Australian Crane Network

Research Projects

This page presents current research projects on Brolgas and Australian Sarus Cranes, as well as wetland and rangeland studies directly related to crane habitat issues.

← Logo for projects needing volunteers

Research students, catchment groups, birdwatching groups monitoring cranes in wetlands, and others, are welcome to post project summaries here for Ozcranes readers – please contact us.

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Brolga research projects

1 | South West Victoria Brolga Project: Brolgas & windfarms

• Aim: Establish threat levels to the Brolga population in SW Victoria posed by windfarm developments in breeding and flocking areas, and recommend mitigating actions
• The project has funding from DEWHA, the Victorian Government and representatives of the wind industry, and is supported by BOCA.
• Led by: Ballarat University PhD student Inka Veltheim
• Contact: Inka Veltheim by email or phone BOCA National Office on 03 9877 5342.
• More information: Visit the Project website or BOCA for updates in the Conservation section of the monthly ‘Bird Observer’.

Comments Proposed major wind farm develoments raise serious questions for the Brolga's survival in SW Victoria, where numbers of immatures in flocks are already low at 3%. Existing threats include wetland degradation and foxes.

2 | Management of Brolga breeding wetlands & Brolgas as a wetland conservation flagship

• Aim: Practical guidelines for managing water, grazing and fire regimes that maintain, enhance or create habitat for Brolgas and other wetland-dependent species
• Location & timing: SE Australia, ongoing
• Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University; Arthur Rylah Institute, Victorian Department of Sustainability & Environment; New South Wales Murray Catchment Management Authority, and Murray Wildlife Pty Ltd
• Contact: Matthew Herring

Comments Work with landholders shows the Brolga is an effective communication tool for promoting wetland conservation and that efforts to conserve Brolga wetlands will protect many other species.

3 | South West Brolga counts

• Aim: (1) To locate nest sites and record nesting details, including success for a minimum 20 nests per season (2) To count non-breeding flocks and determine population size
• Location & timing: Across SW Victoria, anytime (flocking summer-autumn, breeding winter-spring)
• Participants: Victorian Department of Sustainability & Environment with community groups
• Contact: Richard Hill, (03) 5554 2302

Comments Volunteers welcome. Results are posted at BIRD under Surveys.

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Sarus Crane research projects

1 | Atherton Tablelands Crane Count 2009 --

• Aim: To monitor Sarus Cranes in the Atherton Tablelands IBA (Important Bird Area)
• Location & timing: Atherton Tablelands, North Queensland. Annual from 2009, first Saturday in September. Contact BANQ

Comments Volunteers welcome. Long-term monitoring of the wintering Sarus Crane population in the Atherton Tablelands IBA.

2 | Annual recruitment

• Aim: To determine Australian Sarus Crane breeding success in terms of the mean annual recruitment rate
• Location & timing: Atherton Tableland far north Queensland, ongoing
• Dr. John Grant

Comments The mean annual recruitment rate (the number of juveniles with adults each year) is approximately 6%, considered low for cranes. Results 1997-2002 were published in Emu in 2005.

2 | Feeding habitat

• Aim: To determine feeding habitat of wintering Australian Sarus Cranes on the Atherton Tableland
• Location & timing: Atherton Tableland far north Queensland, ongoing
• Dr. John Grant

Comments Results so far indicate Sarus Cranes feed most frequently on maize stubble, less so on well-grazed pasture, and occasionally on cane trash. Watch Ozcranes for more news.

3 | Maturation stages of immature Sarus Cranes

• Aim: To determine characters for identifying different stages of immature Australian Sarus Cranes (ageing immatures in the field)
• Location & timing: Far north Queensland, ongoing
• Dr. John Grant

Comments More in Ozcranes Knowledge Gaps 2.

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Projects on both species

1 | North Queensland Crane Count 1997-2008

• Aim: (1) To locate all active roost sites, count roosting flocks and determine Sarus Crane population size for the Atherton Tableland and hinterland (2) To count Brolgas present in the same and surrounding areas (3) Using GIS, (i) track roost flight movements (ii) examine distribution of both species in the late Dry season, based on broad habitat and land use variables
• Location & timing: Across North Queensland. Annual, 1997-2008. This project is now in the analysis and write-up stage, enquiries: Elinor Scambler

Comments The first consistent long-term population study of Australian Sarus Cranes, Ozcranes: NQ Crane Counts».

2 | Gulf of Carpentaria aerial counts

• Aim: (1) To count post and pre-breeding Sarus Crane flocks and determine population size and habitat use in the Gulf breeding areas (2) To count Brolgas present in the same and surrounding areas
• Location & timing: Gulf of Carpentaria, late April & late September
• Drs John Grant & Rob Heinsohn, with some funding from Birds Australia

Comments John Grant's personal account of trying to capture and mark a young Sarus Crane for tracking is on the BANQ website, contact by Email.

3 | Sarus history project

• Aim: To explore written and oral history sources including farm diaries, for information on Brolgas and Sarus Cranes on the Atherton Tablelands
• Location & timing: North Queensland, ongoing
• Elinor Scambler and north Queensland residents
• Contact: Elinor Scambler

Comments Birdwatchers, writers and people who remember cranes on the Tablelands including during WW2 are very welcome to contribute, all help will be fully acknowledged.

4 | Sarus Crane Access database & GIS

• Aim: To compile and map all records including unpublished notes, on Sarus Crane locations in north Queensland
• Location & timing: North Queensland, ongoing
• Elinor Scambler
• Contact: Elinor Scambler

Comments Contributions from birdwatchers and others are very welcome, all help will be fully acknowledged.

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Habitat and other related studies

1 | Townsville Town Common Conservation Park wetland restoration

• Aim: To develop grazing and fire techniques for protection and restoration of weed-invaded wetlands in northern Australia.
• Location & timing: Townsville Town Common Conservation Park, ongoing
• CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and QPWS. Funding from NHT via Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Board.
• Partnerships: Pastoralist representatives, Bird Observation and Conservation Australia (Townsville), Australian Airports Corporation, Greening Australia, Townsville City Council, Townsville Enterprise, local indigenous communities, Commonwealth Department of Defence and James Cook University. JCU has PhD and honours students working on the site on projects not within the core project.
• Contact: Dr Tony Grice

Comments Read about the first successful results for controlling Para grass invasion in Ozcranes Conservation.

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↑ Inka Veltheim's PhD project is studying potential wind farm impacts on the threatened Brolga population in SW Victoria. Image: Rob Gray.

↑ Sarus Crane with young, Dry Season, Atherton Tableland (David Stowe)

An ongoing recruitment study is revealing new data for this significant segment of the Australian Sarus Crane population

↑ Modifying farm storages and wetlands for Brolga nest habitat is a focus for major projects in southern Australia (Matt Herring)

↑ The BANQ annual Crane Count 1997-2008 was the first consistent ongoing population survey for the Australian Sarus Crane, with additional data on roost site selection and flock movements (cranesnorth)

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• Knowledge Gaps 1»
• Knowedge Gaps 2»