
Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata breeding behaviour: Insights from citizen science camera surveillance
Author(s) -
Heather Neilly,
David Wells,
Tim Pascoe,
Peter Cale
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
australian field ornithology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2206-3447
pISSN - 1448-0107
DOI - 10.20938/afo38087098
Subject(s) - citizen science , camera trap , ecology , photography , geography , seasonal breeder , biology , zoology , habitat , visual arts , art , botany
Observations on natural history are a useful but often overlooked branch of ecology. With the use of camera-traps, collection of data e.g. on breeding behaviour and success has never been easier, particularly when studying cryptic species. Additionally, camera-traps are well suited to citizen science because of their ease of operation and the ability to store and verify data. Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata breeding behaviour has previously been studied through direct observation or timelapse photography, resulting in small sample sizes and potentially biased observations. Using camera-trap data collected by citizen scientists, we examined the breeding behaviour of this species. We quantified the timing and duration of mound-tending activities at 20 mounds using camera surveillance for >30,000 hours (1250 days) over six breeding seasons. Time spent at the mound during five mound stages and visit frequencies by the male and female during each stage are reported. Femaleinvolvement at the mound was consistent, although males spent three times as long at the mound compared with females during egg-laying. On egg-laying days, females spent longer uncovering the mound, compared with covering the mound post egg-laying. Our findings confirm that both male and female Malleefowl spend a substantial amount of time constructing and maintaining their mound throughout the year and, most notably, that the female consistently participates in mound-tending.These insights are particularly valuable as our surveillance was over markedly longer time spans than previous studies that relied upon direct observation.