Biology and management of the grey-headed flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus

Pteropus poliocephalus is endemic to coastal eastern Australia (20-28°S), where infrequent, but extreme droughts and floods, commonly across large parts of the range, cause major swings in the availability of forage - primarily eucalypt blossom, supplemented with fruits and leaves. It can establish camps in most types of closed vegetation > 3 m in height and it can breed opportunistically. Nevertheless, camp occupation is persistent in most areas in most years, and most births coincide with the southern spring. Mean (± SD) age at recovery of banded animals was 40.4 (± 18.8) months; the oldest was 96 months (30 recovered/1840 banded). Seventy-six percent of foraging records (n = 433) were within 20 km of the camp of origin. Pteropus poliocephalus has experienced a range reduction since European settlement and it is widely believed to be vulnerable to extinction. Possible causes of a decline are climate change, competition with congenerics, habitat loss and modification, and pest control. Conservation effort has been expended primarily on protective legislation, reservation, and promotion of the benefits of P. poliocephalus as well as other flying-foxes; the problems they cause (mostly off-reserve) have been poorly addressed and monitoring has been inadequate. Collaborative management by major stakeholders (= cost-bearers) would facilitate both the development of cost-effective and benign methods for excluding flocks from inappropriate areas, and monitoring of population status. Measures developed to manage P. poliocephalus could inform management of other flying-foxes for most problems are generic.