Plains-wanderer Conservation

The plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) is a continuing focus in the Murray and Riverina regions. We are working with private land managers and Threatened Species experts from NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to deliver integrated on-ground works which improve habitat conditions through grazing management initiatives and targeted pest control. These activities facilitate the release of captive-bred plains-wanderer chicks into the project area.

There is estimated to be only around 300 birds remaining in NSW and less than 1,000 in Australia, earning the listing of Critically Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999.

The plains-wanderer (Pedionomous torquatus) is a small, ground-dwelling, quail-like bird that inhabits semi-arid, lowland native grasslands.

Plains-wanderers require specific habitat conditions. An open grassland structure allows birds to move about easily, find seeds and insects to eat, and detect and slip away from predators like foxes. Plains-wanderers will disappear from habitat that becomes too sparse or too dense.

We are:

• supporting landholders to improve grassland grazing management practices and monitor the condition of grassland habitat for plains-wanderer conservation
• undertaking monthly ongoing fox control at the landscape scale
• undertaking targeted boxthorn control within, and immediately surrounding, areas of primary plains-wanderer habitat
• building community support for plains-wanderer conservation
• enabling captive-bred chicks to be released onto actively managed habitat areas on private property.

This work also facilitates State investments in other priority species, such as the black falcon, and threatened ecological communities (TECs), such as the Weeping Myall and Sandhill Pine communities, to support the rangelands in adapting to the changing climate.

This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by Local Land Services, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.

More details about the project will be coming soon. In the meantime, you can read about our earlier work to preserve this species.

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Image by David Parker