Dr Finella Dawlings

Research Associate

School of Environmental and Life Sciences

Email:finella.dawlings@newcastle.edu.au

Career Summary

Biography

I am a post-doc research associate with the Conservation Science Research Group (UoN), conducting research into the management of invasive rodents on Norfolk Island, particularly in relation to their effects on the island's fauna and flora species, many of which are threatened. This project will identify the significance of the reinvasion of rodents, determine whether control activities that are pulsed or continual yield better outcomes, investigate the roles of cats as predators of rodents and native wildlife, and assess how these issues translate to the biodiversity on the island more broadly.

PhD: Novel use of remote sensors to improve population monitoring and ecological understanding of threatened vertebrates for the purpose of conservation management

I conducted my PhD in the Research Ecology and Conservation lab (Monash University) in 2020-24, during which I investigated the use of remote sensors to improve monitoring and conservation management of Australian biodiversity. I compared vehicle-mounted thermal scanners with traditional spotlights as tools for detecting and monitoring small grassland birds and mammals in the Northern Plains of Victoria, including the Endangered Plains-wanderer. I also explored the RPASs as a tool for monitoring canopy-dwelling species, as well as build an understanding of the nesting distribution and population trend of the Christmas Island Frigatebird. My research reshaped monitoring protocols for small endotherms in open habitats, and canopy-dwelling species, and I was able to contribute to the design of new monitoring programs for Plains-wanderers and Christmas Island Frigatebirds.

Honours:

Previously, I completed my honours project with the REC lab (Monash University) in 2017-18, on the breeding ecology and nesting threats of Norfolk Island Robins. I used camera traps to determine the nest success rates and threats to nesting success of the NI Robin, and used thermal cameras to determine invasive rodent densities on the island. I found that invasive rodents presented a serious threat to the nesting success of the Robin, and therefore threatened the survival of the species. I also undertook an undergraduate research project in the REC lab in 2016. I performed a dynamic factor analysis on a 38-year dataset of 41 seabirds to describe the trajectory of seabird populations in the Bonney Upwelling, many of which displayed ongoing declines.

Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University

Keywords

Conservation and biodiversity
Population ecology
Remote sensing
Threatened species conservation

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
310308	Terrestrial ecology	50
410401	Conservation and biodiversity	50

Professional Experience

UON Appointment

Title	Organisation / Department
Research Associate	University of Newcastle School of Environmental and Life Sciences Australia

Professional appointment

Dates	Title	Organisation / Department
1/4/2019 - 28/8/2020	Ecological Consultant	Wildlife Unlimited Australia
5/3/2018 - 29/3/2019	Field ecologist	Australian Wildlife Conservancy Australia

Teaching appointment

Dates	Title	Organisation / Department
28/2/2022 - 27/10/2023	Teaching Associate	Monash University School of Biological Sciences Australia

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Publications

For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.

Journal article (5 outputs)

Year

Citation

Altmetrics

Link

2024

Dawlings FME, Humphrey M, Nugent DT, Clarke RH, 'Thermal scanners versus spotlighting: New opportunities for monitoring threatened small endotherms', AUSTRAL ECOLOGY, 49 (2024) [C1]

Threatened species monitoring is challenging for small, cryptic endotherms that are most effectively detected at night. Low detectability is a challenge for monitoring ... [more]

Threatened species monitoring is challenging for small, cryptic endotherms that are most effectively detected at night. Low detectability is a challenge for monitoring programmes, resulting in low statistical power and sparse or zero-inflated datasets. To advance conservation management programmes, efforts to address this are required. In recent years thermal scanners have emerged as an effective tool for detecting small endotherms, but the diversity of available thermal tools, focal habitats and target species mean that their applicability in many key scenarios remain untested. We directly compared vehicle-mounted thermal surveys with vehicle-based spotlighting targeting small endotherms in Australian native grasslands. Our targets included both common species that occur at high densities, and species that are notoriously difficult to detect with spotlights, which may occur at very low densities. We completed paired surveys of roosting grassland birds, and nocturnally active small mammals at 22 sites, once using thermal scanners and once using spotlights. Ultimately, distance sampling was conducted across 136 km of transects. Thermal scanners facilitated greater detection distances and higher total detections for small endotherms when compared with spotlighting. Species of greatest conservation concern, the Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus¿Pedionomidae) and Fat-tailed Dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata¿Dasyuridae) were only detected using thermal scanners. Detection distances generated for thermal scanners were reduced by higher vegetation density; however, thermal scanners continued to outperform spotlights under this scenario. Observers also detected more stationary animals and fewer birds were flushed upon detection using thermal scanners when compared with spotlighting. Thermal scanners have the potential to improve the quality of monitoring datasets by increasing detection probabilities for small endotherms. We recommend the adoption of thermal scanners as a best-practice tool for monitoring small endotherms in open grassland habitats at night, offering new opportunities to monitor endotherms where monitoring has historically been challenging, inadequate or impossible.

DOI	10.1111/aec.13544
Citations	Scopus - 3

2023

Dawlings FME, Mackay C, Humphrey M, Mitchell WF, Sorrell KJ, Sanchez S, Viola BM, Clarke RH, 'Portable thermal scanners to detect and monitor small endotherms: A comparative assessment of available equipment to guide practitioners', ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 13 (2023) [C1]

DOI	10.1002/ece3.10331
Citations	Scopus - 4Web of Science - 3

2023

Sorrell KJ, Dawlings FME, Mackay CE, Clarke RH, 'Routine and Safe Operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems in Areas with High Densities of Flying Birds', DRONES, 7 (2023) [C1]

DOI	10.3390/drones7080510
Citations	Scopus - 8Web of Science - 3

2023

Nance AHH, Mitchell WFF, Dawlings F, Cook CNN, Clarke RHH, 'Rodent predation and specialised avian habitat requirements drive extinction risk for endemic island songbirds in the south-west Pacific', EMU-AUSTRAL ORNITHOLOGY, 123 217-231 (2023) [C1]

DOI	10.1080/01584197.2023.2228350
Citations	Scopus - 9Web of Science - 8

2022

Nugent DT, Baker-Gabb DJ, Green P, Ostendorf B, Dawlings F, Clarke RH, Morgan JW, 'Multi-scale habitat selection by a cryptic, critically endangered grassland bird The Plains-wanderer (

DOI	10.1111/aec.13157
Citations	Web of Science - 10

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Research Supervision

Number of supervisions

Completed0

Current1

Current Supervision

Commenced	Level of Study	Research Title	Program	Supervisor Type
2025	PhD	Acoustic Innovations: Enhancing Wildlife Monitoring across Australia’s Commonwealth National Parks	PhD (Environmental Sc), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle	Co-Supervisor

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News

News • 31 Jul 2024

A game of rat and mouse: Scientists track the movements of bird-eating rodents on Norfolk Island

Scientists have completed their first field trip to Norfolk Island as part of a Resilient Landscapes Hub project that aims to protect rare birds by tracking the movements of introduced rats and mice on the island.