Chicks and adults are being colour-banded and fitted with satellite transmitters.  Two colours identify the bird’s broader region (one of four regions) and specific area, and each bird has a specific letter/ number code.  Satellite transmitters collect locations using GPS technology four times per day and send these data back to the researcher via satellite once a week.

Research progress to date

Prior to December 2009 an aerial survey to find brolga nest sites was undertaken. Between December 2009 and January 2010, eight brolga chicks were caught and colour banded. Two juvenile brolgas and one adult were caught at flocking grounds. They were colour banded and given satellite transmitters.

Key research findings to July 2010:

• Two birds carrying satellite transmitters have recently moved 90-120 kilometres from the flocking grounds
• Two colour-banded chicks carrying bands have been found staying near the breeding wetland with their parents.
• Four colour-banded chicks have moved 10-22 kilometres from breeding wetlands with their parents.

Brolga counts

The Department of Sustainability and Environment has been coordinating counts of brolgas in southwest Victoria for the past three years to get a better understanding of how many brolgas there are in the southwest and how much successful breeding is happening.

Key brolga count findings to July 2010:

• 401 Brolgas were found at five flocking sites in May, of which between nine and 16% of flocks were young birds less than one year old.
• This compares favourably with the previous year 2008 when only 3% of flocks were juveniles, and indicates that the breeding season of 2009 was a very good one. This was due to the good rainfall in southwest Victoria in winter and spring of 2009.

Next steps in the project research

From August 2010 the next research step is to increase the brolga sample size. Chicks will be caught in the breeding season (July-November) and fitted with bands and leg band transmitters

They will be tracked to:

• study differences in movement patterns between juveniles and adults
• understand whole family movements
• understand adult movements
• track chicks as they become juveniles (6-12 months of age, able to fly and feed themselves)
• understand juvenile movement as they begin to develop independence

In January 2011, the focus will be on catching adult birds and fitting leg bands and satellite transmitters.

Inka Veltheim has since been working in the industry and brings to the project experience researching and undertaking ecological assessments of fauna, ecology and natural resource management issues across Victoria.