Threatened species nominations

Climate change is emptying the mountain tops of the Australian Wet Tropics. My models and monitoring evidence supported formal protection nominations for 15 upland species: 14 rainforest birds and the lemuroid ringtail possum. Each nomination went to the Australian Government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act). The bird nominations also went to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through BirdLife International.

Every species on the list is restricted to the highlands, where warming pushes populations upslope until no habitat remains. Ecologists call this pattern the “escalator to extinction”. The nominations below are listed as submitted.

15. Lemuroid Ringtail Possum

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente, A., Falconi, L. (2022)

14. Grey-Headed Robin

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Freeman AND., Graig, M., Frith, DW., Frith, CD., Garnett, ST. (2021).

13. Victoria’s Riflebird

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Frith, CD., Frith, DW., Garnett, ST. (2021).

12. Wet Tropics Eastern Whipbird

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Harrington GB., Frith, CD., Frith, DW., Chaplin, D., Garnett, ST. (2021).

11. Tooth-billed Bowerbird

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Harrington GB., Frith, CD., Frith, DW., Chaplin, D., Freeman, AND., Graig, M., Garnett, ST. (2021).

10. Wet Tropics Satin Bowerbird

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Frith, CD., Frith, DW., Chaplin, D., Garnett, ST. (2021).

9. Little Treecreeper

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Garnett, ST. (2021).

8. Golden Bowerbird

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Frith, CD., Frith, DW., Chaplin, D., Garnett, ST. (2021).

7. Fernwren

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Grant, JDA., Garnett, ST. (2021).

6. Wet Tropics Brown Gerygone

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Freeman, AND., Garnett, ST. (2021).

5. Atherton Scrubwren

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Garnett, ST. (2021).

4. Mountain Thornbill

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Garnett, ST. (2021).

3. Wet Tropics Large-Billed Scrubwren

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Freeman, AND., Graig, M., Garnett, ST. (2021).

2. Bower Shrike-Thrush

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Freeman, AND., Graig, M., Garnett, ST. (2021).

1. Wet Tropics King-Parrot

• Nomination: EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) & IUCN (through Birdlife International).
• Authors: Williams, S., de la Fuente A., Freeman, AND., Graig, M., Garnett, ST. (2021).