HVP’s own Brolga
(Grus rubicunda) Clan

Whilst the South-West may seem a long drive away, there are often many good reasons to visit, as a local family of Brolga will confirm. The South West staff have had the pleasure of having an adult pair with one chick nesting in the plantation for the last 3 years.

The Brolga is a very tall bird (1.8m) with a very wide wingspan of 1.7-2.4m & whilst not migratory tend to have distinctly different requirements when flocking (deep permanent freshwater marshes) & nesting (temporary shallow herb dominated wetlands).

The Brolga family have been coming to the Rennick Plantation & nesting in a shallow wetlands near the David Downs area, where the wetlands have been holding sufficient water to sustain the feeding & nesting requirements of the pair, as well as a large open area to allow for flight in & out.

The Brolga is a Listed species under the Victorian Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. This year Adrian Lynch formalized the family’s existence as an observation in a flora & fauna recording submission. This means that a record will exist on Arc-GIS & provide a trigger for planning for future plantation activities. The data will also eventually be submitted to the DEPI Victorian Biodiversity Atlas which will contribute to the statewide summary of the species.

Western Staff are currently investigating putting the wetlands into a formal HVP Fauna Management Area. This should ensure the vegetation of herbs & sedges that provide both a food source & nest bed are not disturbed as well as ensuring that our activities minimize the impact on the water flow, depth & holding capacity of the area, (a critical feature influencing the nesting ecology of the Brolga habitat).