NATIVEGRASSLANDS

AND THEPLAINS-

WANDERERby David Baker-Gabb

SUMMARY: Lowland native grasslands areamong the most depleted ecosystems insouth-eastern Australia, and contain a dispro-portionately large number of threatened plantspecies. Threatened grassland fauna such asthe Plains-wanderer have suffered a similardecline. Plains-wanderers are permanentresidents in their favoured patches of sparsenative grassland. However, they cannotsurvive where these grasslands are convertedto crops or dense introduced pasture, or areovergrazed by stock.

In the five years since the publication ofthe first RAOU Plains-wanderer Conser-vation Statement in 1993, considerable efforthas been expended in surveying and studyingthe temperate native grasslands of SouthAustralia, Victoria and New South Wales.This work has revealed that the status of thePlains-wanderer is worse than previouslythought. A very significant new threat hasemerged from an expanding rice industry inthe Plains-wanderer’s stronghold, the Riverinaof New South Wales. The situation for Plains-wanderers in Queensland remains unclear,but there is no reason to suspect that it isimproving given the expansion of the cottonindustry and conversion of native grasslandsto introduced pasture there.

On the positive side, recent studies haveprovided refined information on managingnative grasslands to maintain theirbiodiversity, and they provide some cleartargets for urgent conservation action.

High quality native grassland with sparse openstructure, NSW Riverina – typically favoured Plains-wanderer habitat. Photo by Marianne Porteners/ Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney

Female Plains-wanderer. Photo by Tom Wheller

Supplement to Wingspan, vol. 8, no. 1, March 1998

Birds Australia Conservation Statement No. 1

Plains-wanderers’ nesting site: there is a

well-camouflaged nest(inset) in the centre of thepicture. Note the structureof the vegetation and theamount of bare ground in

this sparse native grasslandon a Riverina grazing

property. Plains-wandererscan co-exist with domestic

stock in such paddocks,providing grazing pressure

is not too high. Ifovergrazing occurs during

drought, then Plains-wanderers are eliminated

from such areas.Photos by Tom Wheller

PLAINS-WANDERER BIOLOGY

Population status and distributionThe Plains-wanderer has declined greatly in numbersand distribution since European settlement.6, 7, 8

Areas where the species was formerly common and isnow effectively extinct include south-westernVictoria, south-eastern South Australia and easternNew South Wales.7, 9, 10 Its current stronghold is theRiverina of south-western New South Wales.1, 7 Areasof secondary importance include north-centralVictoria and central-western Queensland.1, 7

A viable Plains-wanderer population is not knownto occur in any reserve. However, the reserve mostlikely to contain a viable population is the 200,000 haAstrebla National Park, about 200 km west ofWindorah, in central-western Queensland. Over 20Plains-wanderers were located in this former section of

24 WINGSPAN / December 1997Birds Australia Conservation Statementii

The many achievements of those working for theconservation of Plains-wanderers over the past fiveyears include four outstanding results:(i) identification of, and the stimulus to purchase,

the last remaining area of significant nativegrassland in north-central Victoria, adjacent toTerrick Terrick State Park;

(ii) provision of an excellent regional conservationplanning tool for south-west New South Walesgrasslands through the identification andmapping of much of the Plains-wandererhabitat there;

(iii) provision of information that assisted in thedecision to purchase Astrebla National Park incentral-western Queensland; and

(iv) a significant increase in awareness of the value ofnative grasslands among land owners, wildlifeagencies, politicians and community groups.

THE DESTRUCTION OF LOWLAND NATIVE GRASSLANDS is not unique to temperate south-eastern Australia. The pampas of Argentina, the prairies of NorthAmerica and the chalk grasslands of Europe have all been drastically altered anddepleted, owing to their suitability for – and sensitivity to – agriculture. As theirhabitats have been changed or lost, threatened grassland fauna such as the Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus have declined as well.

The Plains-wanderer is a small ground-dwelling bird of sparse native grasslands.1

It is an inland shorebird that superficially resembles button-quail (Turnix spp.). Boththe male and female have cryptic plumage, with the female being larger and morebrightly coloured than the male.2 The Plains-wanderer is of great scientific interest,being the sole member of a family of birds found only in south-eastern Australia, thePedionomidae. It may be an ancient member of Australia’s avifauna, and its closestrelatives are seedsnipe (Thinocorus spp.), which are South American inland shorebirds.3, 4

The first RAOU Conservation Statement on Plains-wanderers and nativegrasslands5 was published in 1993. This revised Plan, appearing only five years later,has been necessary because this period has seen the development of significant newfindings and threats to the species.

Davenport Downs Station11 before it was purchasedfor a reserve in 1996. Plains-wanderers have also beenrecorded on the 500,000 ha Diamantina LakesNational Park, immediately to the north of AstreblaNational Park. About 120 Plains-wanderers occur, andsome breed, on the 1400 ha native grasslandpurchased in late 1997 which is adjacent to (and nowpart of) the Terrick Terrick State Park in north-centralVictoria, 60 km north of Bendigo.

Surveys conducted over the past 15 years haveshown that numbers of Plains-wanderers on theRiverine Plain can vary by a factor of 10 (one birdper 2.2–20 km), depending on seasonal conditions,stocking rates and the time of year when the surveywas conducted.12 Suitable habitat comprises about 5 per cent of 37 large grazing properties surveyed inthe Riverina, covering over 0.5 million hectares.12

However, the amount of suitable habitat drops toaround 1–2 per cent in very wet or dry years, whenthe grasslands become too dense or are grazed toobare for Plains-wanderers.

Recent intensive ground surveys indicate thatearlier estimates of 5500 Plains-wanderers in theRiverina1 represent the maximum number afterseveral years of ideal conditions. In very wet or dryyears, when most birds disperse or perish, thenumber in the Riverina could drop below 1000mature individuals. The new IUCN criteria13

determine that the species’ status in New SouthWales is vulnerable, but it will not need to declinemuch further to become endangered there.

Victoria and South Australia contained perhapsthe greatest numbers of Plains-wanderers at the timeof European settlement,7, 14 but nearly all nativegrasslands in these States have been converted todense introduced pasture or croplands. Recentcomprehensive surveys show that the species is nowendangered in both these States.9, 10, 14, 15 There arefewer than 500 Plains-wanderers in north-central

Victoria, with about 25 per cent of these birds onjust one property.14 In south-western Victoria andsouth-eastern South Australia there are no viablepopulations, with the plains south and east of theFlinders Ranges containing just a few birds.10

While there have been no surveys for Plains-wanderers in south-west and central Queensland inthe past decade, past surveys and records areinsufficient for optimism.11 Nevertheless, theserecords indicate that inland Queensland is nowsecond only to the Riverina in importance for theconservation of the Plains-wanderer.

An accurate total estimate of Plains-wanderernumbers is difficult to obtain for the whole ofsouth-eastern Australia. Nevertheless, recent surveysshow that previous estimates, though possiblyaccurate when they were made over a decade ago, arenow too optimistic. Habitat destruction hascontinued apace,9, 10 and the total number of birdsmust be revised down by 30 per cent to a maximumof about 8000 after several good seasons, and aminimum of 2500 in very dry or wet years.

The new IUCN criteria indicate that the Plains-wanderer is currently vulnerable nationally,13 butrecent evidence suggests that it could quicklybecome nationally endangered if appropriate actionis not taken soon, particularly in New South Wales.

Habitat requirementsAreas favoured by Plains-wanderers are hard, red-brown earths with a sparse covering of native herbsand grasses. Such areas contain about 50 per centbare ground, with fallen litter making up a further10 per cent.16, 17 The more robust plants in the floraare generally spaced 10–20 cm apart and rarelyexceed 30 cm in height. The bulk (94 per cent) ofthe vegetation is less than 5 cm, but the smallproportion above this height is important forconcealment from predators.

Male Plains-wanderer.Males are smaller and morecryptically coloured thanfemales, so much so thatthe sexes were originallydescribed by John Gould in1840 as two species. Malesdo most of the incubationand all of the chick-rearing,leaving the female free tofind a second mate.Photo by Tom Wheller

December 1997 / WINGSPAN 25Native Grasslands and the Plains-wanderer iii

Ten species of threatenedplants were found in the

same paddocks as Plains-wanderers duringsurveys at Terrick Terrick,

north-central Victoria,including (from left)

Annual ButtonsLeptorhynchos scabrus

(endangered in Vic.,formerly thought to be

extinct in Vic. and NSW)and Bottle Bluebrush

Maireana excavata(vulnerable in Vic.);

Murray Swainson PeaSwainsona murrayana(nationally vulnerable,

endangered in Vic.); (continued p. v)

In the Riverina, pairs of Plains-wanderersoccupy home ranges averaging 18 ha.1 Several pairsmay be found in favoured ‘habitat islands in a sea ofdenser grasslands’ that extend over 50–600 ha each,comprise on average 5 per cent of surveyedproperties and rarely exceed 15 per cent of any oneproperty.1, 12

The grasslands of the Riverine Plain are theconsequence of grazing by domestic stock andrabbits over the past 150 years.18, 19 The originalplant community was dominated primarily byboree, old man saltbush and bladder saltbush, withgrasses in between. Plains-wanderers werecommonly found in this saltbush habitat in the1800s,20 indicating some resilience and flexibility intheir habitat selection.

Areas containing Plains-wanderers often include

threatened grassland plants as well.14 However, thegrasslands with the most threatened plants oftenoccur on roadsides, rail lines and cemeteries whichhave had little or no grazing. Although vital for theconservation of grassland plants and invertebrates,these small, high quality remnants are usually toosmall to support viable populations of Plains-wanderers.

Plains-wanderers are also occasionally found incereal stubble and some low crops. These are similarin structure to sparse grasslands, but offer Plains-wanderers only a temporary sub-optimal refuge untilthey are cultivated again.

Forced movementsIn areas that are not cultivated, overgrazed or burnt,population turnover is low, with at least some birdsbeing year-round residents. While there is noevidence for migration or nomadism by Plains-wanderers, there is clear evidence for massmovements forced on Plains-wanderer populationsby cultivation and overgrazing.1, 7, 21 Plains-wanderers that are forced to leave do not return.1

They may also leave when unusually heavy winterrains promote dense growth of introduced andnative grasses and weeds in native pasture.12 Bycontrast, heavy summer rains promote the growth ofdifferent species of native grasses which do notbecome too dense for Plains-wanderers.12

DietPlains-wanderers forage during the day for a widevariety of seeds and ground-dwelling insects.22 Grassand saltbush seeds are more important than othertypes of plants or seeds. Beetles, ants, sucking bugsand caterpillars are the most frequently takeninsects. In all seasons, insects comprise about 40 percent of the diet, except in spring when their contri-bution is slightly higher.

BreedingPlains-wanderers’ nests are shallow, grass-lined scrapesin the sparse grasslands where they forage.21 In thesouthern part of their range they lay first clutchesmainly between August and early November, and thensecond clutches in January or later if summer rainsfall.21 In central-western Queensland, Plains-wanderersare known to breed in autumn and early winter.1 Theyhave the ability to recover quickly from low populationlevels following droughts and fires,21 and can breed intheir first year.1, 23 They lay two to five eggs and raisebroods of two to four young to independence.7

In the 16 years since 1981, Plains-wanderersfailed to breed in the Riverina during two droughtyears (1982–83 and 1994), and bred with littlesuccess in three wet years (1990–92).12

Some female Plains-wanderers probably mateserially with two males.1, 2 Males do most of theincubation and all of the brooding and guarding ofchicks, which is unusual among birds. Chicksachieve independence about two months afterhatching. Adults may nest in the same areas inconsecutive years.1

24 WINGSPAN / December 1997Birds Australia Conservation Statementiv

MortalityIt is not known how long Plains-wanderers survivein the wild, but they can live for at least eight yearsin captivity.5 Overgrazing, cultivation, dense pasturegrowth and fires displace large numbers of Plains-wanderers which either die or disperse, for they donot return.1 Some of them may be taken by aerialpredators because they are more vulnerable on bareground.17, 22 Birds of prey, foxes and quail shootersare all known to kill Plains-wanderers occasionally,2, 5, 7

but their impact on Plains-wanderer populations islikely to be small compared with that of habitat change.

Little is known about the impact of pesticidessuch as fenitrothion, which is periodically sprayedfrom the air onto plague locusts at concentrationsthat could kill birds in a large portion of the Plains-wanderer’s range.17, 24, 25

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

The Plains-wanderer and many associated temperategrassland plants and animals have been extirpatedfrom coastal and sub-coastal regions in all four ofthe bird’s range States. The reason for this huge lossof biodiversity is cultivation for crops and denseintroduced pastures across a vast area of practicallyall suitable native grasslands. Cultivation has forcedconservation efforts for the Plains-wanderer toinland grazing areas. Specifically, the focus hasshifted to relatively small areas on the plains near thesouthern Flinders Ranges of South Australia andaround Mitiamo in north-central Victoria, and tomuch larger areas in the Riverina of New SouthWales and central-western Queensland.

But for cultivation, inland populations ofPlains-wanderers should remain relatively stable ongrazing properties, punctuated with declines innumbers coinciding with droughts when severeovergrazing is widespread, or with wet winters whennative pastures can become too dense.

The recent expansion of cultivation, irrigationand the rice industry in the Riverina is a major newthreat. The need for fencing to control grazing palesinto insignificance when compared with the threatof conversion of native pasture to crops. Currentand proposed private and public irrigationdevelopments in the Riverina will bring about asubstantial decline in native grasslands and Plains-wanderers. In New South Wales, the NativeVegetation Conservation Act 1997 requires propertyowners and managers to leave at least 15 per cent oftheir native grasslands intact until such time as anew regional vegetation management plan iswritten. However, cultivating most of the remaining85 per cent will leave many areas of prime Plains-wanderer habitat isolated and exposed to weedinvasion, salinity impacts, and increased populations

of predators such as foxes and birds of prey, whichwill be sustained by higher populations of housemice which feed on grain.

This new threat, coupled with new informationgathered from several surveys and studies over thepast five years, gives rise to a different set ofrecommendations from those listed in the firstRAOU Conservation Statement.5 Moreover, three-quarters of those original recommendations havenow been implemented.

ACTION PLAN

What can private land owners and managers do?

1. Develop a whole farm plan which ensures thathigh conservation areas with Plains-wandererscontinue to be well managed and are notcultivated.These high priority areas have been identified onmany inland properties,10, 12, 14 but not those inQueensland. Areas favoured by Plains-wanderersaveraged 5 per cent of 37 Riverina properties and

(continued from p. iv)and Fragrant Leek-orchidPrasophyllum suaveolens(nationally vulnerable,endangered in Vic.).Incorporation of the new1400 ha reserve on theformer Davies property intothe Terrick Terrick StatePark will hopefully ensurethe conservation of boththe Plains-wanderers andthreatened plants.Photos: (Annual Buttonsand Davies’ paddock)by Paul Foreman/DNRE,others by Phil Ingamells

December 1997 / WINGSPAN 25Native Grasslands and the Plains-wanderer v

Juvenile Plains-wanderer.Chicks remain with the

adult male until they areabout two months old,

by which time they havemoulted into adult

plumage. Plains-wandererscan breed in their first year.

Photo by Len Robinson/Nature Focus

rarely exceeded 15 per cent of any property, so itshould be possible to leave these areas intact.

2. Wherever possible, ensure that areascultivated for crops are 2 km or more fromhigh conservation areas for Plains-wanderers.Grain crops increase house mouse populations,which in turn support higher populations offoxes which prey on ground-dwelling birds suchas Plains-wanderers. The home ranges of foxes infarmland are about 3–7 km2, and most youngdisperse 2 km or less.26

3. Ensure that the small areas that containPlains-wanderers are not overgrazed duringspring and prolonged dry spells.On the Riverine Plain, stocking rates should be kept

low (e.g. one sheep per 3 acres or 1.2 ha) during thePlains-wanderer’s early August to Novemberbreeding season, which coincides with peak nativegrassland flowering. If a dry spell persists, thengrazing pressure should be cut back (e.g. one sheepper 5 acres or 2 ha), particularly during autumn, toensure that some ground cover remains and Plains-wanderers are not forced to leave or perish.

What can government agencies and community groups do?

NEW SOUTH WALES

1. Establish at least one large conservationreserve of 20,000 ha or more in the Riverina,following voluntary sale.Surveys 12, 27 have identified key sites for conser-vation of threatened grassland flora and faunaand the Plains-wanderer in its Australianstronghold. The native grasslands of the RiverinePlain are not adequately represented in thenational reserve system and Federal funds could

assist such a purchase. Recent and proposedwidespread irrigation and cultivation plans havebrought about the need for this new action.

2. Develop negotiated regional plans to ensurethat high quality grasslands are not leftisolated by cultivation.A strong regional plan with landowner partici-pation is a more effective long-term conservationtool than a disjointed approach wherein everylast small area containing Plains-wanderers mustbe saved from cultivation, even if left completelyisolated. Regional plans and whole farm plansmay see the loss of some lesser priority areas forPlains-wanderers, in order to bring about anegotiated long-term conservation agreementwith land owners.

3. Ensure that native grasslands on public lands,such as travelling stock routes, are wellmanaged.Some travelling stock routes containing Plains-wanderers are used as a cheap form of agistmentby local dealers and are periodically severelyovergrazed. Overgrazing of public land shouldcease. Where there is a history of intermittentlight grazing, and threatened plants co-occurwith Plains-wanderers, the safest advice that canbe given about grassland management is tomaintain the status quo.28, 29 In areas that havebeen managed in this way for decades, the nativespecies are probably well adapted to thesemanagement practices. Some small remnants ofpublic land are vital for the conservation ofthreatened grassland plants.

VICTORIA

1. Monitor the structure and composition of anygrasslands where grazing regimes are modified.This action is necessary to ensure that

24 WINGSPAN / December 1997Birds Australia Conservation Statementvi

grasslands do not become too dense for Plains-wanderers and threatened native plants.The new 1400 ha reserve at Terrick Terrick,which contains 25 per cent of the suitable area and number of Plains-wanderers left innorth-central Victoria, as well as at least 10 species of threatened plant, is the most obvious place for monitoring to take place.

2. Continue the grassland extension programsand provide incentives for land owners inVictoria. These effective programs involving land owners,government agencies and community groupsprovide a model for other States.

QUEENSLAND

1. Survey native grasslands in central-westernQueensland for Plains-wanderers and otherthreatened animals and plants.Surveys in most other parts of the Plains-wanderer’s range in the past five years haveprovided information that has proved pivotal to the effective conservation of Plains-wanderers and native grasslands. Astrebla and Diamantina Lakes National Parks in central-western Queensland should be included in these surveys for Plains-wanderers.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

1. Develop heritage agreements with land owners whose properties contain remnant native grasslands and Plains-wanderers.Recent surveys found no viable populations ofPlains-wanderers remaining in this State and somost grassland conservation efforts should centreon other species.

NATIONAL

1. Continue to support financially andpolitically the efforts of private land owners,State agencies and community groups toconserve native grasslands and Plains-wanderers.Federal agencies have been responsible for muchof the financial support that has led to theachievements already described in this Conser-vation Statement.

2. Study the impact of fenitrothion on ground-dwelling animals.This pesticide is periodically sprayed from the air onto plague locusts within a large proportion of the Plains-wanderer’s range at concentrations that could kill birds.

Morundah Station, in theNSW Riverina, recentlyacquired by the RoyalAustralian Navy andtherefore subject toCommonwealthendangered specieslegislation. The discovery of Plains-wanderers on this property, and its classification as a highconservation site forthreatened plants,prompted the RAN to movea planned communicationstower from a high conser-vation to a lowerconservation area. Photo by MariannePorteners/Royal BotanicGardens Sydney

December 1997 / WINGSPAN 25Native Grasslands and the Plains-wanderer vii

Dr David Baker-Gabb is a former Director of, andcurrently Conservation Adviser to, Birds Australia.

AcknowledgementsMany land owners and managers have generously permittedsurveys and studies of Plains-wanderers on their propertiesacross four States over the past decade. Particular thanks aredue to the Nevinson family at the Ranch-Willowgrove and themanagers of Boonoke Station in the Riverina, where intensivestudies and many visits by birdwatchers have taken place. Forthree generations, the Davies family have maintained theirnative grasslands at Terrick Terrick in wonderful condition. Inlate 1997, Dorothy Davies generously sold her 1400 haproperty to have it incorporated into the neighbouring StatePark for future generations of Australians to cherish and enjoy.

Phil Maher and Rick Webster conducted the bulk of the fieldsurveys on which much of this revised Conservation Statementis based. Over the past decade, funding for studies and surveysof Plains-wanderers has been provided by the members of BirdsAustralia, Perpetual Trustees via World Wide Fund for NatureAustralia, the Australian Heritage Commission andEnvironment Australia. My grateful thanks to all of thesepeople and organisations, who have aided the conservation of native grasslands and Plains-wanderers.

References1. Baker-Gabb, D. J., Benshemesh, J. & Maher, P. N. 1990,

‘A revision of the distribution, status and management ofthe Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus’, Emu 90, pp.161-8.

2. Marchant, S. & Higgins, P. J. 1993, Handbook ofAustralian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, vol. II, Raptorsto Lapwings, OUP, Melbourne.

3. Olson, S. L. & Steadman, D. W. 1981, ‘The relationshipsof the Pedionomidae (Aves: Charadriiformes)’, SmithsonianContr. Zool. 337, pp. 1–25.

4. Sibley, G. C., Ahlquist, J. E. & Monroe, J. R. 1988, ‘Aclassification of the living birds of the world based onDNA-DNA hybridisation studies’, Auk 105, pp. 409–23.

5. Baker-Gabb, D. J. 1993, ‘Managing grasslands to maintainbiodiversity and conserve the Plains-wanderer’, RAOUConservation Statement no. 8, Wingspan 10. 8 pp.

6 Llewellyn, L. C. 1975, ‘Recent observations of the Plains-wanderer with a review of its past and present status’, Emu75, pp. 137–42.

7. Bennett, S. 1983, ‘A review of the distribution, status andbiology of the Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatusGould’, Emu 83, pp. 1–11.

8. Blakers, M., Davies, S. J. J. F. & Reilly, P. N. 1984, TheAtlas of Australian Birds, MUP, Melbourne.

9. Webster, R. 1996a, Survey and conservation of the Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus on the Western Plains ofVictoria, Unpublished report to RAOU, Melbourne. 14pp, 11 maps.

10. Webster, R. 1996b, Survey and conservation of the Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus in south-east SouthAustralia, Unpublished report to RAOU, Melbourne. 18pp, 13 maps.

11. Baker-Gabb, D. J. 1990, ‘An annotated list of records ofPlains-wanderers Pedionomus torquatus, 1980–89’, Aust.Bird Watcher 13, pp. 249–52.

12. Maher, P. N. 1997, Survey of Plains-wanderers Pedionomustorquatus and native grasslands on the Riverine Plain, NewSouth Wales, Unpublished report to Birds Australia,Melbourne. 62 pp, 15 maps.

13. Garnett, S. 1993, Threatened and Extinct Birds of Australia,RAOU Report no. 82, ANPWS & RAOU, Melbourne.

14. Maher, P. N. & Baker-Gabb, D. J. 1993, Surveys andConservation of the Plains-wanderer in Northern Victoria,ARI Tech. Report no. 132, DCNR, Melbourne.

15. Beardsell, C. 1990, Sites of faunal significance in thewestern region of Melbourne, Unpublished report toDCNR, Melbourne. 261 pp.

16. Baker-Gabb, D. J. 1990, The Biology and Management ofthe Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus in New SouthWales, NSW NPWS Species Management Report no. 3,NSW NPWS, Sydney.

17. Baker-Gabb, D. J. 1987, The Conservation andManagement of the Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus,World Wildlife FundReport no.49,WWF, Sydney. 140 pp.

18. Moore, C. W. E. 1953a, ‘The vegetation of the south-eastern Riverina, New South Wales. I: The climaxcommunities’, Aust. J. Bot. 1, pp. 485–547.

19. Moore, C. W. E. 1953b, ‘The vegetation of the south-eastern Riverina, New South Wales. II: The disclimaxcommunities’, Aust. J. Bot. 1, pp. 548–67.

20. North, A. J. 1913, Nests and Eggs of Birds Found Breeding inAustralia and Tasmania, Australian Museum, Sydney.

21. Harrington, G. N., Maher, P. N. & Baker-Gabb, D. J.1988, ‘The biology of the Plains-wanderer Pedionomustorquatus on the Riverine Plain of New South Wales duringand after drought’, Corella 12, pp. 7–13.

22. Baker-Gabb, D. J. 1988, ‘The diet and foraging behaviourof the Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus’, Emu 88, pp.115–18.

23. Ridley, E. 1986, ‘Plains-wanderer Project Report 1985’,Bird Keeping Aust. 29, pp. 115–18.

24. Symmons, P. 1985, ‘Locusts, the plague of ‘84’, Aust. Nat.Hist. 21, pp. 327–30.

25. Pearce, P. A. 1971, Side effects of forest spraying in NewBrunswick, Trans. 36th North American Wildl. Conf., pp.163–70.

26. Coman, B. J., Robinson, J. & Beaumont, C. 1991, ‘Homerange, dispersal and density of Red Foxes Vulpes vulpes incentral Victoria’, Wildl. Res. 18, pp. 215–23.

27. Benson, J. S., Ashby, E. M. & Porteners, M. F. 1996, Thenative grasslands of the southern Riverina, New SouthWales, Unpublished report to ANCA, Canberra. 76 pp.

28. Scarlett, N. H., Wallbrink, S. J. & McDougall, K. 1992, AFieldGuide toVictoria’s NativeGrasslands,NationalTrust, Vic.

29. Deiz, S. & Foreman, P. 1996. Practical Guidelines for theManagement of Native Grasslands on the Riverine Plain ofSouth-east Australia, DNRE, Bendigo.

24 WINGSPAN / December 1997Native Grasslands and the Plains-wandererviii

CONSERVATION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE

A.C.N. 004 076 475415 Riversdale Road, Hawthorn East, Vic. 3123Tel: (03) 9882 2622; Fax: (03) 9882 2677Email: raou@raou.com.auBirdsAustraliaHomePage: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~birdsaus

Founded in 1901, Birds Australia (Royal AustralasianOrnithologists Union) is Australia’s oldest nationalconservation organisation, dedicated to the study andconservation of native birds and their habitat. New membersare welcome.

Birds Australia Conservation Statements provide informationabout issues relating to the conservation of Australasian birdsand their habitat, and suggest solutions to problems.

Production of this Conservation Statement was funded byEnvironment Australia, and Goolgumbla and OolambeyanMerino Studs. The views expressed in this ConservationStatement are the author’s, not necessarily those of theseorganisations.

Published with the assistance of Bushcare – a program of theCommonwealth Government’s Natural Heritage Trust.

Goolgumbla Merino Stud, Tel: (03) 5886 7124

Oolambeyan Poll Merino Stud, Tel (02) 6993 5804

Wingspan is the quarterly membership magazine of Birds Australia. Additional copies of this Conservation Statement

are available from the National Office.

Printed on recycled paper.

Recent studies have provided refined information on managingnative grasslands to maintain their biodiversity.Photo by Vanessa Craigie/DNRE