RIEL seminar series
The habitat requirements and potential threats of the endangered Alligator Rivers Yellow Chat Epthianura rocea tunneyi
| Presenter | Robin Leppitt | |
|---|---|---|
| Date/Time |
to
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| Contact person |
RIEL outreach
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| Location | Yellow 1.1.39 and Zoom | |
| Open to | Public | |
When I began this PhD way back in 2016, we knew that the Alligator Rivers Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea tunneyi was rare, with a couple of dedicated surveys failing to find many birds and incidental sightings all but drying up. The chat had been classified as endangered in 2006 due to low population and small area of occupancy, but there was precious little hard data on the population size, major threats, and habitat associations. 5 years later, the PhD has been submitted and we know a little more about chats and how we might conserve them, with plenty more still to discover.
This seminar will present my PhD, which was moderately successful in improving our knowledge of the Alligator Rivers Yellow Chat. It will take an in-depth look at the four data chapters (on chat habitat, chat genetics, floodplain fire, and floodplain bird communities), and also detail some of the problems and failures that come with studying rare and elusive animals in challenging environments.
Robin Leppitt is PhD candidate at Charles Darwin University studying the conservation ecology of the Alligator Rivers Yellow Chat. Originally from Melbourne, Robin has a keen interest in the conservation of Australia’s birds and their habitats. On the cusp of completing his PhD, he is beginning a career in science communication, hoping to get as many people as possible passionate about the natural world and it’s ongoing prosperity.
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