How a bird in the hand inspired a researcher’s quest to protect wetland species

The first bird Birgita Hansen held - a tiny red-capped plover - had a profound impact on her life. 

“It was the most magnificent creature in the hand,” she recalls. “And I thought, ‘This is amazing!’ From there, I developed a connection to shorebirds and found them fascinating.”

A Senior Research Fellow at Federation University’s Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation, Dr Hansen’s childhood love of animals and study of zoology led to a passion for protecting shorebirds and their wetland habitat.

As leader of the Latham’s Snipe Project, Dr Hansen has connected with an Australian volunteer network and specialists overseas to gather data essential to the survival of this secretive migratory species. And it is much needed – the Latham’s snipe was recently listed as Vulnerable by the Australian Government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

A target for hunters until it was banned in the 1980s, Latham’s Snipe breeds in Japan and eastern Russia, before undertaking a long flight to Australia for summer. Well-camouflaged and less visible than other shorebirds, Dr Hansen describes the species as “cryptic”.

After giving expert scientific evidence to a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing in 2014, about a housing development proposed for wetlands habitat, she knew more data was vital to protect the species and its fragile habitat for the future.

So, she co-designed the Latham’s Snipe Project in collaboration with enthusiastic volunteers from the South Beach Wetlands and Landcare Group in Port Fairy. Since then, hundreds of people have participated in the data-gathering efforts, including private landholders with snipe on their properties.

“Volunteers keep the project going,” she says. “They help me catch birds and collect survey data: they’re critical to our success.”

The project harnesses new technologies, like affordable Bluetooth GPS tracking, as well as more traditional capture-based research.

With Japanese scientists doing their own snipe study, Dr Hansen’s team has travelled to work with them, supported by an Australia-Japan Foundation grant. They’ve forged a productive relationship with the Wild Bird Society of Japan and local scientists as well.

Australian National University (ANU) PhD student Lori Gould is part of the project ecosystem. An environmental consultant, her work with snipe at Canberra’s Jerrabomberra Wetlands led to a scholarship to join Dr Hansen’s project, establishing a valuable collaboration between ANU and Federation University.

“The people side of this project is where I get the most satisfaction,” says Lori. “I've just had a paper accepted for publication, which is cool, but it didn't give me as much joy as working with these amazing volunteers who give so much.”

 

Looking to further your research career in avian conservation? Contact Birgita Hansen via b.hansen@federation.edu.au to discuss your research project and supervision opportunities.