New hopes as endangered birds, yellow-footed rock-wallaby joey defy the dry conditions in South Australian parks

The discovery of endangered wildlife in our parks amid drought conditions has reinvigorated SA conservation groups.

• These six people turned their homes into animal sanctuaries
• Penguin cameras to address threatening behaviour at Granite Island
• Kangaroo Island port plan shows whales face hearing damage
• $100k donation to bring vulnerable frog back to Lower Murray

Conservation group Bush Heritage had two reasons to celebrate this month — finding some of Australia’s most endangered birds, and a yellow-footed rock-wallaby joey settling into one of its SA parks.

The wallaby is the first joey the non-profit group has spotted in Boolcoomatta Reserve since it took over the former sheep grazing station about a decade ago.

Arid rangelands ecologist Graeme Finlayson said cameras had picked up wallabies at various times before this month’s sighting — but never with pouched young.

“They come out and sit on the rocks when the sun is shining,” Dr Finlayson said.

“But we’ve never seen one with a head peaking out of her pouch.”

The state Government-managed Bimbowrie Conservation Park, adjacent to Boolcoomatta in the state’s east, featured “fantastic rock wallaby habitat”.

“I suspect we’ll get animals moving through when the conditions are good, and it helps them disperse across the landscape,” Dr Finlayson said.

Bush Heritage staff have seen three rare plains wanderers at Boolcoomatta Reserve, in SA’s east. Picture: Andrea Tschirner

While out in the field, he also this month caught a glimpse of three plains wanderers — one of Australia’s bird species most likely to go extinct over the next 20 years.

Bush Heritage has installed hi-tech song meters across the 63,000ha reserve, which is about 100km from Broken Hill, in an effort to learn more about the birds.

The females call to attract males when they are ready to mate.

A yellow-footed rock-wallaby with her joey at Boolcoomatta Reserve. Picture: Tony Geyer

Dr Finlayson said the discovery that Boolcoomatta was home to the wallaby joey and the sighting of the three plains wanderers, was a sign of the species persevering amid tough conditions brought by the drought.

“It was really exciting to find them with the conditions we’ve been having,” he said.

“I’ve had the song meters out there for six months now, and haven’t detected a plains wanderer calling on them — it’s not a great surprise given the conditions.”

However, Dr Finlayson still held hope rain would encourage the females’ breeding instincts to kick in soon.

Ecologist Graeme Finlayson at Boolcoomatta Reserve. Picture: Tamara Potter

Plains wanderers have been threatened by habitat clearance and introduced predators such as cats and foxes.

“They’re really difficult to see during the day and tend to be surveyed at night using spotlighting,” Dr Finlayson said.

The last plains wanderer sighting on the reserve was in February 2018.

There are now thought to be less than 1000 left in Australia.

“They blend into the surrounding vegetation and they’re about 12-15cm,” Dr Finlayson said.

“Both males and females have these really bright yellow legs and look a bit like a wader.

“The females have a rufous reddish breast patch.”

Bush Heritage buys and manages land across the country, aiming to return Australia’s bush to good health.

[e-mail]