Nature Foundation was recently awarded a grant by Wettenhall Environmental Trust for a project to be carried out at Witchelina Nature Reserve investigating heatwave refugia for native birds.

Many bird species suffer tremendously during mega-heatwaves in the arid zone. Such heatwaves are predicted to become much more severe in future, increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change. During such events, birds will aim to find somewhere to shelter with shade and preferably water. For example, during a heatwave in 2019, over 1000 small birds sheltered at a motel at Roxby Downs, despite the close proximity to people. Birds can die en-masse without access to such sites. The rocky habitats in the north of Witchelina might provide such refugia and could thus be critical to the survival of native bird species in future climate scenarios. Understanding the importance of these sites will promote evidence-based conservation management decisions that ensure positive outcomes for biodiversity. 

The project will involve identifying heatwave refugia used by different species of birds (e.g. dams, caves, dense shrub thickets, rabbit warrens etc) using remote cameras paired with temperature loggers. When key thermal refuges have been identified their availability will be mapped across the whole reserve. Artificial thermal refugia will also be built at selected sites to assess their success at providing shelter for native birds, relative to natural refugia. 

Funding from Wettenhall Environmental Trust will enable the collection of critical information that will guide future conservation management actions at Witchelina Nature Reserve. It will assist in the development of plans to mitigate short- and medium-term climate challenges for native bird species, particularly those found to be critically at-risk, and facilitate targeted actions to preserve and restore areas identified as thermal refugia. Successfully developed artificial refugia will be deployed across other arid-zone reserves in the Nature Foundation portfolio, further enhancing conservation outcomes for native bird species. These results will promote further research into the impacts of heatwaves on native birds that will reduce the consequences of future events.