Mt Gower, Lord Howe Island : Icon of Australian Nature Photography

            This rampart is composed of layers of basalt and is a remnant of a shield volcano that formed from many eruptions on the submarine ridge formed by seafloor spreading between Australia and New Caledonia & New Zealand. The mountain rises 875m above sea level and because of its form, location and history it supports a remarkable ecosystem with significant biodiversity. 

This is the sanctuary of the Lord Howe Woodhen (Hypotaenidia sylvestris). While these flightless birds inhabited most of the island, it was in the almost inaccessible areas on this mountain that they survived extinction. They are only found on this mountainous island, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Area.

The ancestors of the Lord Howe woodhen arrived on Lord Howe Island many thousands of years ago, flying across the Pacific Ocean. They thrived in the subtropical rainforests of the island, where there was plenty of food and no fear of predators. Their wings gradually receded and became useless, because there was no longer any need for them to fly. 

Before European colonisation, the species was spread throughout Lord Howe Island. This situation changed in 1788, when HMS Supply (Captain Ball) anchored at Settlement Beach and members of her crew came ashore in search of food and water. Lord Howe Island's bird life which had never been subject to predation and had never been hunted was not afraid of humans. The Lord Howe woodhen, together with the now-extinct Lord Howe pigeon and white gallinule, provided easy game for the sailors.

When Lord Howe Island was settled in 1830s, Lord Howe woodhen numbers quickly declined to near-extinction, because: 1. they were hunted for food by the island's increasing human population; 2. introduced rats, owls, feral cats and pigs preyed on them and or their eggs; 3. feral pigs and goats competed with the birds for food and damaged their habitats.

So, by the mid-19th century, small numbers of Lord Howe woodhens could only be found in the mountainous areas. By the late 1970s, there were fewer than 30 Lord Howe woodhens on the island, confined to the summit regions of its two mountains (Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird).

In 1966, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classed the woodhens as endangered. They were later put on the IUCN's highest priority list. The bird is listed as an endangered species under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Then a conservation recovery program was introduced. Intense and deliberate removal of rats, owls, cats and goats got underway. A programme of ex-situ conservation (captive breeding) which commenced in May 1980 and contributed to recovery of the population of the woodhen.

By 2008 there were about 250 birds on the island, which was thought to be the optimal population size for this area. However with the successful rodent eradication on Lord Howe Island from 2019-2021, the woodhen population has increased significantly. A woodhen survey and banding conducted in 2021 found 598 birds, and in a further survey in March 2022 there were thought to be at least 779. 

The analysis of the threats to the Lord Howe woodhen, and the implemented solution, is considered a model for conservation biology. Subsequently, not only the woodhen has recovered but other endemic species on Lord Howe Island have also.

Taken in: Australia / New South Wales / Lord Howe Island (show map)

Taken on: September 1, 2022

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Mt Gower

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basalt

Tasman Sea

Australia

NSW

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Sets appears in: • AU NSW Lord Howe Island & Balls Pyramid • Changing Surface of the Earth more » • Meteorology • National Parks • UNESCO World Heritage « less

Groups appears in: • UNESCO World Heritage Sites • Wilderness more » • Geomorphology • Shore Line and Coastal Group • Trove: Australia in Pictures • World Weather • Oceania • Landscapes 101 (Unlimited) • Geographical Landforms • Australian National Parks - No Invite required • Australian Photographers!!!! • Scapes • landscape panorama • The Australian Experience • Australian Weather • World Travelogue • World Islands • Australia All Over • Australian Shorelines • Volcanic Legacy • Landscapes Only • Landscapes geotagged on Flickr's map with both titles & caption • National Parks Australia • Australia, Our Great Southern Land • Geotagging the World • The Map Group « less

Camera: Google Pixel 4, f/2.4, 1/706 sec, 5.8mm, ISO 46 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Google Pixel 4
Lens:	Pixel 4 back camera 5.84mm f/2.4
Aperture:	f/2.4
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/706)
Focal Length:	5.8mm
ISO:	46
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 23.5 (Windows)
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