REPORT ON BANDING SURVEY OF THE BIRDS OF THE ILUKA NATURE RESERVE  BANDING STATION (8524)

GREG. P. CLANCY

OBJECTIVES: To gather information on the movements, demography and morphology of the birds of the Iluka Nature Reserve, the largest remnant of Littoral Rainforest remaining in New South Wales.  This information is continuing to be collected with two visits being made during the 2001/2002 year.  The project was started in December 1960 and to date 3,900 birds of 58 species have been banded, with 1,257 retraps.  The site is one of the most important banding locations in New South Wales for the Regent Bowerbird with 236 being banded here.  Of these 36 have been retrapped once, 6 retrapped twice and 5 retrapped more than twice.  Other significant species banded at the site include the Spectacled Monarch, Varied Triller and Little Shrike-thrush.  In addition, 1 479 Lewin's Honeyeaters have been banded at Iluka, providing a large bank of morphological data on this species (see Smedley 1977).  A few species have been banded at sites outside of the Nature Reserve.

METHODS: Virtually all birds banded at the site were caught in mist nets.  The exceptions were 2 runner Masked Lapwings, a Black-shouldered Kite caught with a Bal Chatri, a Tawny Frogmouth caught in a hand net, and a Brahminy Kite and a Crested Tern both caught with a snare on a fish bait.  No colour marking has been used at this site and a large number (36) of individual banders has contributed to the information collected. Details of all birds banded have been entered on individual cards.

DISCUSSION:  The long-term nature of this study has allowed important information such as longevity records and morphological data to be amassed.  The occurrence at this site of species relatively rare in New South Wales (Regent Bowerbird, Varied Triller, Spectacled Monarch etc.) makes it an important study site.  The data collected at this site has provided information towards two important morphological papers (see Disney and Lane 1971 and Smedley 1977).  There is scope for further assessment of these, and other, species with respect to their morphology.  The fact that the data exists on a card system makes its extraction an easier task than if all of the records were scattered.  Andrew Ley is currently analysing the morphometric data for the 500 Eastern Yellow Robins banded at the site.

Despite the infrequent rate of visitation the percentage of retraps is high.  19.5% of all Regent Bowerbirds banded at Iluka have been retrapped at least once.  Apart from an attempt to visit the site more frequently there are no changes proposed to the methodology.  A published summary of the banding at Iluka would be of value if banders who have contributed to the survey, or other banders, are available to help compile it. An overview of banding in the rainforest was presented at the ABSA/BA Conference at Nymboida in April 2002 and this will be published in the proceedings.

PUBLICATIONS

Clancy, G.P. (in prep.). A comparison of forest bird communities in dry
forest/woodland and littoral rainforest in the Clarence River valley, New South Wales North Coast. Proceedings of ABSA/BA Conference , Nymboida April 2002.
Disney, H.J. de S. and S.G. Lane (1971). Moult, Plumage and Banding of the Regent Bowerbird.  Aust. Bird Bander 9:11-13.
Smedley, D.I. (1977). Sexing of Lewin's Honeyeaters. Corella 1: 34.

In addition a number of retrap records have been published in Recovery Round-up in the Australian Bird Bander and Corella.