Volunteer birdwatchers will be able to help scientists better understand how birds use Tasmania’s saltmarsh wetlands thanks to a new app being launched on World Wetlands Day this Saturday (30 January 2016).
The app, called Saltmarsh App, will help scientists gather vital data on the population and distribution of birds across Tasmania’s saltmarsh wetlands.
App developer and University of Tasmania Lecturer Vishnu Prahalad says the information collected by volunteers will be fed into an online database and used as a valuable source of scientific data for ornithological research.
“Saltmarsh wetlands have traditionally been seen as places to fill-in for coastal land development and as a result many saltmarsh habitats have been lost,” Mr Prahalad said.
“It is now known that temperate coastal saltmarsh wetlands play the same vital role that mangroves do in providing a protective nursery for juvenile fish, helping filter water and providing important habitat, food and shelter for native bird populations.”
A preliminary assessment, by Mr Prahalad, his University colleagues and BirdLife Tasmania’s Eric Woehler, found that 113 bird species use Tasmania’s coastal saltmarsh wetlands, with local saltmarshes providing vital habitat for 33 species.
“Our bird inventory and preliminary work is a start, but it is limited and we need more information on habitat specifics – what birds are using what areas,” he said.
“Some birds require tidal flats or seagrass for sourcing food, while other use low marshes or swamp areas for nesting or escaping predators.
“It is not only waterbirds that use saltmarshes. Saltmarshes are used by the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot and birds of prey such as harriers and kestrels.
“There is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the reliance of birds on saltmarshes and to monitor their use to be able to detect any signs of change.”
The app features 36 coloured illustrations of birds by Tasmanian artist Rachel Tribout.
Mr Prahalad and Ms Tribout have also produced a poster featuring the Tasmanian saltmarsh wetland birds and survey checklists for those who prefer using paper and pen.
The app will be officially launched by University of Tasmania’s Distinguished Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick as part of the Clarence and Sorell councils’ World Wetlands Day Celebration at Cambridge, 11am-4pm on Saturday, 30 January 2016. For more details see the event webpage, here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/world-wetlands-day-celebration-tickets-20085491245
UTAS Media Office
