20 July 2021
The beautiful Black Throated Finch will be the subject of a presentation by researcher Juan Mula Laguna at Mackay Environment Centre next Wednesday (28 July 2021) at 6pm.
In 2019 the Black Throated Finch was declared Australian Bird of the Year after voting by bird lovers all around the country, since then its population has plummeted.
The bird came to national prominence when the Queensland Government rejected Adani’s Black Throated Finch management plan after strong advice from scientists that the plan would push the bird further towards extinction.
The bird has been driven close to extinction by destruction of its habitat. Over the past 20 years about eighty per cent of the bird’s remaining habitat has been lost to development. Its largest remaining home is at the Adani Carmichael mine site.
A recent survey of bird numbers at the site showed a decrease of 82 per cent in the Black Throated Finch population.
“Our community was outraged when the Queensland Government approved Adani’s flawed management plan. It now appears that our worst fears are coming true,” said Mackay Conservation Group campaign manager, Sunny Hungerford,
This presentation by PhD candidate Juan Mula Laguna will provide detailed information about the Black Throated Finch, and what it needs to survive.”
“Once people hear about the plight of this unique Australian species they will understand why its habitat must be protected.”
“Extinction is forever. We must not lose this beautiful bird.”
The presentation will be at the Mackay Environment Centre and also available on Zoom.
Numbers are limited and bookings can be made at www.mackayconservationgroup.org.au/events
Juan Mula Laguna is a PhD candidate at James Cook University. He studied environmental science in Spain before researching birds in Europe and Central America. Juan has submitted a PhD thesis on the Black Throated Finch and continues to work with other researchers on the species.
ENDS
Contact: Sunny Hungerford 0499203431
Creative Commons image of Black Throated Finch available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Black-throated_Finch_%28Poephila_cincta%29.jpg
