Australians are being urged to listen to cues from birds about when local environments might be in peril.
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The increasing divide between thriving species and those dwindling is growing and the window of opportunity to close the gap is shrinking.
A recent survey along the Tasmanian coastline led by ecologist Eric Woehler and a group of volunteers found three species of resourceful gulls are on the rise, which would normally be great news.
But the Apple Isle is also home to the top three most threatened bird species in Australia.
The answer to why some species thrive and some don't can be found in the opportunities provided by their environment.
"It's like the story of the kangaroos in Australia," Dr Woehler told AAP.
"The farmers cleared the land and there's water for their stock and there's short grass for the sheep and cattle, but they're perfect conditions for the kangaroos as well.
"So the animals will respond if you give them half a chance."
Supplementary feeding for gulls has been available from Tasmanian fish farms, as well as other favourable conditions less readily available to threatened species falling victims to development and land clearing.
"The reason we've got so many species on the brink of extinction is because we keep chopping down and clearing the habitat," Dr Woehler said.
Tasmania's King Island Brown Thornbill, Orange-bellied Parrot and King Island Scrubtit all have a more than 80 per cent chance of facing extinction in the next 20 years, according to the government's National Environmental Science Program.
But the Birdlife Australia veteran says the way forward is to listen to our birds in the same way miners did when they used canaries to indicate danger in hazardous mining environments.
"Woodland birds tell us about the state of the woodland habitat, shorebirds and seabirds tell us what's going on in the marine and coastal environment," Dr Woehler said.
"Water birds tell us what's going on in wetlands and rivers.
"Nature is giving us a very clear signal that we're not managing the planet very well."
Research by the Threatened Species Index in partnership with Birdlife Australia in 2023 showed that different avian species in Australia had declined by 60 per cent since 1985.
Dr Woehler, who received an Order of Australia award for his services to bird ecology, says the loss of native birds will create a tragic imbalance in the Australian ecosystem.
"We want to make sure that it doesn't get to the point where it's just so extreme that the whole landscape is just ravens and gulls, and everything else has disappeared along the way," he said.
"That would be a very sad future for Australia.
"We need to manage the land better, which means protecting remaining habitat."
Australian Associated Press
