Eaten out of house and home: Local extinction of Abrolhos painted button-quail Turnix varius scintillans due to invasive mice, herbivores and rainfall decline

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Biological Invasions

Publisher

Springer

School

School of Science

RAS ID

54143

Funders

Edith Cowan University (R. Carter)

Comments

Carter, R. S., Lohr, C. A., Burbidge, A. H., van Dongen, R., Chapman, J., & Davis, R. A. (2023). Eaten out of house and home: Local extinction of Abrolhos painted button-quail Turnix varius scintillans due to invasive mice, herbivores and rainfall decline. Biological Invasions, 25, 1119-1132.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02966-5

Abstract

Island avifauna suffer high rates of extinction and decline. North Island in the Houtman Abrolhos Archipelago, Western Australia, supports one of three populations of the Abrolhos Painted Button-quail (Turnix varius scintillans), a subspecies determined to be the 5th most likely taxon to become extinct in Australia. T. v. scintillans were last recorded on North Island in 2006. Vegetation declines on North Island due to introduced tammar wallabies (Notamacropus eugenii derbianus) and predation by introduced house mice (Mus musculus) are implicated as major threats. Between 2018 and 2021, 12,820 camera trap-nights on North Island failed to detect any signs of T. v. scintillans, suggesting local extinction. We deployed rodent chew cards at each camera site and analysed rainfall and vegetation cover data to identify potential causes of decline. Vegetation cover change was related to tammar wallaby density and was highly correlated with rainfall (r2 = 0.75). At the time of the last button-quail sighting in 2006, tammar wallaby numbers were at their peak, and annual rainfall was near its lowest level. Introduced tammar wallabies and house mice in tandem with reduced rainfall have likely resulted in degradation of habitat critical for T. v. scintillans, which is now confined to just two islands. Preventing further introductions of mice, rats and feral cats is a high priority for limiting further declines of this subspecies.

DOI

10.1007/s10530-022-02966-5

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