All that is burnt is not lost to the birds
A new BirdLife Australia report has found dramatic impacts of the 2019/20 Bushfires on KBAs and their birds and other Trigger Species. In 18 KBAs more than 15% and up to 100% of the total area was burnt.
Australian Alps KBA (c) Denise Alderdice
Despite these shocking statistics the fires have further increased the importance of KBAs. The devastation wreaked outside KBAs means that for many species more of the total suitable habitat is found in KBAs, for instance 85% of unburnt Rufous Scrub-bird habitat is inside the KBA Network. Rather than thinking of these areas as lost to wildlife they are our best chance to recovery and we need to double down on conservation efforts. BirdLife needs more standardised birdata surveys within these KBAs to determine the population decline of birds, record fire damage on the ground and direct conservation actions. The Report provides guidance for these surevys.