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Charles Darwin University research associate Dr Amanda Lilleyman with a Far Eastern Curlew, the focus of her research in the Top End
It’s the time of year when thousands of migratory shorebirds take off from Top End coasts and fly north – some as far as the Arctic Circle.
They will return around October, but one of their strongest advocates, Dr Amanda Lilleyman, is also leaving Darwin.
A research associate in the Threatened Species Recovery Hub at Charles Darwin University for the past four years, Dr Lilleyman has made her mark in the Top End through her research into shorebirds, particularly the critically endangered Far Eastern Curlew.
Australia has a famously poor record in species protection, a point reinforced by government data released this week that again confirmed it has the worldâs worst mammalian extinction rate. More than 10% of land mammals have been lost since European colonisation. The number of species of all types at risk is expected to have vaulted after last yearâs catastrophic bushfires, in which it is estimated nearly 3bn animals were killed or affected.
The scientists who spoke to Guardian Australia stress that while there is rightly a focus on species loss, ecosystems â the complex webs of interdependent species within a specific environment â are harder to recover when they begin to decline.
The disaster movie playing in Australia s wild places – and solutions that could help hit pause msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Twelve Australian animals have been newly listed as extinct, including the Christmas Island pipistrelle, desert bettong, Nullarbor barred bandicoot and the Capricorn rabbit-rat, raising the nationâs official share of the worldâs extinct mammals over 20 months from 34 per cent to 38 per cent.
All but one of the mammalian extinctions is historic, but the update to Australiaâs official list of extinct and threatened species cements the nationâs reputation as an international hotspot for wildlife loss.
The Christmas Island pipistrelle was officially added to the extinction list on Wednesday.
Credit:Lindy Lumsden.
The extinctions listed under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act, updated on Wednesday, World Wildlife Day, now records the names of 34 Australian mammals wiped from the earth.
Australia climbs the list of wildlife extinction hotspots smh.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from smh.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.