Re-Stocking the Malleefowl – does it work?
Leonie Gale

The shy, ground-dwelling Mallee Fowl is being hustled toward extinction by a combination of habitat destruction and predation by foxes.

Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata are ground-dwelling birds resembling a large speckled chicken. It is not surprising that feral foxes and cats find them an easy and delicious meal.

In the wild, chicks hatch from the large earth mounds built by the birds for incubation of their eggs. They are very vulnerable to attack from predators with a less than 2% survival rate. Once common, the numbers of malleefowl have declined across Australia to endangered status.

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife funded one of the first emergency recovery programs for this endangered species, including purchase of habitat, fox baiting and a captive breeding and release program. A head-count at Yathong Nature Reserve is long overdue, and scientists need your help to radio track 12 Malleefowl that are eagerly awaiting their release into the wild.

In 1975 the Foundation purchased 221,504 hectares of mallee land in western NSW creating Yathong Nature Reserve, Mallee Cliffs National Park and Nombinnie Nature Reserve for the malleefowl. In 1990 the Foundation funded the establishment of a captive breeding population at Western Plains Zoo for release of chicks into Yathong Nature Reserve to augment the declining wild populations.

94% of released chicks were killed by predators. Of these 68% were killed by foxes. Intensive large-scale aerial and ground fox baiting programs commenced in 1997 and over 400 captive-bred malleefowl released into Yathong. Monitoring of foxes has shown a large reduction in numbers across all mallee reserves and in 2003 malleefowl releases were moved to Nombinnie Nature Reserve.

Typical malleefowl habitat on the border of NSW, VIC and SA.

There has been no monitoring of malleefowl over the past 8 years in Yathong Nature Reserve and none in Nombinnie Nature Reserve. $5,000 is needed to fund a collaborative monitoring program by National Parks & Wildlife rangers and Charles Sturt University students.

Radio tracking of twelve released malleefowl for up to four months will show if the birds have died and allow them to be located to determine the cause of death. The transmitters do not harm the birds, they are temporary and detach during malting and growth of new feathers.

Results of this long-term study will assist in planning of predator control, check for the prevalence of feral cats once foxes are removed and contribute to the knowledge of habitat suitability for malleefowl in Nombinnie Nature Reserve.

If you can help us give this species a chance, please make your donation by cheque or online and we will direct 100% of your donation to the wildlife emergency fund to go towards the species featured in this newsletter.

• Click here to donate online
• Mail to: (Click here to print a donation form)
  Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife
  "Wildlife Emergency Fund"
  GPO Box 2666
  Sydney NSW 2001

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