiobotaiiy. Aboriginal plant knowledge from GtirigNalional Park. Northern Australia. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin. (,ribb A.B. &(.ribbJ.WI (1974) VP'iM food in Australia. I'ontana/tiollins, Sydney. l‘.romosele l.C., promosele C.O., Akintoye A.D. & Komolafe T.O. (1994) (iharacterixation of oils and chemical analyses of the seeds of wild plants. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 46, 361-365. (ieorge A.S. (1984) ( llacaceae. In Flora of Australia. I 'ol. '22. Rhisyphoraks to Celastrales, pp. 13- 25. .Nustralian (lovernmenf Publishing Service, Canberra, (luppy I I.B. (1906) Observations of a naturalist in the Pacific between 1896 &1S99, \ ’ol.2. Plant dispersal. MacMillan & Co., New 'I’ork fiddle D. I., Uussell-Sinith J,, Broek |., beach (!.). & flonnors (i.T, (1994) Atlas of the vascular rainforest plants of the Northern Territory, .\ustralian Biological Kcsources Study, (ianberra. Pike (i.D. & J,each Ci.|, (1997) llandbook of the vascular plants of the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern I'erritory, Darwin & Parks Australia, Canberra. Smith |. (1999) Australian driftseeds. University ot New Cngland, Armidale. W'indolf J.I'.P (2000) The first Botanical record for Australia. Austrobaileya 5, 721-723. Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 53-55 First record of the Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica in the Northern Territory Chris Healey Centre for Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management, Northern Territory University, Darwin, NT, 0909 Two Metallic Starlings Aphnis melaUica were observed by the author in a suburban gar¬ den in Millner, Darwin, on the morning of 5 August 2002. They were kept under observation from about 9.30 to 9.40 am with the aid of binoculars (lOx), during which time they moved quietly and unhurriedly in and below the crown of an unidentified rainforest tree approximately 9 m high. At least one bird was visible for most of the ten minutes of observation. My observation point varied from about 7 to 10 m from the base of the tree, with the sun directly belrind me. The birds moved in and out of bright sunlight against a background of dense foliage of the rainforest tree, large clump¬ ing bamboo and a Scbejjleru tree. Viewing conditions were optimal with bright illumination and without glare or silhouetting against the sky. lire birds were an adult and immature or subadult. The adult bird was the first seen, and was most visible during the period of observation. The subadult bird appeared lower down in the same tree and was seen in full view for several minutes. The Star¬ lings appeared to be foraging in the tree, which was fruiting, but I was unable to confirm whether they ate any of the fruit. .Several Figbirds Spheentheres niridis and a 'icllow Oriole Orio/ux f/arocvt/nsvfctc observed feeding on fruit in the same tree while the Star¬ lings were present. While the subadult bird remained in the shade in the lower canopy, the adult remained high in the canopy, moving through the foliage and perching in full sunshine for about four minutes on a prominent horizontal branch extending beyond the canopy of the tree. T he adult flew suddenly from the tree giving a subdued call, comprising a single short, rising note: ‘ebirrp'. The birds were otherwise silent. . The author is familiar with the Metallic Starling and close relatives, which I have ob¬ served in eastern Cape York, Papua New Cluinea and eastern Indonesia. The size, shape of tail and highly iridescence plumage ruled out possible confusion with the Spangled Drongo Dkrurux bracieatus. The Metallic Starling does not appear to have been recorded in the Northern Territo¬ ry previously, and 1 therefore provide a description of the birds, based on notes taken at the time. These notes were made immediately after observing the birds, and prior to consulting the standard field guides (Slater et al. 1989, Strahan 1996, Pizzey & Knight 1996, Simpson & Day 1999). 54 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) C. Healey Adult Length: 20-22 cm. Tail relatively long with pointed feathers. Entire plumage glossy black with lanceolate feathers on neck and upper breast. Rich iridescent purple sheen with green tints, particularly on neck, upper breast and crown. Prominent eye, notice¬ ably bulging when viewed front on; iris brilliant Vermillion. Immature or Subadidt Same size and general shape as adult. Dark brownisli black dorsally, crown blackish. Pale ventral!)', with clear white belly and under tail coverts, rather duller on breast and throat; breast and sides of belly boldly streaked in dark brown, with streaking becom¬ ing finer and denser on upper breast, throat and chin, giving an overall dark appearance to chin and throat. Iris russet. The description of the adult is consistent with the field guides cited above. The de¬ scription of the subadult is consistent with published accounts of immature birds except for the darker throat and iris colour. The Metallic Starling is commonly encountered in flocks in rainforest, parks and gar¬ dens in eastern Cape York peninsula. The species is also widespread in New Guinea and most satellite islands, the Solomon Islands, and tlie Maluku region of eastern In¬ donesia (Beehler el al. 1986, Coates 1990, Coates & Bishop 1997). This record of the Metallic Starling in Darwin is at least 1,000 km west of its normal .Australian range, 'file nearest population to Darwin is on the islands of Tanimbar (c. 500 km north of Darwin) and Damar in south Maluku, where Coates & Bishop (1997) consider it to be uncommon to rare. I'he south Maluku population was considered by VCTiitc and Bruce (1986) to constitute a separate subspecies, Apknh metaHica circumsdpia, which is distinc¬ tive in the whole head to upper back and chest being bright reddish violet, with only a little green on the lower throat and upper mantle. 'I'he above description of the Dar¬ win adult is not inconsistent with subspecies dreumreipta, but is insufficient to distinguish it from the Australian form. The subspecific identity of the Darwin birds must there¬ fore remain inconclusive, and provides no evidence of their possible origin. Austrahan populations of the Metallic Starling migrate between Cape 'Aork Peninsula and the New Guinea mainland, arriving in .-Australia in |uly or August to breed, and departing to New Guinea in Eebruaty to April (Coates 1990, Draffim et ah 1983, Piz- zey & Knight 1996, Simpson & Day 1999). It appears that regular migration does not occur elsewhere in the species’ range, and New Guinea populations may be highl)' nomadic (Coates 1990). Breeding has been recorded in Papua New Guinea in all months, but with most records between July and October (Coates 1990, p. 356). I have recorded the species breeding in October in the .Aru Islands south of the Papuan (Irian Jaya) mainland in Indonesia. I hcre appears to be no available data on the move- First NT. record of Metallic Starling Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 55 ments or Irreeding times of populations in the Maluku range of the species (cf. Coates and Bishop 1997). If the Darwin birds were vagrants from Cape York, the subadult most probably would be at least one year old, as breeding in Australia does not normally commence until August, and this is also likely the case if the birds were vagrants from New Guinea. On the basis of proximity, the Darwin birds were perhaps more likely to be vagrants from the poorly understood populations in south Maluku, while the New Guinea main¬ land is also a possible source given the regular migration south in July-August. However, on the available evidence the origins of the Darwin birds must remain a matter of speculation. References Bechler B. M., I’rattT.K. and /.inimcrman D.A, (1986) Birds of NewGmnea. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. Coates B. |. (1990) The birds of Papua Nem Gui/iea I 'olume II. Dove Publications, Alderley. Coates B. |. and Bishop K.D. (1997) A guide to the birds of WaHacea: Siilaivesi, the Moluccas and Lesser .^uiida Islands, Indonesia. Dove Publications, Alderley. Draffan K.D.W, (larnctt, S.T. and Malone G.J. (1983) Birds of the Torres Strait; an annotated and biogeographical analysis. Emn 83, 207-34. Pizzey (). and Knight P. (1996) A field guide to the birds of Australia. I larper Collins, Sydney. Simpson K. and Day, N. (1999) Field guide to the birds of Australia (d edn.). X'iking, Ringwood. Slater P, Slater P. and Slater R. (1989). The Slater field guide to Australian birds. Rigby, Adelaide. Strahan R. (1996), Finches, bowerbirds and other passerines. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife & Australian Museum, Sydney. White C.M.N. and Bruce M.D. (1986) The birds of Wallacea (Sulawesi, the Moluccas <& Ijsser Sunda Islands, Indonesia): an annotated check-list. British Ornithologists’ Lhiion, London. Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17: 56-57 Species Profile: Black-footed Tree-rat scientific name: Mesembriomys gouldii family: Muridae The Black-footed Tree-rat is an aboreal rodent confined to the tropical savannas of Cape York, the Top End of the Northern Territory and the northwest region of the Kimberley. The species is considered to be uncommon to rare in Queensland and the Kimberley, but still common within a patchy distribution in the Northern Territory (Fig. 1.). The species has not recently been recorded from eastern Arnhem Land or the Gulf of Carpentaria, suggesting there may have been some contraction in distri¬ bution. Weighing up to 900g, the Black-footed Tree-rat is one of Australia’s largest rodents. They have a robust body with grej’-black fur, darker feet and large ears. Their most distinctive feature is a long tail, about 30-40cm in length, which has a brush of white hairs at the tip. Although considered to be solitary, during a recent research project a number of radio-collars on the tree-rats were gnawed, which could not have been done Figure 1. Distribution of the Black-footed Tree-rat in the Northern Territory (source: PWCNT fauna database). Black-footed Tree-rat Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 57 by the collared animal. This suggests that individuals arc interacting on a more regular basis than previously thought. Breeding occurs throughout the year with a peak in the late dry season. I'hey have a relatively long gestation period of 4.3-44 days, with one to three young per litter. The young grow rapidly and are weaned at approximately 4 to 5 weeks when they weigh about 400g. I'he male has no role in the parental care of the young. Being nocturnal, the Black-footed Tree-rat prefers to nest in tree hollows during the da)', but has also been recorded nesting in pandanus where hollows are limited. A current study near Darwin has found individuals to use between one and six different den trees, with each individual having its own set of trees. ITie most notable feature of den trees is their large basal diameter - the average diameter (at breast height) of den trees used by Black-footed Tree-rats in the current study is 42.4 cm. Although their diet is not well known. Black-footed Tree-rats appear to prefer fleshy and hard fruits and seeds, with pandanus fruit being particularly favoured. Foraging both in the trees and on the ground, they can cover large distances in search of food resources. The current study has recorded them covering distances of 2km in a night. The patchy distribution of many suitable fruiting species (eg. Vandanus, Plam-boiiia, Ter- minalia, Gardenia spp.) is believed to be one factor responsible for the patchy distribution of the tree-rat.s. The Black-footed Tree-rat is one of a number of mammal species in the tropical sa¬ vannas that has declined in distribution and abundance since Furopcan settlement. Speculation altout the cause of this decline centers upon changes in fire regimes, with the cessation of traditional yVboriginal burning regimes and the predominance of fre¬ quent, broad-scale fires. Not only has fire been shown to greatly decrease the survival of the larger diameter trees preferred by Black-footed Tree-rats, but frequent fire also changes the structure of the midstorey, reducing the survival and abundance of many important fruiting species. The Black-footed Tree-rat is currently the focus of a research project being undertak¬ en by the Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management (Northern Territory University) and the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. I he Black-footed Tree-rat is illustrated on the hack cover of this edition. Brooke Rankmore Biodiversity Unit, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment PO Box 496, Palmerston, NT 0831 Northern Territory Naturalist (2003) 17; 58-67 Index to Northern Territory Naturalist 1-17 This index list all articles so far published in the Northern Territory Naturalist (1978- 2003), and also provides additional indexes for authors and species. List of references in alphabetical order The first 3 issues in 1978, 1979 and 1980 were numbered 1(1), 1(2), 1(3) respective!)'; and then the fourth issue in 1981 was numbered 4. The first issue had no page num¬ bers. 1. ,\vcry S. and Wade A. (1979) (Irowing native ferns of the Northern Territory. 1(2), 7-13. 2. Barne.sT..\. and I'ranklin D.f'.. (1997) Notes on the nests of the (ihestnut Rail. 15, 6-11. 3. Begj; R.|. and McKean ).L. (1982) Cave dwelling in the molossid bat Tailciridajobeiisis colomcm. 5, 12. 4. Blamires S.|. and Nobbs M. (2000) Observations of mangrove habitation by the monitor lizard 1 ’anmmpanoptes. 16, 21-23. 5. Bowman D.j.M.S. (1990) Tape York: is it the biogeographic key to northern Australia? 12, 13. 6. Bowman D.j.M.S. (1993) liffect of large herbivore exclusion on understorey biomass in three plant communities on (lobourg Peninsula. 14, 1 -6. 7. Bowman 1).|.M.S. and McDonough 1,. (1990) Wet season occupation ot Workshop Jungle by small mammals. 12. 20 - 23. 8. Braithwaite R.W' and listbergs f.A. (1982) Discovery of a Rufous Night I leron rookery in the Northern Territory. 5, 20. 9. Bruce A.). (1985) 'I'he shrimps of tropical seas. 8, 18-27. 10. C.ann ). (1980) Notes on the reproduction of the Northern bongnecked Ibrtoise {Chetodinii nispsd). 1(3), 4-5. 11. (lhapman S. (2000) Occurrence and eradication of a small population of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow PassermoHlanHS in Darwin l6, 32-34. 12. (lhatto R. (2000) Whale strandings in the Northern Territory 1. Clreat Sperm Whale PhjselerMacrocepimliison (lasuarina Beach, Darwin. 16,14-15. 13. (Ihatto R. (2000) Whale strandings in the Northern Territory IV. A mass stranding of Short-finned Pilot Whales Globicepbaltimacmrljjiuhiis on Melville Island. l6, 19-20. 14. (Tiatto R. and |acobson |. (2000) Whale strandings in the Northern Territory HI. A mass stranding of Melon-headed Whales Pepoiiocephala ekctni on ITcho Island. 16, 16-18. 15. (Tiaito R. and Saaltield K. (2000) Whale strandings in the Northern Territory II. Dwart Sperm Whale Kogia siwi/s. l6, 15-16. 16. Theal D. and h'isher A. (2000) Split-winged Bluebush Miiire/itui dichoptenr. first record for the Northern Territory. 16, 24-25. 17. Dartnall A.|. and (Irey D.b. (1981) (Tabs of the tidal beach at l/ce Point, Darwin. 4, 4-8. 18. Dupe K.V. (1980) T he Pitted Shelled Turtle Carelloihelys imadpta n\ the Northern Territory. 1(3), 14. 19. Hstbergs H. (1980) Bibliography on Northern Territory ornithology. 1(3), 20-36. Index NT Naturalist 1-17 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 59 20. I'istbcrgs |.A. (1981) A sccoiul record tor Nortlicrii Territory of tlic I’aintcd I loiicycatcr (Grciuliellapidii). 4, 9. 21. I'.stbcrgs |.A. (1987) tlnusiial feeding observations of some Top Ibid birds. 10, 16. 22. I'istbergs J.A. and Clarstone R. (1979) /\n observation of piracy in the Black I'alcon, Fa/co stibniger'iA Darwin N.T 1(2), 6. 23. I‘'enshani K.). (1992) 'I'be cstablisbment of eucalypt seedlings in tropical savanna forest. 13, 30-36. 24. b'isher A., Woinarski |.F./., (ihurchill S., Trainor (1, Ciriffitbs A.D,, Palmer C. and (iooper N. (2000) Distribution of tbe rock-dwelling dasyurids Pseudantechinus bilarni P. the Northern Territory. 16, 1-13. 25. bisber K. and bisher 1,. (1985) Some observations of Jasper Clorge, Victoria River Downs, N.T. 8,13-16. 26. b'isher K. and b'isher I.. (1986) Bibliography of Northern Territory ornithology: part 2. 9,18-2.3. 27. b'ogarty P. (1980) Notes on the rainforests of the upper /\delaide River. 1(3), 2-3. 28. b'ranklin D. (2003) Vertebrate pollinators visit flowers of an Umbrella Tree Schefjlera actinophyUa almost exclusively in the afternoon. 17, 1 -6. 29. b'ranklin D. and Noske R. (2000) Identification notes: ITiarbirds {Philemon spp.). 16, 36- 37. 30. b'ranklin Dti. and Mangion (i.P. (200.3) Occurrence of the Yellow Plum Ximenia americana 1.. as a tidal strand-line plant in Darwin I larbour, 17, 50-52. 31. b'ranklin D, Johnson C. and Dostine PI.. (1997) A capture record of the Northern Shrike-tit. 15,41-42 32. b'raser K (2000) Unusual predator avoidance behaviour by a Peaceful Dove Geopei/a slriatii. 16,34-35. 33. b'raser b'. (2000) Species profile: Partridge Pigeon {Geopbaps smithii). 16, 38-39. 34. b'riend (l.R. (1981) \ note on cannabalism in the frog Utoria dnblii. 4, 23. 35. Oeorges A., (dioquenot D, (Coventry A.j. and Wellings P. (1989) Some observations on the Pig-nosed Turtle {Caretlochelys insatlpld) in northern /\ustralia. 11, 8-11. 36. (libson DK and Southgate R.l. (1982) Discovery of the Western (diestnut Mouse Psendomys lumns in the Tanami Desert. 5,7. 37. (lillam M.W (1984) The (aiiI Snake Denisoninsuta (Peters), a dangerous elapid in the Northern 'I'crritory. 7, 12-17. 38. (iow (i. (1979) Notes on the biology of Nephninis asper. 1(2), 19-20. 39. Gow(!. (1980) I listory of the'l'aipan O.vy/ira/wj'.raff/Zv/w - with two new distribution records. 1(3), 1.3-19. 40. Clow (1. (1981) Uhecklist of reptiles and amphibians of tbe southern sector of the N.T. 4, 14-19. 41. Clow Cl. (1981) Notes on the Desert Death Adder {Acanthophispyrrbus) Boulenger 1898, with the first reproductive record. 4, 21-22. 42. Clow Cl.b. (1982) Notes on the reproductive biology of the Pygmy Mulga Cloanna Vamnnsgilleiil I aicas & b'rost 1895. 5, 4-5. 43. Clreer bl.A. (1990) Notes on reproduction in the skink Sphenomorpbns danvimensis. 12, 27- 28. 60 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) Index NT Naturalist 1-17 44. (ircy ML. (1978) Sea wasps (Scyphozoa: ('.ubomcdii.sac) in the Northern 'I'erritory. 1(1), 45. Ciriffiths .\.D. (1997) Records of two introduced rodents, Mus musaihis and Kattus rattus, from bushland in Idsey National Park. 15, 12-15. 46. (luinc'a M.L. (1990) Notes on sea turtle rookeries on the Arafura Sea islands of Arnhem 1.and. Northern Territorv'. 12,4- 12. 47. (luinea M.l,. (1992) The Yellow-bellied Sea Snake Pelnmis platurm in the Northern Territory. 13, 37-39. 48. Ciuinea M.I.. and Ryan P. (1990) Observations of sea turtles and birds on Bare Sand hsland. 12,26 - 27. 49. (iuinca M.l.., McOrath P. and l,ove B. (1993) Observations of the Port Darwin Sea Snake Hydrelttps dant/iuiensis. 14, 28-30. 50. 1 lealey 0. (199.3) Antiphonal song in the Black Butcherbird Craetkus quoyi 'm Darwin. 14, 30-32. 51. 1 lealey (.. (2003) hirst record of the Metallic Starling /OTto/Z/ra in the Northern 'I'erritory. 17, 53-55. 52. 1 lolmes O. and Noske R.A. (1990) New locality records of birds in iNrnhem Land and southern Oulf of Carpentaria. 12,13-19. 53. Horner PCS. (1984) Notes on the scincid lizard Ciyptohkphariis litoralis 1958) in the Northern Territory. 7, 4-7. 54. Ingram O. (1987) Does the iV\nV.^Mabirya mtiHiJasdaUi, occur in Australia ? 10, 11-12. 55. Jacklyn PM. (1992) Solar engineering for the blind: “magnetic” termite mounds of the Top I '.nd. 13,9-15. 56. Jaensch R. (2003) Records of northern waterbirds in the Barkly wetlands, Northern Territory, 1993-2002. 17, 20-30. 57. Jaensch R. (2003) Recent records and breeding of Painted Snipe Kostratula benghalensis in the Mitchell ( Irass Downs and Sturt Plateau, Northern Territory. 17, 31-.37. 58. Jaensch R. (2003) Breeding by hreckled Duck Stictonella iiMmsii, and a review of recent record.s,in the Barkly wetlands. Northern'Territory. 17, 38-42. 59. Kennett R. and (leorges A. (1989) hreshwater turtles of the Top hind. 11, 31. 60. Koenig J., (Irilfiths A.D., (lodjuwa C. and (iampion (). (2003) .Aerial survey of vertebrates in the Mann River district, central Arnhem Land. 17, 7-19. 61. Kowalick D. (1986) Agonistic behaviour of h'igbirds at a fruiting Banyan hig. 9, 23. 62. Lane A.M. (1993) 'Temporal dynamics of two tropical ant species, Iridomyrmex saiigmnstis and Oeiopbyllii sn/iiragdiiia, in relation to temperature and humidity. 14, 19-26. 63. Low VXi.A. and Strong B.W (1987) Mammals ot Lake Nash and tieorgina Downs Stations and a first record of the Narrow-Nosed Planigale, Phinigide temdrostris, from the Northern Territory. 10, 3-5. 64. Martin K. (1978) 'The reef dwelling fishes of the Darwin area. 1(1), 65. Martin K. (1979) Notes on the Red l.ionfish and its occurrence in Darwin waters. 1(2), 21 - 22 . 66. Martin K. (1983) .Archerfishes in the Northern 'Territory. 6, 9-13. 67. Marlin K.C. (1989) A fish kill on the Katherine River, November 1987. 11, 20-27. 68. Martin K.(.. (1990) A note on diving behaviour in the Northern Sand (Ioanna \ Prciims pamptes. 12,28-29. Index NT Naturalist 1-17 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 61 69. McC’ric N. (1987) Recent N.T. reenrd of Red-Necked Plialarope. 10, 17. 70. McOic N. (1987) Roosting of Yellow VKligtails near Darwin. 10, 18-19. 71. McCricN. (1987) Index to the N.T. Naturalist No. 1-10, 1977-1987. 10,20-39. 72. Mcdrie N. (2000) ,\ record of the (ioninion Starling Stnrniu vulgaris in Darwin, Northern Territory. l6, 26-27. 73. McKean J.I.. (1980) Oceanic ornithological survey between Derby, WA. and Darwin, N.r. 1(3), 8-12. 74. McKean J.l.. (1982) A Kitrine Wagtail {MotadHa dlreold) sighting from Arnhem Land, N.T. 5,21. 75. McKean J.L. (1983) Some notes on the occurrence of the Clreat Reed Warbler Acrocephatus arundinaceus 'm the Northern Territory. 6, 3-8. 76. McKean J.L. (1986) The status of Luckoo-shrikes (Lampephagidae) in the Darwin area. Northern Territory, 1974-1984. 9, 8-14. 77. McKean J.L. and I lertog A.L. (1979) I’.xtension of range in the I lorseshoe Bat. 1(2), 5. 78. McKean J.L. and I lertog A.L. (1981) Some further records of uncommon migrant waders near Darwin, Northern 'I'crritory. 4, 10-13. 80. McKean J.L. and Thomp.son I I.A.L. (1983) Subspecific identification of an /\ustalian specimen of the Litle Ringed Plover {Choradrins di/biits). 6, 14-15. 81. McKean J.L. and Dampney A.R. (1984) hirst sighting of the Spotted Redshank Td/iga etythropus in /\ustralia. 7, 8-9. 82. McKean J.L. and Martin K.(i. (1989) Distribution and status of the Larpentarian (Irasswren Amytonds dorotimie. 11,12-19. 83. McKean J.L., hriend (i. and I lertog ,\.L. (1981) Occurrence of the sheath-tailed bat Tiiphospussaccoliiimus 'm the Northern Territory. 4, 20. 84. McKean J.L., I lertog A.L. and Mart N. (1982) An Australian record of the Stilt Sandpiper Micropidama himmitopus. 5, 22-23. 85. Menkhorst K.,\. and Woinarski J.L./. (1992) h'urther records ot the Larpentarian Rock- rat Zj^npjspalatalis from the (lulf region of the Northern Territory. 13, 40-41, 86. Miller L.R. (1986) /\ note on the biology and distribution of Mastotermes darwiniensis h'roggatt. 9, 14-17. 87. Miller L.R. (1989) Sub-fos.sil termite mounds in the Simpson Desert. 11, 27-30. 88. Milne D.J, and Nash K.L. (2003) Range extension for the White-striped hreetail Bat Tadaridii amtmlis in the Northern Territory, from Anabat recording. 17, 46-49. 89. Morgan (l.J. (1987) The hermit crabs of Darwin. 10, 6-10. 90. Nielsen M.Ci. (1997) Two specialised ant species, Cremalogiister {australis Mayr group) sp. and Polyrachis Sokolova h'orel in Darwin I larbour mangroves. 15, 1 -5. 91. Noske R.A. (1990) Seed di.spersal of Black Acada anriadiJormsXiy birds. 12, 24-25. 92. Noske R..\. (1992) Do (Irasswrens have ihe numbers? Reply to Woinarski (1992). 13, 5- 8 . 93. Noske R..'\. and van (lessel h. (1987) hirst record of the Blue-billed Duck for the Northern Territory. 10, 13. 94. Noske R. and Brennan (1. (1993) hirst record of the Spectacled Monarch Monarcha trivirgatus for the Northern Territory. 14, 32-33. Noske R.A., Barnes TA. and Barnes Y, (1997) hirst breeding record of the Licadabird in 95. 62 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) Index NT Naturalist 1-17 the Northern Territory. 17, 43-44. 96. l’ant.]uce P. and McKean ).!,. (1980) An unusual case of mortality in the Australian Pelican. 1(3), 7. 97. Panton Wl. (1993) Assessment of Banteng grazing on coastal plains, Kobourg Peninsula: an update on Bowman (1993). 14,7-9. 98. Pengillcy K. (1982) Note on the reproductive biology of the King-tailed Dragon {Cheloscinia bniniied). 5, 6. 99. Percival D. (1984) Streaked Shearwater Culonectris leucomelas in the Northern 'I'erritory. 7, 10 - 11 . 100. Puckey 1 1. (2003) .Xdditional records of the Tarpentarian Rock-rat /yzomys palatalis at Kedbank, close to the type locality. 17, 43-45. 101. Rankmore B. (2003) Species Profile: Black-footed Tree-rat {Mesembrio/Hysgoiildii). 17, 56- 57. 102. Robinson Cl. and (Iriffin Cl. (1983) Mffects of a bite from a Barking Spider (Seknocosmia stirliiigi) 1 loog. 6, 16-17. 103. Robinson D.,(ianibold N., Menkhorst K., Mann S. and b'leming M. (1992) burther interesting bird records from the Clulf of (larpentaria and .Arnhem band. 13,16-24. 104. Shurcliff K.S. (1993) Seasonal patterns of wader populations in Darwin, Northern Territory, 1974-1987. 14, 10-18. 105. Smith .A.M.A. and Wood T.T. (1985) A nest and hatchlings of YLmjdura vktoriae (Clray 1842). 8, 3-4. 106. Stokes T. (1981) An agonistic display in male Shining I'lycatchers. 4, 24. 107. Stokes T (1989) Rectillections of the formation of tlie N.T. b'ield Naturalists’ (dub. 11, 3-7. 108. Strong B.W and (iillani M.W (1983) .\ new record for the Northern Territory of the I'hick-tailed (lecko {IJiidenvoodisciunismil'll). 6,18-19. 109. Strong B.W and bow WA. (1983) short note on the distribution of the box {Vidpes I’ulpes) in the southern Northern Territory. 6, 20-23. 110. Strong B.W and bow WA. (1985) Some records of small mammals from the southern Northern Territory. 8. 5-7. 111. Strong B.W and bow WA. (1985) A short note on some biological characteristics of the buropean Rabbit {Oiyctolagiis cmiiailti.i) in the Northern I'erritory. 8, 8-12. 112. Strong B.W and bow \X'..\. (1986) Recent observations and habitat preference of the Kultarr, Anktbinomys laniger, in the Northern Territory. 9, 3-7. 113. Swanson S. (1979) Some rock-dwelling reptiles of the , Arnhem band escarpment. 1, Il¬ ls. 114. Swanson S. (1980) .An albino ('.ommon Sheath-tailed Bat Taphoipusgeorgianus from the Arnhemland escarpment. 1(3), 6. 115. Swanson S. (1981) Typblina braminaw arboreal blind snake? 4, 13. 116. I hompson I l..\.b. (1978) bommon birds of the Darwin suburbs. 1(1), 117. I'hompson 1 l.,\.b. (1982) The status of cuckoos buculidae in the Darwin area. Northern Territory, 1974-1980. 5,13-19. 118. 1 hompson I b,\.b. (1984) The status of Kingfishers and their allies {Coradiformes) in the Darwin area, N.T, 1974 to 1982. 7, 18-29. Index NT Naturalist 1-17 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 63 119. Wade A. (1978) Notcsi on the habits of the Northern )c'/.abel butterfly. 1(1), 120. Webber ). (1992) preliminary observations on tlie Northern Blossom-bat Macroglossus minimus in captivity. 13. 25-29. 121. Webber ). (1993) The use of .small pebbles in the web retreat of a comb-footed spider, Achaearaned (Araneae: Theridiidac). 14, 27-28. 122. Wells K. (1979) New reptile records for the Northern Territory. 1(2), 3-4. 123. Wheeler |. (1982) Notes on tlie Black-footed Tree Rat in a modified environment. 5, 8-9. 124. Whitaker ). (1987) Some observations on the (iarpentarian tlrasswren. 10, 14-15. 125. Whitehead B. (198.5) Brief notes on tlie geology of the Jasper (lorge area. 8, 17. 126. Whiting S.D. (1997) Opportunistic observations of marine mammals from the coastal waters of Bog Bay, Northern Territory. 15, 16-26. 127. Wdiiting .S.li, Noske R.A., Ouinca M.l.., (ihatto R. and Llonato D. (1997) (Ibservations of birds on islands in northern B'og Bay, Northern 'I’erritory. 15,27-40. 128. Woinarski).((./.. (1992) The conservation status of the White-throated tlrasswren Amytornis imodminii, an example of problems in status designation. 13, 1-5. 129. Woinarski |.(1.Z. (2000) Range extension of the Inland Thornbill Acanthiig) apicalis 'mti'i the wet-dry tropics. 16, 28-31. Author index Numbers refer to the numbered list of references above. Avery S. 1 Donato D. 127 GowG.F. 38-42 Barnes T.A. 2,95 Dostinc RL. 31 Greer E.A. 43 Barnes 95 DupeK.V. 18 Grey D.L. 17 Begg R.J. 3 Estbergs E. 19 Grey E.L. 44 Blamires S.J. 4 Estbergsj.A. 8,20-22 Griffin G. 102 Bowman D.J.M.S. 5-7 Fensham R.J. 23 Griffiths A.D. 24,45,60 Braithwaite R.W 8 Fisher A. 16,24 GuiticaM.L. 46-49,127 Brennan G. 94 Fisher K. 25,26 IlealcyC. 50,51 Bruce A.J. 9 Fisher L. 25,26 ITcrtog A.L. 77-79,83,84 Campion O. 60 Fleming M. 103 Holmes G. 52 Canti j. 10 Fogarty P. 27 Horner P.G. 53 Chapman S. 11 Franklin D.C. 2,28-31 Ingram G. 54 ChattoR. 12-15,127 Fraser F. JacklynP.M. 55 ChealD. 16 Friend G.R. 34,83 Jacobson J. 14 Choquenot D. 35 Gambold N. 103 Jacnsch R. 56-58 Churchills. 24 Garstone R. 22 Johnson C. 31 Cooper N. 24 Georges A. 35,59 Kennett R. 59 Coventry A.J. 35 Gibson D.F. 36 Koenig J. 60 Dampney A.R. 81 GillamM.W 37,108 Kowalick D. 61 DartnallA.J. // Godjuwa C. 60 LancA.M. 62 64 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) Index NT Naturalist 1-17 Love B. 49 Noske R.A. 29,52,91-95, Strong B.W 63,108-112 LowWA. 63,109-112 127 Swanson S. 113-115 Mangioii C.P. 30 Palmer C. 24 Thompson I I.A.F. 80, Mann S. 103 Paiiquce P. 96 116-118 MarrN. 84 Panton \Xy. 97 Trainor C. 24 xMartinK.C. 64-68,82 Pengilley R. 98 van Gesscl F. 93 McCrieN. 69-72 PercivalD. 99 Wade A. 1,119 McDonough L. 7 Puckey 11. 100 Webber). 120,121 McGrath P. 49 Rankmorc B. 101 WellingsP. 35 McKean J.L. 3,73-84,96 Robinson D. 103 Wells R. 122 Mcnkhorst K.A. 85,103 Robinson G. 102 Wheeler). 123 Miller L.R. 86,87 Ryan P. 48 Whitaker). 124 Milne DJ. 88 Saalfield K. 15 Whitehead B. 125 Morgan G.J, 89 Shurcliff K.S. 104 Whiting S.D. 126,127 Nash K.L. 88 Smith ,\.M.A. 105 Woinarski ).C.Z. 24,85, Nielsen M.G. 90 Southgate R.I. 36 128,129 Nobbs M. 4 Stokes T. 106,107 WoodT.C. 105 Species index Numbers refer to the numbered list of references above. Species that had only a pe- ripheral mention in a paper may not be listed. T'he taxonomy applied at the time of publication is generally retained, and so may no longer be current for all species. Spe- cies are listed here under broad groups to assist searches. Plants Coenobita spinosus 89 Termites Acacia auricuHformis 91 Diogenes a varus 89 A mi ter mes taurensis 5.3 Avkennia marina 90 Diogenes gardineri 89 Amitermes meridionaHs 55 Ceriops australis 2 Mictjris kngicarpus 17 Coptotermes acinaciformis 86 luicalyptus mini at a 23 Ocypode spp. 17 Drepanotormes spp. 87 hucalyptus letrodoula 23 Pagans bedlyi 89 Mastotermes danviniensis 86 Maireana dichoplera 16 Scopimera inf lata 17 .Scheffkra actinoplrylla 28 Spiders Ximenia americana 30 Coccids Achaearanea sp. 121 Akcannpsis mins 90 .Seienocosmia stirlingi 10 2 Crabs Clibanarius infraspinatus 89 Ants Fish Chbanarius hngitarsus 89 Crematogaster sp. 90 Pterois voUtans 65 Clibanarius taeniatus 89 Iridomjrmex sanguineus 62 Toxotes chatereus 66 Clibanarius virescens 89 Oecoplylla smaragdina 62 Toxotoes lorensq 66 Caenobita sp. 17 Polyrbachis sokjolova 90 Index NT Naturalist 1-17 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 65 Birds - seabirds Calonectris kucomekis 99 Cblidnmas kiicopterus 56 Vregata ariel 48,103,127 hams novaehoHandiae 48 Sul a hucogasier 48 Sterna alhifrnns 127 Sterna bergii 48,127 Sterna sumatrana 48,127 Birds - shorehirds Se waders Arenaria interpres 104 liurbinus neglect us 48,104 Calidris acuminata 104 Calidris alba 104 Calidris canutus 104 Calidris femiginea 104 Calidris mjicollis 104 Calidris tenuirostris 104 Charadrius dubius 78,80, 104 Charadrius kscbenauhii 104 Charadrius melanops 104 Charadrius minuta 78 Charadrius mongolus 104 Charadrius ruficapiHus 104 Charadrius veredus 104 lisacus neglect us 127 Eulabenrnis castaneoventris 2 GalUnago megata 56,104 dareola maldivarum 104 H aematopHS fuHgtnosus 4 8, 104,127 Haematopus longirostis 104, 127 ] limantopus himantopus 104 IJmosa lapponica 104 IJmosa limosa 104 Micropalama himantopus 84 Numenius madagascariensis 104 Numenius minutus 104 Numenius phaenpus 104 Peltohyas australis 103 Phalaropus lobatus 69 Philomachus pugnax 78 Pluvialis dominica 104 Phnnalis squatarnla 104 Porgana pusilla 103 Recurvirnstra novaehoHandiae 103,104 Rostratuk beiwhaknsis 57, 103 Stictonetta naevosa 58 T tUtia isabella 104 Terek terek 104 Tringa brevipes 104 Tringa erythropus 81 Tringa glareok 104 Tringa hypoleucos 104 Tringa incana 78 Tringa nebukria 104 Tringa stagnatilis 104 I 'anellus miles 104 Birds — waterhirds Amaurornis oHvaceus 52 Anas querqueduk 56 Ardea ibis 56 Ardea pi cat a 56 A rdea sumatrana 127 Dendrocygna arcuata 56 Egretta sacra 48 Ephippioriynchus asiaticus 56 GaUinuk tenebrosa 103 Nettapus pulchellus 56 Nycticorax cakdonicus 8 Oxyura australis 93 Pekcanus conspicHktus 48,96 Birds — hushbirds Acanthis:a apicalis 129 Accipiter fasciatus 21 Acrocephaks orientalis 56,75 Acrncephaus stentoreus 75 Akedo as^ma 118 A Ice do pusHk 118 Amytornis dorotheae 82,124 Amytornis modwardi 52, 92,128 Aphnis metaUica 51 Artamus kucorbynchus 91 Aviceda subcristata 103 Cacatua sanguinea 127 Cacomantis variohsus 117 CentropHS phasianinus 117 Certhionyx niger 103 Certhionyx variegatus 103 Chtysococcyx basalis 117 Chrysocoayx minutilks 117 Chrysococcyx oscukns 117 Circus assimilis 1 27 CoHuracinck meiarhyncha 52,103 CoHuricinck woodwardi 52 Conopophik albogukris 28, 91 Coracina novaeboHandiae 76,91,127 Coracina papuensis 76,91 Coracina tenuirostris 76,95 Conus hen netti 52 Conus orru 21 Cracticus nigrogukris 21 Cracticus quoyi 50 Cuculus palMus 117 Cucuhts saturatus 117 Dacelo kachii 118 66 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) Index NT Naturalist 1-17 Dromaeus novaeboHandiae 60 Emblema picta 52 Entomy^^n cyanotis 28 Epbibianura aurifrons 52 Erytbrotriorcbis radial us 52 Eremiornis carteri 52 Eudynamys laitensis 117 Eurystomus orientalis 118 Fako longimembris 22 Fako longipennis 32 Fako subniger 22 Fakunculus f'ronlatus ivbitei 31,52,i03 Geopelia striata 32 Geophaps smith it 33 GratUiella picta 20 Ila/iaeetus kucogaster 48 Flaliastur indus 48 Haliastur sphetntrus 2 1 \uilage kucomela 76,91,103 iMlage seuerii 76,9 1 IJchenostomns utiicolor 28 IJchmera indistincta 28,127 Melipbaga albilineata 52 Melipbaga unkohr 91 Merops ornatus 118 Milvus migrans 21 Monarcha trivirgatus 94 Motacilla dtreola 74 MotacUlajlava 70 Myiagra akcto 106 Myiagra inqukta 127 Myiagra rujkollis 127 My^mela obscura 28 Ni/wxrufa 52,103 Orioiusjiapocinctus 91 Oriohts sagittalus 91 Pachycephala melanura 103, 127 Passer montanus 11 Petroka goodenovii 52 Petmphassa mjipeituis 52 Pbilemon buceroides 28,52 Philemon citreogularis 28 Philemon spp. 29 Pitta iris 52,103 Psepbotus dissimilis 103 Ptilinopus cinctus 52 Ptilinopus regina 1 03,127 Rhipidura pbasiana 1 27 Rlripidura mjijrons dryas 103 Scythrops novaeboHandiae 117 Sphecotberes viridis 61,91 Sturnus vulgaris 12 Todiramphus cbloris 118 Todiramphus macteayii 118 I'odiramplms pyrrhopygia 118 Todiramphus sanctus 11 8 Tricboglossus baematodus 28 Turnix pyrrhotborax 103 Tyto novaeboHandiae 1 03 Fmgs Litoria dab Hi 34 Reptiles - turtles Carettocbelys insculpta 18, 35,59 Chelodina rugosa 10,59 Elseya dent at a 59 Emydura lanybaraga 59 E my dura vktoriae 59,105 Eepidocbelys olivacea 46 Natator depressus 46,48 Reptiles - snakes Acantbopbispyrrhus 41 Flydrelaps darudniensis 49 Morelia oenpelliensis 11 3 Oxyuranus scute Hat us 39 Pelamis platurus 47 RJtampbotyphlops braminus 115 ' Rhampboiyphlops ligatus 122 Sula suta 37 Reptiles - lizards Cbelosania bntnnea 98 Cryptoblepbarus carnabyi 53 Cryptoblepbams litoralis 53 Cryptoblepbarus megastictus 53 Cryptoblepbarus plagiocepha- lus 53 Egernia frerei 113 Glapbyromorpbus danvinien- sis 43 Mabuya multij'asciata 54 Menetia maini 1 22 Nephrums asper 38 Notoscincus ornatus 1 22 Notoscincus wojulum 1 22 Proablepbams kingborni 1 22 Pseudothecadactylus lindneri 113 V'aranus acantburus 11 3 Varanusgilleni 42 I 'aranus glebopalma 11 3 [ "aranus panoptes 4,68 Undenvoodisaurus millii 108 Mammals - marine Dugon dugon 1 26 G lobicepbala macrorbynchus 13 Kogia simus 15 Orcaella brevirostris 126 Peponocephata electro 1 4 Northern Territory Naturalist 17 (2003) 67 Index NT Naturalist 1-17 Physeter macrocephalus 12 Snusa chinensis 1 26 Tursiops tmncalus 126 Mamiriiils - marsupials Anlechimmys laniger 112 Antechinomys spenceri 110 Macropus anfdinopus 60 Macropus bernadus 60 Macropus robustits 60 Mairotis lagotis 1 10 Ningaui sp. 110 Planigale maculata 1 Planigak tenuiroslris 63 Pseudanfetimus bilarni 24 Pseudantechinus ningbing 24 J " minthopsis crassicaudata no Trichosaurus vulpecula 110 Mammals — native rodents Leggad/na forresti 110 Mesembriomys gouldii 101, 123 No/omys a/exis 110 Pseudofuys desertor 36 Pseudomys bermannsburgensis no Pseudomys nanus 36 Kaltus colktli 1 Rattus tunneyi 1 Tysymyspaktalis 85,100 Mammals - bats Chaerephon jobensis 3 11 ipposideros diadem a 7 7 Macroglosssus minimus 120 Ptcropus akcto 28 Tad arid a australis 88 Tapbospus georgia/ius 114 Taphogous saccolaimus 83 Mammals - introduced BosJavanicus 6,97 Bos taunts 60 Bubalus bubalis 60 Eqmts cahallus 60 Pel is cat us 108 Mus muscuius 45,110 Oryctolagus funiculus 111 Rattus rattus 45 Sus scrofa 60 I'ulpes vulpes 109 Advice to contributors I'he Northern Territory Naturalist publishes original papers concerned with any aspect of the natural history of the Northern Territory or northern Australia. Contributcrs need not he members of the NT Field NaturaUsts’ Club. Submissions are considered on the understanding that the content has not been published or accepted for publication elsewhere, and that copyright is retained by the NT Field Naturalists’ Club. All manuscripts are refereed, and the Editors reserve the right to modify manuscripts to eliminate ambiguity and repetition, or otherwise improve communication. Submitted papers may be in the form of Articles (up to 5000 words) describing the findings of original research; or Short Notes (up to c. 1500 words) summarising re¬ search results or describing new or unusual observations. Articles should include an .\bstract. Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, but these headings are not required in Short Notes. Reviews and essays with relevant sultject matter will also be considered. The Identtfication Notes deal with groups of animals and plants that can be difficult to relialily identify in the field, w'hile the Species Profile describes a plant or animal species with interesting biology, usually the subject of current research. Con¬ tributions to both these sections arc w'clcome. Submitted manuscripts should be t}ped, double-spaced and with generous margins. Authors are encouraged to sulimit manuscripts digitally, on IBM-compatible disk, CD or by email. These should be in Microsoft Word or rich-text (RTF) format. Figures and diagrams may be supplied digitally or as clear, Itlack ink drawings on white paper. C'lood quality photographs (transparencies or prints) that illustrate the main subject matter of the article arc also welcome. .\rticles should be w'rittcn to be intelligible to readers without a specialist knowledge of the subject. Authors should consult the most recent edition of the journal as a guide to layout. References should be listed alpabetically at the end of the article in the following fonn: Becliler B.M, Pratt T.K. and /immennan D.A. (1986) Birds of New Guinea. Princeton Uni¬ versity I’ress, New |erscy. Begg R.J. (1988) Sandstone Antechinus. In The Australian Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals (ed. U. Stralian), pp, .'50-32. Angus & Robertson, Sydney. Menkliorst K.A. and Woinarski |.C./,. (1992) Distribution of mammals in monsoon rainlorests of the Northern Territory. Wildlife Kesearrh 19, 295-316. Manuscripts should be sent to: TheNaluralisl editorial committee, NT Field Naturalists Club, PO Box 39565, Wiimellie NT 0821. EmaiL fiona.douglas@octa4.neLau Northern Territory Naturalist No. 17 July 2003 Articles Vertebrate pollinators visit flowers of an Umbrella Tree SchefJJera aclinoplylla almost exclusively in the afternoon Don t'rank/in 1 Aerial survey of vertebrates in the Mann River district, central Arnhem Land J. Koenig, A.D. Griffiths, C, Godjuwa and 0. Campion 1 Records of northern waterbirds in the Barkly wetlands, Northern lerritory, 1993- 2002 Koger jaensch 20 Recent records and breeding of Painted Snipe Kostratula benghaknsis in the Mitchell Grass Downs and Sturt Plateau, Northern Territory Roger Jaensch 31 Breeding by Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa, and a review of recent records, in the Barkly wetlands. Northern Territory Roger Jaensch 38 Short Notes Additional records of the Carpentarian Rock-rat Zjpomyspalatalis at Redbank, close to the type locality Helen Puckey 43 Range extension for the White-striped Freetail Bat Tadarida australis in the Northern Territory, from Anabat recording D.J. Milne and KL. Nash 46 Occurrence of the Yellow Plum Ximenia americana L. as a tidal strand-line plant in Darwin Harbour Donald C. Franklin and Christopher P. Mangion 50 First record of the Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica in the Northern Territory Chris Healey 53 Species Profile Black-footed Tree-rat (Mesembriomys gouldii) 56 Index to Northern Territory Naturalist 1-17 58 Advice to contributors 68 Backyard pollinators Aerial survey in Arnhem Land Barkly Tableland birds New plant, bird & bat records Black-footed Tree-rat Index to all issues Contents inside back cover 6533 NTUniprint 9.03 S