National recovery plan for the Christmas Island Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus natalis
Prepared by Richard Hill
Birds Australia
Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2004
ISBN 0 642 55009 3
Recovery objectives and timelines
Overall objective:
To shift the status of the Christmas Island Goshawk from Endangered to Conservation Dependent within 10 years.
Specific objectives:
To reduce the risk of extinction and improve the conservation status of the taxon by:
- Determine taxonomic status
- Determine and maximise total population size and area of occupancy
- Implement threat abatement strategies
- Increase community involvement and awareness
- Implement the Recovery Plan through a Recovery Team
Performance Criteria
- Taxonomic position of Christmas Island Goshawk clarified.
- Distribution of Christmas Island Goshawks widespread on the island in all suitable habitats as demonstrated by population monitoring.
- Density of Christmas Island Goshawks increased as demonstrated by population monitoring
- Crazy Ants having an insignificant impact on Christmas Island Goshawks.
- Protection of all habitat critical outside the national park on Christmas Island.
- A continuing increase in suitable habitat through implementation of the Christmas Island Rainforest Rehabilitation program.
- Maintenance of effective quarantine against the introduction of all avian diseases
- Demonstrated increase in community awareness and support for habitat protection
- Demonstrated successful operation of the Recovery Team over five years.
Actions
Specific objective
1. Determine taxonomic status
Performance Criteria
Taxonomic position of Christmas Island Goshawk clarified.
Action
1. Investigate the taxonomic status of the Christmas Island Goshawk.
This project is designed to describe the relationships of the Christmas Island Goshawk to the Brown and Grey Goshawks by comparing DNA sequences of selected mitochondrial genes. Mitochondrial DNA may be collected from feathers allowing specimens already in collections to be used for analysis. The Museum of Victoria has material from Christmas Island Goshawks.
Specific objective
2. Determine and maximise total population size and area of occupancy
Performance Criteria
Distribution of Christmas Island Goshawks widespread on the island in all suitable habitats as demonstrated by population monitoring Density of Christmas Island Goshawks increased as demonstrated by population monitoring
Action
2. Conduct detailed population survey
The recovery team will obtain estimates of population size, distribution, age structure, fledging success, and survival rates. This is required to assess the status of this taxon. Data on age structure and fledging success will be used to monitor the population, and will, over time, indicate whether or not any significant change in population size is occurring.
Trap and colour band the Christmas Island Goshawk population across the island with the aim of individually marking the majority of the population. A majority of the population will remain individually marked by periodic supplementary trapping after this initial program. This action will provide data on the age-structure of the population, distribution on Christmas Island (including some information on habitat), ranging behaviour and spacing of individuals from resightings during the 18 month study, and thus some data on population size.
The members of the Australasian Raptor Association (ARA), part of Birds Australia, include many of the Australian professional and amateur experts on birds of prey. They may be able to provide unpaid assistance in trapping and marking birds, and in training of local staff in trapping techniques. The cost of their involvement would be airfares from Australia and accommodation and transport on Christmas Island. With the involvement of the ARA this project lends itself to being done by a post-graduate student. If ARA involvement was not possible dedicated researchers would re required, and the cost would be substantially higher.
Action
3. On-going monitoring of the population
It is essential to formally and regularly monitor the size of the population, and breeding success. The recovery team will monitor the total population size at regular intervals (initially annually) such that, if a decline takes place, it provides sufficient warning to managers to allow remedial management and research to take place. The monitoring program shall be based on observations of the individually marked population of Christmas Island Goshawks. PAN Christmas Island staff, tour operators, and the community in general will be encouraged to record all observations of goshawks, and to report their locations accurately. This will provide an ongoing data set on the proportion of resightings of marked birds, and on the habitats in which birds are seen. Once every five years, volunteers from the ARA will visit the island and trap and mark additional birds to maintain a majority of marked birds in the population.
In addition a sample of goshawk nests should be monitored annually. Monitoring of ten nests over a number of years will provide a considerable amount of information on breeding success, diet, and habitat requirements, and would be relatively inexpensive. Breeding success data will allow evaluation of the species' status and population viability. Knowledge of diet is essential to evaluate the effects of habitat change, and predict the likely impact of any proposed changes in land management on the island. Information on diet and breeding requirements, combined with data from the population survey on distribution, ranging and spacing, will enable refinement of the definition of habitat critical to the survival of Christmas Island Goshawks, and determination of at what stage/s they utilise rehabilitated areas.
Ten nests will be monitored for signs of breeding, and once breeding has commenced monitored regularly (fortnightly) while the breeding attempt continues. In addition roost sites of parents should be located and pellets collected for dietary analysis. The pellets should be relatively straightforward to analyse due to the limited number of potential vertebrate prey. Insects should be identified as accurately as possible. Monitoring of nesting and collection and analysis of pellets could be part of the general duties of the resource management staff of PANCI.
Specific objective
2. Determine and maximise total population size and area of occupancy
Performance Criteria
Protection of all habitat critical outside the national park.
Action
4. Develop and implement wildlife management plan outside the national park
Action
5. Ensure protection of habitat critical outside the national park.
Most forested land outside the National Park is publicly owned, by the Commonwealth. PAN staff are routinely involved with the other stakeholders in negotiations over development proposals. This is ongoing. These proposals can occur unexpectedly and as there is no overall wildlife management plan outside the park, are assessed on an ad hoc basic. While consultation with other agencies and proponents on projects will be essential and ongoing (under the EPBC Act referrals process), achievement of long-term protection of threatened species outside the park requires a more comprehensive and considered approach through the development of a wildlife management program. The EPBC Regulations include that actions under an approved management plan are not considered offences in relation to protected species, and that a management plan must not, or not be likely to, adversely affect the conservation status of a protected species or a population of a protected species. The Goshawk meets the definition of a protected species.
The plan should allow for the input of relevant landholders and decision makers, and provide more strategic and comprehensive protection of flora and fauna, while facilitating greater certainty for environmentally sensitive developments. The plan should also allow for adaptive management as better information becomes available on the Christmas Island Hawk-Owl and other threatened species, in particular greater definition of the areas of habitat which are critical to survival.
Specific objective
2. Determine and maximise total population size and area of occupancy
Performance Criteria
A continuing increase in suitable habitat through implementation of the Christmas Island Rainforest Rehabilitation program.
Action
6. Continue effective and long-term rainforest rehabilitation program managed by DOTARS & supported by PAN and the mining company.
The Christmas Island Rainforest Rehabilitation Program has been occurring over the last three decades. Currently, the main aim is to revegetate mined areas adjacent to Abbott's Booby nesting habitat to reduce wind turbulence caused by the clearings and implicated in reduced nesting success of the booby (Reville et al. 1990). There are approx. 70 clearings covering 3200ha or 24% of the island area (Carew-Reid 1987). It is not known how Christmas Island Goshawks use these areas and at what stage of rehabilitation this habitat become important for foraging and for nesting – this will be investigated as part of the monitoring program.
In 2002, the Government decided to redirect the payment of the conservation levy to the portfolio agency with responsibility for the mine lease (DOTARS). A MOU between PAN and DOTARS was signed in February 2004 to allow PAN to continue the CIRRP within Christmas.13 Island National Park. Rehabilitation is critical in terms of increasing rainforest habitat to further protect a range of species including the goshawk. The CIRRP is funded through a conservation levy that forms part of Christmas Island Phosphate's lease. Effective management of the lease by DOTARS will ensure optimal outcomes for rainforest rehabilitation.
Specific objective
3. Implement threat abatement strategies
Performance Criteria
Crazy Ants have a negligible impact on Christmas Island Goshawk
Action
7. Implement the Invasive Ants on Christmas Island Action Plan.
PAN is currently implementing an Invasive Ants Action Plan, which aims to control and minimise the impact of Crazy Ants across the island. This program will require ongoing monitoring of Crazy Ant numbers and control of populations as detected. The recovery team must ensure that the control program does not have any negative impacts on Christmas Island Goshawks.
Specific objective
3. Implement threat abatement strategies
Performance Criteria
Maintenance of effective quarantine against the introduction of all avian diseases
Action
8. Maintenance [and regular review] of a quarantine barrier between Christmas Island and all other lands which minimises the risks of new avian diseases establishing on Christmas Island.
As part of the regular review process of the Christmas Island Quarantine Service, the effectiveness of the quarantine barrier preventing the man-made introduction of avian diseases onto Christmas Island should be assessed. Review of the Christmas Island Quarantine Service is undertaken by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, with input from PAN and in consultation with DOTARS. There is no additional cost for this action.
Specific objective
4. Increase community involvement and awareness
Performance criteria
Demonstrated increase in community awareness and support for habitat protection
Action
9. A community education program to raise awareness and interest in the conservation of Christmas Island Goshawks.
As part of the Christmas Island Education and Interpretation Plan, which has a key objective of increasing knowledge of and local support for habitat and species protection, develop a multi-lingual pamphlet on Christmas Island Goshawk stressing their uniqueness and how they are part of Christmas Island ecosystems. This pamphlet would encourage the community to report sightings of colour-banded goshawks. It should also discuss managing problem goshawks around poultry, emphasising that goshawks are protected, and offering solutions to dealing with problem birds.
This should be further supported by a conservation related curriculum unit for both primary and secondary school students which raises awareness of the Christmas Island habitats and species generally.
Specific objective
5. Implement the Recovery Plan through a Recovery Team
Performance criteria
Demonstrated successful operation of the Recovery Team over five years
Actions
10. Establish a recovery team which meets regularly
11. Carry out a major review of the recovery planA recovery team shall be formed to implement this recovery plan. The team should comprise representatives of PANCI, the Shire of Christmas Island, the Department of Transport and Regional Services, an independent environmental consultant, and other members as thought appropriate eg. other affected Christmas Island interests, and other specialists where necessary. Progress will be monitored and evaluated yearly by members of the recovery team through an annual review. The monitoring process will include: compiling information from resighting of banded birds, success of monitored nests, and assessing progress of all actions against the criteria and objectives of the recovery plan (data comparisons performed by participating biologist). A major review of this performance must be conducted at the end of the first five years of implementation, by an independent reviewer.
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