Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 1
Typical brolga
Grus rubicunda
nest(Photograph©2012EcologyandHeritagePartners)
NewGuinea(delHoyoetal.
1996
). A small population occurs in southern Australia,
and these individuals may be reproductively isolated from the northern population
(Arnol et al.
1984
). Individuals are almost unmistakable in the field: males can
reach 1.4 m in height and weigh up to 8.7 kg, while females are slightly smaller with
maximum a height of 1.1 m and weight of 7.3 kg (Marchant and Higgins
1993
).
Pairs are monogamous and breed solitarily in defended territories, with nests
typically comprising of grasses, sedges and other vegetation that forms a raised
mound in shallow areas of wetlands with extensive native marshy or fringing veg-
etation(Fig.
1
, Marchant and Higgins
1993
).
In Victoria the brolga is listed as threatened under the
Flora and Fauna Guarantee
Act 1988
and is listed on the
Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in
Victoria - 2013
(DSE
2013
). The Victorian population is estimated at 600-650
individuals(DSE
2012
), and major threats to the population include the modifica-
tion and drainage of wetlands and potentially suitable breeding habitat, increased
disturbanceanddecreasedfecundity(DSE
2003
,
2012
).
Brolgas have been recorded colliding with transmission lines (White
1987
;
GoldstrawandDuGuesclin
1991
), and may also collide with other artificial fea-
tures, and there has been increasing concern about the potential effects of wind
farms on brolga populations.
