The ACT government has reached out to the community for help in developing an action plan to save the vulnerable Scarlet Robin from extinction.
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"The Scarlet Robin is an iconic, well-known bird familiar to many Canberrans, but is at risk of extinction in the region in the next 25 to 50 years unless we take action now," the ACT Conservator for Flora and Fauna, Dr Annie Lane, said.
The Environment and Planning Directorate has developed a draft action plan that is available for community comment, in the hopes of securing the bird's long-term future in the ACT.
In 2015, Minister for the Environment Simon Corbell formally declared the species as vulnerable in the ACT, based on advice from the ACT scientific committee.
"The decision was based on a serious long-term population decline informed by historic and current records and research," Dr Lane said.
"The main threat to the Scarlet Robin is the loss of its open forest and woodland foraging and breeding habitat and habitat degradation. It is also threatened by nest predation, including by the Pied Currawong, whose population has increased significantly in eastern Australia in urban and peri-urban areas."
Dr Lane said it was important to increase community awareness of the need to protect the species in its habitat in the ACT and support community-based conservation action.
"The priority is to arrest the population decline and maintain a viable, stable, wild breeding population as a component of the indigenous biodiversity of the ACT and region.
"The action plan aims to identify and protect breeding and foraging habitat critical to the birds' survival and manage that habitat to reduce the threats.
"It promotes the survey, monitoring and research of the species to better understand its ecology and conservation, and to co-operate with other state and local government agencies to formulate and implement conservation measures."
The draft action plan reflects the Scarlet Robin's scientific name change from Petroica multicolor to Petroica boodang based on a recent molecular study of the species and a revision of the taxonomy of Australian passerine bird species, the directorate said.
Consultation on the action plan is open until May 18 at www.timetotalk.act.gov.au . For more information visit www.environment.act.gov.au
