Paluma Range Cassowary Citizen Science Event

The Paluma Range represents the southernmost global extent for the southern cassowary however, very little is known about this population of cryptic rainforest ratites. A research project is underway to better understand the abundance, distribution and threats to cassowaries here by way of sign surveys, citizen science sightings, camera traps and collation of historical records.

As a Key Biodiversity Area containing 22,050 ha of potential habitat, it is estimated that cassowaries have been roaming these forests and distributing rainforest seeds for ~50 million years. Cassowaries are only sighted on the Paluma Range on occasion and are evidently in low abundance so many questions arise...Have they always been in low abundance here? Are there current or historical threats that have impacted them? Are they undertaking altitudinal migration to access different fruit resources to make a living? Are they able to disperse and interbreed with the core Wet Tropics population to the north? Are they able to navigate the fragmented lowlands to utilize coastal fruit resources?

Citizen science reporting of all current or past sightings are helping to add to our body of knowledge and a small cohort of birds have now been captured on camera traps.

Please join us on Friday night for dinner and a project update and/or stay the weekend for a range-wide survey to detect more evidence of cassowaries and contribute to the long-term conservation of this iconic, keystone species across its entire geographic range.

Register here. 

Location

Paluma Community Centre, 65 Mount Spec Road, Paluma 5:00pm Friday, 1 November

Free Camping @ Lake Paluma – Magar Yamba group camping area or self-arranged B&B accommodation at Paluma Village.

Friday, 1 November

1:00 pm Lake Paluma – Magar Yamba group campsite open.

5:00 pm Paluma Community Centre. Welcome, social, presentation and dinner by donation. Organise survey teams and locations.

Saturday, 2 November

Early Birds with Altitude surveys.

Cassowary Survey on designated routes.

Self-catered.

Sunday, 3 November

Early Birds with Altitude surveys.

Cassowary Survey on designated routes.

Self-catered.

Funded by a Qld Government Community Sustainability Action – Threatened Species Grant, The Woods Foundation, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and the Cornell Family Foundation. Supported by BirdLife Townsville, BirdLife Australia, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, NQ Dry Tropics NRM and Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and thank you to the Paluma Community Centre for the Friday evening.