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Attacks on humans by Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) cause a significant human–wildlife conflict in suburban environments throughout Australia. Community opposition to lethal control methods generally has, in part, led to an increase in the use of translocation as an alternative. We assessed the effectiveness and implications of using this approach in the management of aggressive magpie in south-eastern Queensland during 1999 and 2000. A total of 968 (1999) and 707 (2000) magpies were reported by the public, of which 39–45% were able to be investigated by a two-person team working three days per week. A total of 141 magpies were translocated, 31.7% of all birds investigated. Of these, only five (3.5%) returned to the place of capture, and 22 (15.6%) were resighted elsewhere; there was no evidence of 'homing'. Only three translocated birds were subsequently reported as being aggressive towards humans. While extremely effective in reducing the conflict locally, we caution against the indiscriminate use of this method, and suggest that it be seen as one of many options available to wildlife managers.

Behaviour of free-ranging megapode hatchlings is best studied by
radio-tracking because these superprecocial birds receive no parental care and
therefore cannot be followed by the tracking of their parents. In preparation
for a study of the behaviour of free-ranging Australian brush-turkey
(Alectura lathami) chicks, we investigated methods of
transmitter attachment and assessed possible effects on the behaviour and
condition of captive hatchlings. We attached transmitters to
2–10-day-old chicks by gluing the tag to the skin on the back with
eyelash-glue. Rapid-setting glues (such as Superglue), often used for gluing
transmitters to other birds, were found to damage the skin and were not used.
Retention of transmitters was 3–4 weeks. We detected no difference in
the time spent preening, feeding, resting and moving between captive
radio-tagged chicks and a control group. Flight of tagged chicks was not
hindered by the radio-package and tagged chicks gained mass at the same rate
as the control group. Free-ranging chicks with radio-tags showed no obvious
signs of a negative effect of the transmitters on behaviour: they flew without
obvious impediment, walked more than 100 m per day and, except for a single
chick, did not become entangled in vegetation. We recommend our attachment
method for studies of precocial and superprecocial chicks where transmitter
attachment is deemed essential.

The impact of roads on local biodiversity is a major issue associated with urbanisation. A major arterial road in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, south-east Queensland, was upgraded in 2004–05 from two to four lanes. In an attempt to minimise the impact of the larger road on local wildlife populations, a range of fauna crossing structures were constructed at the site. Monitoring of road-kill was undertaken for 4 months before construction and after the completion of construction. Assessment of the use of two underpasses and a large overpass ('land-bridge') started 6 months after construction using sand tracking in underpasses and scat sampling on the land-bridge. An initial 26-week period of intensive monitoring was undertaken from August 2005 to February 2006 followed by monthly monitoring from June 2006 to June 2007. On average, 1–5 tracks per day were detected in the underpasses at the start of the survey, increasing steadily to ~42 tracks per day by February 2006. The monthly survey showed regular use of the underpasses by a wide range of species and species-groups, the most abundant being 'rodents', most likely Rattus species, both native and introduced. The land-bridge was also used continuously by three species of macropod (red-necked wallaby, Macropus rufogriseus; swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor; and eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus) with brown hare (Lepus capensis) becoming increasingly common in summer 2006. The exclusion fencing was extremely effective in preventing most road-kill, at least of larger species, except following human-related breaches in the fence.

Within the expanding city of Brisbane in south-east Queensland, numerous fragments of native and regrowth vegetation are scattered across the largely urbanised landscape. These fragments provide refuge to a great diversity of native wildlife, and provide residents with the opportunity to experience nature on their doorstep. To assess the diversity and abundance of this wildlife, recent changes in these parameters, and the value of wildlife and bushland fragments to residents of Brisbane, a questionnaire survey was distributed to 300 households each located adjacent to one of 38 urban bushland fragments. A total of 172 surveys (57%) were returned, producing 768 records of 83 fauna species, dominated by birds and mammals; bandicoots were widely reported from the 38 fragments. Several historical records provided evidence of recent local extinctions within fragments, highlighting the continuing declines in various species of native wildlife within Brisbane. Several human–wildlife conflicts were identified, but overall residents were tolerant of such conflicts. Bandicoots were disliked by a small minority (3%) of residents owing to the holes they dig in lawns and gardens in search of food, and their potential as vectors of ticks. Most respondents expressed an appreciation for the presence of native wildlife (96%) and bushland fragments (97%) in their local area, emphasising the importance of incorporating human dimension values into the management of this urban biodiversity.

It is now well established that men and women often differ significantly in their attitudes and responses to workplace situations, challenges and policies. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of gender on perceptions and priorities held by Australasian wildlife managers. Data were collected via a questionnaire distributed during December 2002 – February 2003 to members of the Australasian Wildlife Management Society (AWMS) and registrants of the 2002 AWMS annual conference. The results show that there are now significantly more female AWMS members than there were in the early 1990s, a possible indication of a change in the wider wildlife management profession in Australasia. Consistent with previous research, male respondents held different views from female respondents about wildlife and wildlife management. In particular, male respondents were significantly more likely to express the 'management/consumptive use of wildlife' perspective than female respondents. Interestingly, this gap was observed only in the 18–30-year age category. The paper examines what these differences might mean for the future of wildlife management in Australasia.

The aim of this study was to examine the values and attitudes held by Australasian wildlife managers as they relate to wildlife management issues, and to gain some insight into possible future directions and priorities for Australasian wildlife management. During December 2002 – February 2003, 138 questionnaires were completed by members of the Australasian Wildlife Management Society (AWMS) and registrants of the 2002 AWMS annual conference. Threatened species management, threatened communities/habitats, and management of introduced species were the issues rated as needing the highest priority for the Australasian Wildlife Management Society. Issues such as animal rights, genetically modified organisms and timber harvesting on public lands were the lowest-rating issues. Respondents expressed a strong belief in managing and controlling wildlife to achieve wildlife management objectives, a strong belief that wildlife should be protected and that wildlife managers should minimise the pain and suffering of individual animals, and a belief that resources should be directed towards conserving wildlife populations rather than protecting individual animals from non-threatened populations. While respondents held a strong belief that it is important to consult the community when developing wildlife management policies and programs, there was little support for a comanagerial approach where the community has a significant role to play in decision-making processes.

Although attacks on humans by Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) are a source of significant wildlife–human conflict in urban areas of Australia, little is known about the patterns of attack by these birds. Such information is essential for the development of sound management plans for this species. We examined the attack behaviour of 48 aggressive magpies from Brisbane during September–October 1999, paying particular attention to the types of intruders targeted. All attacking birds were male. A clear majority (71%) of birds attacked only one intruder type, with about half attacking pedestrians only; similar proportions targeted cyclists (8%) only and mail deliverers (10%) only. While all intruding cyclists and mail deliverers were attacked, magpies did not attack all pedestrian intruders, suggesting possible discrimination within this category. Management implications for these intruder types are discussed.

Australian magpies are the cause of a major wildlife-management conflict in
suburban areas throughout Australia. Mitigation of this conflict is becoming
increasingly difficult in some locations because of community opposition to
the destruction of the birds involved, which remains a common management
solution of many wildlife agencies. Translocation – the capture and
release elsewhere – of offending birds has been advocated but never
seriously evaluated. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of
translocation as a means of eliminating magpie attacks. We also attempted to
assess the impact of the approach on both the translocated birds and those
remaining in the territory. A total of 20 aggressive magpies, all males, were
captured and released at distances 17–150 km from the place of capture.
Most birds released more than 30 km away were not seen again; two birds
released less than 30 km away returned quickly and were recaptured. A single
bird re-established itself on its original territory several months after
capture. In many cases, new males had replaced the captured birds within days.
There was no evidence of negative behavioural interactions between these males
and the resident females or chicks. While the technique is effective in
reducing the human–magpie conflict at specific locations, our lack of
knowledge of the fate of translocated males, as well as several other issues,
suggests that this approach be used only in extreme circumstances.

The selection of methods for wildlife surveys is a decision that will influence the accuracy and comprehensiveness of survey outcomes. The choice of methods is commonly based on the species of interest, yet is often limited by the project budget. Although several studies have investigated the effectiveness of various survey techniques for detecting terrestrial mammal and reptile species, none have provided a quantitative analysis of the costs associated with different methods. We compare the detection success and cost efficiency of cage traps, Elliott traps, pit-fall traps, hair funnels, direct observation, and scat detection/analysis for detecting the occurrence of terrestrial reptile and small mammal species in urban bushland remnants of Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia. Cage traps and Elliott traps coupled with hair funnels were the most cost-effective methods for detecting the highest number of ground-dwelling mammal species. Pit-fall traps and direct observations were the most cost-effective methods for maximising the number of reptile species identified. All methods made a contribution to overall detection success by detecting at least one species not detected by any other method. This suggests that a combination of at least two complementary methods will provide the most successful and cost-efficient detection of reptile and mammal species in urban forest remnants. Future studies should explicitly test these findings and examine efficient trapping combinations across different habitat types and for other fauna groups.