Council warning as 'camouflaged' species takes over car parks, schools and hospitals

Yahoo

16 hours ago

Behind a fenced-off pathway at a popular caravan park near the border of New South Wales and Queensland lies a near-perfectly camouflaged native animal. Most people hear the distinctive cry of the bush-stone curlew before they see it, thanks to its grey colouring which allows it to blend perfectly into an urban environment.
But as the iconic bird's nesting period kicks off across several states, one local council has issued a warning to local residents. "They are well camouflaged," Amy Nicholls, Sustainability and Environment Project Officer from Tweed Shire Council, told Yahoo News.
"It's breeding time, so now is the time to keep an eye out."
Amy explained that the birds have adapted well to their urban environment, and it's common to see them make nests in car parks, schools, workplaces, hospital grounds and even caravan parks.
"People say 'why are they so stupid sitting in a car park', but they are not being stupid, they are just adapting to what is now our urban environment," she said.
The birds tend to prefer wide open spaces where they can spot predators from a distance.
Bush stone curlews under threat by drivers and invasive species
While their numbers remain strong in parts of Queensland, on the other side of the border in New South Wales, the story is completely different. The curlew is listed as an endangered species in New South Wales and Victoria and threatened in South Australia.
They face several major threats, including road strikes, habitat loss and predation by invasive species like foxes and cats, as well as domestic dogs.
"We have seen huge amounts of losses due to vehicle strikes and attacks by domestic pets," she explained.
But Tweed's unique location close to the border makes the council's efforts all the more important as they attempt to push the birds' population further south.
"We're at the top of NSW, so we have the most impact on the population of curlews back into the state," Amy said.
The council has urged residents not only to keep an eye out for the birds, but also to report nests as they pop up. Crews will then monitor the birds, as well as put up fencing and signage to warn residents about their presence.
Community 'really involved' in conservation efforts
Remarkably, the community has become "really involved" in protecting the birds, according to Amy.
"We have so many people out there who adore curlews," she said. "Once you've got a nesting pair in your space, you'll see them throughout the year and beyond."
The birds nest in pairs and "share the workload equally between the male and the female". This means that one sits on the nest to keep the eggs at the right temperature, while the other forages for food.
They repeat this process for the 28-day incubation process. The birds can nest up to four times during the long breeding period, which runs from the end of July and ends in January.
When the chicks are young, "that is a very sensitive period", Amy explained. "They don't understand the threats of vehicles," she explained, adding that they are especially hard to spot at night.
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Curlews make return to island after 50 years
Curlews hit headlines last month as extensive conservation efforts saw the native species be reintroduced on Victoria's Philip Island for the first time in 50 years.
The bush stone-curlew population suffered a drastic loss due to fox predation. However, after the island was declared fox-free in 2017 after 25 years of removal efforts, cars are now recognised as the "number one cause of mortality" to the birds, with several already being killed due to vehicle collisions in the last few months.
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