ABC Open Great Southern WA
Conserving the Malleefowl by Vicky Bilney
Malleefowl are an endangered species, and are only found in arid and semi-arid parts of Australia. They are very well camouflaged large, brown, grey and white birds.
Malleefowl are part of the family of mound nest building birds. They don't build nests and sit on their eggs like other birds, but build huge mounds of leaf litter and dirt instead. The decomposing leaf litter incubates their eggs.
Malleefowl parents spend 11 months of the year looking after their mounds. Once the chicks are hatched, however, they receive no parental care at all.
Chick survival rates in the wild are about one to two per cent, as many chicks get eaten by predators or starve to death.
Captive-raising Malleefowl is a part of Yongergnow Australian Malleefowl Centre's contribution to the conservation of this magnificent species.
We collect eggs in the wild and incubate them, then raise the chicks on site and release them in a predator-controlled environment that provides good food supplies and nesting opportunities.
The photo shows some of our Yongergnow staff and volunteers releasing captive-raised Malleefowl in a local nature reserve near Ongerup earlier this month.
After raising birds for Wadderin Sanctuary near Narembeen and for Badja Station near Yalgoo, the release of our last two captive-raised Malleefowl near Ongerup was a very special milestone for us.
We were bringing the birds home into Ongerup bush, and so for me this photo symbolises the conclusion of a very successful project.
Conserving the Malleefowl by Vicky Bilney
Malleefowl are an endangered species, and are only found in arid and semi-arid parts of Australia. They are very well camouflaged large, brown, grey and white birds.
Malleefowl are part of the family of mound nest building birds. They don't build nests and sit on their eggs like other birds, but build huge mounds of leaf litter and dirt instead. The decomposing leaf litter incubates their eggs.
Malleefowl parents spend 11 months of the year looking after their mounds. Once the chicks are hatched, however, they receive no parental care at all.
Chick survival rates in the wild are about one to two per cent, as many chicks get eaten by predators or starve to death.
Captive-raising Malleefowl is a part of Yongergnow Australian Malleefowl Centre's contribution to the conservation of this magnificent species.
We collect eggs in the wild and incubate them, then raise the chicks on site and release them in a predator-controlled environment that provides good food supplies and nesting opportunities.
The photo shows some of our Yongergnow staff and volunteers releasing captive-raised Malleefowl in a local nature reserve near Ongerup earlier this month.
After raising birds for Wadderin Sanctuary near Narembeen and for Badja Station near Yalgoo, the release of our last two captive-raised Malleefowl near Ongerup was a very special milestone for us.
We were bringing the birds home into Ongerup bush, and so for me this photo symbolises the conclusion of a very successful project.