Australians are being told to remain mindful of their surroundings on roads and reserves this summer, with newly-hatched chicks venturing out of their nests for the the first time — and being particularly vulnerable to traffic, predators, and human activity.
This week, a concerned wildlife advocate took to social media to warn Aussies to be aware of the many birds that are “on the move” at this time of year. The east coast woman, from the Whitsundays in Queensland, said bush stone-curlews in particular are prone to wandering onto the road.
“Just reminding everyone that the curlews have their babies on the move — please be mindful,” she wrote online on Monday. Pictures show the baby bird, merely the size of the palm of a hand, wandering onto a road where a car is parked nearby.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Sean Dooley from Bird Life Australia, emphasised the importance protecting our wildlife by leaving native animals alone when spotted. He said while residents should report any injured animals to the relevant authority, we should never feed, handle or interfere with them ourselves unless absolutely necessary.
Be wary of our native wildlife, but don’t interfere
“Bush stone-curlews are ground-dwelling birds and they rely on camouflage,” he explained. “So if you find a chick on the ground, it’s not like it’s fallen out of a nest—that’s where it’s meant to be.
“The parents are probably nearby and they’re usually pretty protective,” he added. “They’ll let you know by making threats using noises and displays.”
A Whitsundays woman found a tiny bush stone-curlew chick and it’s protective mother on a road this in the region this week, prompting the warning. Source: Facebook/Alexandra Brewster
Dooley said the species is much more common in northern Australia than they are in the south, where they’re listed as endangered in Victoria and in NSW. And unlike some other species of birds, chicks are capable of feeding “pretty quickly” after they’ve hatched, he added.
Breeding season is usually between July and January when they begin to venture away from the nest.
“The best thing you can do, unless there’s immediate danger, like an injury, or there’s cats around, is to leave it. The parents probably know where it is, and they’ll come back to check on it and feed it if necessary. They don’t need your intervention unless it’s a crisis.”
Though they’re vulnerable in some regions of the state, remarkably, the birds thrive in some areas of Brisbane, despite it being an area inhabited by foxes and domestic pets — a major reason for their decline in the south.
Locals warn to ‘watch out’ for vulnerable birds
Online, impassioned locals reiterated Dooley’s message.
“Keep your cats locked up, they are killers for these poor babies,” one woman wrote.
“They are beautiful birds, please watch out for them,” said a second.
“Like turtles, curlews nest where they were born. It was scrubland, before roads,” a man commented.
Why are bush stone-curlews vulnerable in some parts of Australia?
Bush Stone-curlews are listed as vulnerable in parts of Queensland, particularly in areas where their populations are declining due to habitat loss, predation, and human activity.
While they are not considered endangered across all of the state, local threats such as urban development, increased predation by foxes and feral cats, and changes to their natural habitats — like clearing of woodlands — have caused significant declines in some regions.
While bush stone-curlews are still relatively common in northern Australia, their populations are declining in southern and eastern parts of the country, including parts of NSW and Victoria, where they are classified as endangered.
Introduced predators such as foxes and feral cats also pose a major threat, particularly to eggs and young chicks.
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