HELP US PROTECT SACRED KINGFISHERS
The Sacred Kingfisher is considered by the Maori people of New Zealand to have power over wind and water, hence the name “Sacred.”
We are currently in a drought in New England, due to an El Nino weather pattern and the Indian Ocean Dipole* is also positive which leads to a drier season. As we come into what is traditionally the wetter time of the year we are hoping for rain soon.
In these times water is a problem for most species so as I was walking down toward the spring dam on our Wattle Top project, I was delighted to see a Sacred Kingfisher feeding her babies in a hollow tree. (Both parents participate in the care of the chicks.)
Australia is home to a great diversity of kingfishers, including the largest kingfisher in the world, the well-known and in-decline kookaburra.
One of the smaller kingfishers, the Sacred Kingfisher is an extremely beautiful bird with a very large range.
The 4-minute video below will help you become an expert at identifying this medium-sized kingfisher and the Australian Museum has a great fact sheet on the Sacred Kingfisher that you’ll find here.
We hope you’ll consider making a donation (of any size) to help us continue our efforts to protect our Wattle Top Project (and all the species who call it home) in perpetuity.
*You might be wondering about an Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and what that is.
The Indian Ocean Dipole is a climate pattern affecting the Indian Ocean.
During a positive phase, warm waters are pushed to the Western part of the Indian Ocean, while cold deep waters are brought up to the surface in the Eastern Indian Ocean.
Generally, this means there is less moisture than normal in the atmosphere to the northwest of Australia. A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) changes the path of weather systems coming from Australia’s west, often resulting in less rainfall and higher than normal temperatures over parts of Australia during winter and spring.
So now you know!
WILDLIFE FRIENDLY FENCING NEEDED
SAVE OUR WOODLANDS CURRENTLY NEEDS 4 KILOMETRES OF WILDLIFE FRIENDLY FENCINGWe are only able to do what we do with the help of donations. We have the volunteer manpower to install 4 kilometres of much-needed wildlife-friendly fencing but we need help to buy...
Save Our Woodlands is an environmentally conscious group of volunteers dedicated to preserving threatened birds, animals and ecosystems in the woodlands of New South Wales, Australia.
Only 15% of our woodlands remain, the rest has been cleared for agriculture.
Save Our Woodlands Inc. secures and protects woodlands in NSW and pays landholders, in perpetuity, to conserve, enhance and re-establish native woodlands on THEIR land, and to manage these woodlands, so they are maintained.
BUT we need YOUR help. Together we can bring about change. Please consider donating.
People tend to think that woodlands are “just bush,” consequently, over 85% of the native woodlands in New South Wales, Australia have been replaced by agriculture.
Donate $10 per month & help protect critical habitats. By doing so YOU will prevent further species from extinction.
Our work is only possible with your support.
