How are things on Lord Howe?

LHI school children learn how to care for their new snails from Terry Wilson.

Placostylus Babies Born

Ian Hutton on Lord How Island reports that 6 baby placostyles are sliding around in the Foundation-funded captive breeding enclosure at the Lord Howe Island Central School. The school children are waiting expectantly for the remaining eggs to hatch, proving that they will be ready to release their snails to the wilds once the rodent eradication is complete.

A one-day old Placostylus.

Currawongs Rarer than Hens!
Notes from the LHI Signal report

The Lord Howe subspecies of Currawong occurs only on the island.

The Foundation study of the unique Lord Howe Island Pied Currawong is complete, estimating the total population at a little over 200 birds in the whole world, less than the Lord Howe Island Woodhen at around 240 individuals.

The breeding population comprises 80-100 pairs with a nesting territory in the tall forest areas of about 5 hectares per pair. As with the woodhen, the amount of available habitat is the limiting factor along with the lack of food during winter.

The currawongs are the top predator in the Lord Howe food chain, preying on all terrestrial bird species from woodhens to whistlers, some seabirds including white terns, invertebrates including the endangered Lord Howe Island Placostylus and introduced rodents and skinks.

The study shows that the currawongs will be at risk from secondary poisoning when the rat eradication program commences.

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The preferred nest sites on limbs of Norfolk Island pine trees make White Tern chicks easily accessible for bird watchers and currawongs!

White Terns Secure

Researcher Nick Carlisle also checked up on the island’s population of White Terns, knowing the Island residents dislike the currawongs because they kill other birds. 325 pairs of terns were counted during the currawong study which was a marked increase on the 100 birds estimated by Ian Hutton in 1981.

There are over 200,000 White Terns worldwide with the “Lord Howe birds” ashore during their only landfall between September and May when they nest on the limbs of tall trees. Their breeding success rate of 27% compares favourably with the three other major breeding areas of Christmas Island (10%), Ascension Island (30%) and Hawaii (98%).

So Nick’s conclusion was that whilst the White Terns are preyed upon by currawongs they are able to withstand the predation pressure and the species is secure on Lord Howe Island.

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Driving Rat Eradication –
information provided by Terry Wilson, LHI Environment and World Heritage Officer

Lord Howe Island

A new Draft Biodiversity Management Plan for Lord Howe Island will drive future conservation efforts on the island for the next 10 years. The plan reinforces the Foundation-funded study to recommend total rodent eradication. The Commonwealth Government is providing $150,000 over the next year to fast track the eradication program.

Successful rodent eradication will protect many endemic plant and animal species and allow the reintroduction of the Lord Howe Island Phasmid, the White-bellied Storm Petrel, the Kermadec Petrel and the Red-crowned Parakeet (from Norfolk Island).

Other recommended activities are

• Protection of seabird breeding grounds by fencing out stock
• Revegetation of swamps, creek lines and vegetation corridors
• Eradication of feral species such as the Big Headed Brown Ants, hybrid Mallard ducks, Bitou Bush, Cherry Guava, Pittosporom and Asparagus species
• Quarantine measures and training
• Making Lord Howe plastic-bag free
• Monitoring and protecting ground water
• Monitoring the effects of climate change esp on species on Mt Gower and establishing ex-situ populations of plants at high-risk
• Supporting volunteer programs

The plan will shortly be placed on public exhibition for public comment.

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