The 10th Australasian Ornithological Conference (AOC) will be held in Darwin, Northern Territory from 3-5th July 2019. The AOC is the primary conference for BirdLife Australia and Birds NZ, and is the largest biennial gathering of enthusiastic amateur and professional ornithologists from Australia and overseas. BirdLife Australia Raptor Group is pleased to announce that the AOC will feature a raptor symposium, showcasing some of the raptor research projects being undertaken across the country.
Find out more about the conference at https://www.aocdarwin.com
Registration to attend the conference at https://www.aocdarwin.com/registration
Raptor Symposium
The recent case of senseless Wedge-tailed Eagle poisoning in Victoria has showcased the lack of understanding of raptor ecology in sections of the community and the need for greater awareness and appreciation for these magnificent predators and the role they play in our ecosystems. Current research on Australasian raptors covers a diverse array of topics, including movement and dispersion patterns, secondary rodenticide poisoning and the impact of diseases to competitor carnivore species on raptor populations.
As the apex predators of the avian world birds of prey are important indicators of the relative health of our ecosystems. Raptors are good gauges of habitat quality due to their sensitivity to human disturbance and environmental contamination. Declines in raptor populations can be a preliminary sign of a dysfunctional ecosystem. The more we know about raptor ecology and populations, the more we know about the nature of the ecosystems they inhabit.
This symposium aims to exhibit some of the latest raptor research being undertaken in Australasian. From Red Goshawks in the Cape York, to Wedge-tailed Eagles in Western Australia and Tasmania, Peregrine Falcons in Victoria, coastal raptors of Queensland and Southern Boobook Owls in Western Australia, the latest research is revealing new insights into the ecology of raptors and the relative health of the ecosystems they occupy.
BirdLife Australia Raptor Group 