Evaluating the use of thermal imaging cameras to monitor the endangered greater bilby at Astrebla Downs National Park
John Augusteyn A D , Anthony Pople B and Maree Rich C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships, PO Box 3130, Red Hill, Qld 4701, Australia.
B Biosecurity Queensland, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
C Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships, PO Box 202, Longreach, Qld 4730, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: john.augusteyn@des.qld.gov.au
Australian Mammalogy 42(3) 329-340 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM19040
Submitted: 11 June 2019 Accepted: 31 January 2020 Published: 4 March 2020
Abstract
Spotlight surveys are widely used to monitor arid-zone-dwelling species such as the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis). These surveys require a sufficient sample size to adequately model detection probability. Adequate sample sizes can be difficult to obtain for low-density populations and for species that avoid light and or have poor eyeshine like the bilby. Abundance estimates based on burrow counts can be problematic because of the variable relationship between the number of burrows used and bilby abundance. In 2013, feral predators devastated a Queensland bilby population and a method was required that could locate and monitor the remaining bilbies. We report on a study that compared density estimates derived from spotlighting and thermal cameras. Bilbies were surveyed annually over three years, using spotlights and thermal cameras on different nights but using the same transects to compare the methods. On average, thermal cameras detected twice the number of bilbies per kilometre surveyed than spotlighting. Despite this difference in the number of bilbies detected, density estimates (bilbies km−2) were similar (thermal camera versus spotlight: 0.6 versus 0.2 (2014), 3.4 versus 3.4 (2015) and 4.8 versus 3.3 (2016)). Nevertheless, the larger sample size obtained using thermal cameras gave greater confidence in modelling detection probability.
Additional keywords: line transect, multiple-covariates distance sampling, threatened species
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