Northern Connections - Movements of birds between Australia and near northern neighbours

Project Summary

This project will investigate the movements and origins of birds moving between Australia and it’s near northern neighbours. By virtue of the fact that little is known of the detail of migratory connectivity or the biology of species that move between Australia and its northern neighbours this project is exploratory. We aim to describe patterns of movement and population structure in a suite of species with the initial focus on waterfowl. This data will be used to inform agencies with interests in maintenance of the region’s biodiversity in the face of disturbances such as climate change and habitat loss; and bio-security and the spread of avian borne diseases. Moreover, the data will be used to formulate detailed testable hypotheses on the structure and origins of bird populations that cross Torres Strait and the Arafura Sea. This project will be the first element in proposed on-going research on the biology and ecology of avian migration in the Australasian region of the poorly understood East Asia-Australian Flyway.

As an inland nation, Australia enjoys many quarantine benefits. However, our nearest northern neighbours are closer than many perceive. A significant proportion of Australian birds spend part of their life-cycle (either breeding or non-breeding) in other countries. The archipelagos to our north are a destination for many species as well as being potential pathways for vectors of exotic disease. In particular, avian borne disease may enter Australia with individuals of bird populations whose range extends from northern Australia to New Guinea and South East Asia. Key to assessing this risk is an understanding of the patterns of movement within and between populations of birds whose geographical range spans Australia and regions that are a source for avian-borne diseases.

It is remarkable that a developed country like Australia, under the threat of a pandemic avian influenza outbreak, does not have the scientific data available to understand the movements of birds between its own territory and its nearest neighbours. Even basic descriptions or migratory routes and non-breeding grounds are lacking for many species in these major migratory systems. To date our understanding of these migration systems has predominantly come from observation and natural history. We propose to expand this knowledge through an explicit understanding of population structure and migratory connectivity using the latest molecular and biogeochemical techniques. This project developed from the proponents research interests in movement and migration, expertise in waterfowl ecology and current governmental concerns about the introduction of avian zoonotic diseases.