Sarah Lambert

Postgraduate Student

Contact Details

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation (Honours)

Research

Nest concealment, nest defence, and nest predation in the New Holland Honeyeater, Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

Fledgling, 6-7 days old

Predation is considered to be the main cause of nesting failure in open-cupped nesting passerines and has been shown to be the main cause of nesting failure in several passerine species within the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia. The Mount Lofty Ranges is an area that has a high number of declining bird species, however there have been few studies examining nest predation in Australia. Given impacts of nest predation, an understanding of the patterns associated with both nesting success and nesting failure in the Mount Lofty Ranges region is required.

During my Honours study I found that nest concealment was important for the nesting success of New Holland Honeyeaters within the Mount Lofty Ranges and I am now continuing research on nest predation in the New Holland Honeyeater. I am particularly interested in two factors associated with nesting success: nest defence and nest concealment. Studies examining nest defence and concealment have mainly been carried out in the Northern Hemisphere, yet Southern hemisphere birds differ in their breeding strategies when compared to Northern hemisphere birds. My study species, the New Holland Honeyeater, Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, provides an excellent system with which to examine the patterns associated with nesting success in a Southern hemisphere bird, as it exhibits both small clutch size and adult longevity – both of which are traits of Southern hemisphere birds.

My research focuses upon three main research aims:

1. To determine the role of nest concealment in relation to both predation outcome, predator type, and parental nest defence

2. To examine the response of adult New Holland Honeyeaters to the presence of different nest predators (i.e., mammalian vs. avian vs. reptilian; native vs. introduced; threat to adult vs. nestling) and determine if their alarm call structure differs across predator type

3. To examine nestling response to adult alarm calls over nestling stage to determine if nestling response varies with development stage.

As very little is known of the predators within the Mount Lofty Ranges, I will also be using wireless cameras to determine predator identity.

Publications

• Lambert, S. and Kleindorfer, S. 2006. Nest concealment not human visitation predicts predation of New Holland Honeyeater nests. Emu, 106, 63-68.
• Kleindorfer, S., Lambert, S. and Paton, D. C. 2006. Ticks (Ixodes sp.) and blood parasites (Haemoproteus spp.) in New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae): evidence for site specificity and fitness costs. Emu, 106, 113-118.

Supervisors

Dr Jeremy Robertson

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