Behavioural ecology

Securing a future for our species

Behavioural ecology explores how animals interact with their environment and how behaviour supports survival and reproduction. For Taronga, prioritising behavioural ecology improves animal welfare, supports successful breeding programs, and prepares threatened species with the skills needed to survive and thrive when reintroduced into the wild.

Securing a future for our species

Behavioural ecology explores how animals interact with their environment and how behaviour supports survival and reproduction. For Taronga, prioritising behavioural ecology improves animal welfare, supports successful breeding programs, and prepares threatened species with the skills needed to survive and thrive when reintroduced into the wild.

Species on the brink

Habitat loss & human activity

are among the largest drivers of wildlife decline worldwide.

75%

of the world’s wild cat species and many other large carnivores and herbivores are negatively impacted by human–wildlife conflict.

70 Australian land mammals

are threatened with extinction, with many in small populations where understanding mating and social behaviour is essential.

50–70%

of wildlife reintroductions fail, often because animals lack the behavioural skills needed to survive in the wild.

700,000 km²

of woodland and forest has been cleared since 1788, mostly for farming and grazing - about 20% of the original area.

Habitat loss & human activity

are among the largest drivers of wildlife decline worldwide.

75%

of the world’s wild cat species and many other large carnivores and herbivores are negatively impacted by human–wildlife conflict.

70 Australian land mammals

are threatened with extinction, with many in small populations where understanding mating and social behaviour is essential.

50–70%

of wildlife reintroductions fail, often because animals lack the behavioural skills needed to survive in the wild.

700,000 km²

of woodland and forest has been cleared since 1788, mostly for farming and grazing - about 20% of the original area.

Behavioural ecology programs

Regent Honeyeaters song tutoring
Teaching zoo-bred Regent Honeyeaters their lost traditional song offers new hopes for the survival of this critically endangered bird. This cultural rescue could significantly improve breeding success and overall fitness of zoo-bred birds – a critical step towards securing this species’ future.
Regent Honeyeater predator deterrents
By using ultrasonic frequencies outside the hearing range of Regent Honeyeaters, this project aims to develop non-lethal acoustic systems to deter mammalian predators such as gliders from predating on critically endangered Regent Honeyeaters. Successful deployment of acoustic deterrent systems could lead to increases in fledging success, which has been listed as a significant barrier to the recovery of the species.
Plains-wanderer camouflage studies
The Plains-wanderer is a critically endangered ground-dwelling bird which has undergone huge decline, largely due to loss of habitat and predation by pests such as foxes and cats. This project aims to understand both how Plains-wanderers use their habitat for camouflage, how their colouration and behaviour may have evolved to give them protection, as well as how they perceive the world by looking at their visual systems and structures. 
Pinniped hearing 
Hearing is an important sense for pinnipeds such as seals and sea lions, both in and out of the water. Current knowledge of pinniped hearing and responses to underwater sound is largely based on research on Northern Hemisphere species. This project uses behavioural audiograms from two species of Australian otariid seals to generate hearing threshold curves. These will provide important information for assessing the potential impacts of wind farm developments on seals.
Australian Shark Incident Database
This database is considered the principal source of shark incident data in Australia. The file was founded by John West in the 1980s and based on initial research by David Baldridge, whose 1974 analysis of the database resulted in the first book on shark-human interactions.

Australian Shark Incident Database

Discover Australia’s most comprehensive record of shark‑human interactions.

Hearing the zoo-bred birds sing their wild song for the first time was incredibly moving – like a piece of their identity coming back to life. Restoring this precious song gives real hope for the species’ future

Dr Joy Tripovich

Behavioural Biologist 

Taronga Conservation Society Australia