Elevated mammal proof nesting platforms for our braided riverbed bird species

[fras444]

I have this idea on somehow..

Engineering, development, building and installation of elevated breeding platforms for the initial purpose of providing a safe nesting, egg laying, egg incubation and initial chick rearing for our most critical species group in Aotearoa New Zealand, a group of birds that criminally gets forgotten about by the public and conservation at large, a bird group that is found nesting in some of the most difficult places regarding implementing an effective predator progam.

Our braided riverbed breeding bird species

From our most unique and iconic bird in not only Aotearoa New Zealand but globally, the ony bird in the world with a curved bill the wrybill, black-fronted tern, blackbilled gull, banded dotterel, south island pied oystercatcher and especially in Oscar Thomas's case.. the critically endangered southern dotterel in the high country in Stewart island..

All of these species of birds are examples of our unique river braided species, all of which are through varying levels are threatened with extinction and their remote and hard to get to nesting habitats/locations tend to make effective predator control not so easily manageable, efficient and practical..

Being in Scotland for the last three years and seeing a change in how buildings are using their roof spaces and a growing change in buildings going for a living roof, also, birds in the UK seabirds have slowly with the help of being apart thousands of years of human evolution in Europe. Seeing a number of seabirds that are using roofs as effective breeding areas and it got me thinking.

Could we engineer a simple raised platform structure that is first and foremost.
Cat proof and..
With the help and funding from an organization such as mitre 10. Mass build what would essentially be a cheap construction of four foundation posts and a realitively weather proof lasting platform and to plant/rock/eco create an environment that will appeal to our braided river nesting birds and install these structures all around the south island and even in locations in the north island, and by using practices that we have currently been implementing in our various seabird projects over the years. Be it techniques we have used in using spotted shag and gannet decoys to try naturally create a colony without a translocation program along with using sound recordings through to the various petrel relocation programs.

Implement those strategies and getting the likes of the wrybill using these structures to breed, and with a effective trapping program around these structures, I feel we could definitely turn to tide pardon the pun in the decline of our braided river bird species in the name of creating a safe place for these birds in their most crtical stage of life, breeding and have these birds thrive and survive..

I definitely feel that this idea at the very least, is the most cost effective plan we can implement, one that can be mass produced by mitre 10 and by the local conservation communities as a whole, by especially those practically minded construction past people.

We can also look to using a similar practice in turing all of our urban centers roofs, especially those of massive warehouses, production facilities and the like and creating a living or artificial replicas of these braided riverbed habitats and create breeding colonise on these roofs..

This idea is definitely worth the shot at the very least and I certainly feel with confidence, that it could definitely work, even if its just providing a safe space for the critical egg laying, incubation and first few stages of chicken development as those initial days are usually spend at or near the nest.
Especially for the likes of terns who dont forage on the ground. Our dotterel/wrybill/oystetcatcher chicks are ground foreging species first and formost and the chicks, like ducklings and fowl chicks. They do start foraging before they can fly. But hopefully we could at the very least create a initial safe zone period before they become fast, active and most importantly, gone past that tame/curious no concept of predator mindset and hopefully the height of the structure will prevent birds from leaping down until some form of flight has been... mastered.. Hopefully we can create enough habitat/mini ecosystem for initial foraging on these platforms for young chicke..

It's a experiment but one that could have insant results if it works..

Like mentioned, it would be a cheap experiment in implementing and absolutely worth the shot..