Research publications
2025
Jackett, N.A., Schodde, R., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A., Joseph, L., Wykes, B.J., Todd, M.K., Gros, C., Bilney, R.J., Barden, P., Knock, P., Dunne, C. & Watson, J.E.M. (2025). Uncovering the calls of data-deficient masked owls using morphology and environmental gradients. Journal of Biogeography, 52(12), e70110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70110 Download PDF
Kotz, M., Amano, T. & Watson, J.E.M. (2025). Large reductions in tropical bird abundance attributable to heat extreme intensification. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 9, 1897–1909. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02811-7 Download PDF
Callaghan, C.T., Venegas-Li, R., Mason, B.M., Fuller, R.A., Spake, R. & Watson, J.E.M. (2025). High-integrity forests are critical for forest specialist birds. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 34, e70118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.70118 Download PDF
Terrington, D.I., Leseberg, N.P., Bone, I.T., McDonald, J.A., Teixeira, D., Grills, E. & Watson, J.E.M. (2025). The first record of a Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) nest in Queensland highlights the importance of arid zone herblands. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 125(3), 277–282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2025.2555935 Download PDF
2024
Webster, P.T.D., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2024). Movements and habitat use of painted button-quail, Turnix varius, in tropical savanna of northern Queensland. Australian Journal of Zoology, 72, ZO23039. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO23039 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2024). Four years of targeted surveys across northern Queensland failed to detect any evidence of Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2024.2343680 Download PDF
Jackett, N.A. (2024). Retrospective weather analysis explains regular occurrence of House Swifts Apus nipalensis and swiftlets Aerodramus spp. in north-western Australia. Australian Field Ornithology, 41, 70–76. Download PDF
MacColl, C., Watson, J.E.M., Leseberg, N.P., Seaton, R., Das, T., Das, S. and Raidal, S.R. (2024). Beak and feather disease virus detected in the endangered Red Goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus). Scientific Reports, 14, 10263. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-60874-1 Download PDF
Backstrom, L.J., Leseberg, N.P., Callaghan, C.T., Sanderson, C., Fuller, R.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2024). Using citizen science to identify Australia’s least known birds and inform conservation action. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 124(2), 199–205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2283443 Download PDF
Backstrom, L.J., Callaghan, C.T., Leseberg, N.P., Sanderson, C., Fuller, R.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2024). Assessing adequacy of citizen science datasets for biodiversity monitoring. Ecology and Evolution, 14, e10857. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10857 Download PDF
Garnett, S.T., Woinarski, J.C.Z., Baker, G.B., Berryman, A.J., Crates, R., Legge, S.M., Lilleyman, A., Luck, L., Tulloch, A.I.T., Verdon, S.J., Ward, M., Watson, J.E.M., Zander, K.K. & Geyle, H.M. (2024). Monitoring threats to Australian threatened birds: climate change was the biggest threat in 2020 with minimal progress on its management. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 124, 37–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2291144 Download PDF
Crates, R., Baker, G.B., Legge, S.M., Menkhorst, P.W., Murphy, S., Watson, J.E.M., Woinarski, J.C.Z. & Garnett, S.T. (2024). The feasibility of implementing management for threatened birds in Australia. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 124, 93–107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2295355 Download PDF
2023
Leseberg, N.P., Kutt, A., Evans, M.C., Nou, T., Spillias, S., Stone, Z., Walsh, J.C., Murphy, S.A., Bamford, M., Burbidge, A.H., Crossing, K., Davis, R.A., Garnett, S.T., Kavanagh, R.P., Murphy, R., Read, J., Reid, J. van Leewen, S., Watson, A.W.T., Watson, J.E.M. & Maron, M. (2023). Establishing effective conservation management strategies for a poorly known endangered species: a case study using Australia’s Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Biodiversity and Conservation, 32, 2869–2891. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02633-8 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2023). Unravelling the mystery of the Mt Mulligan ‘mystery call’: analysis of a reported record of a Buff-breasted Button-quail vocalisation suggests misidentification with Painted Button-quail. Corella, 47, 36–44. Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2023). Descriptions of the vocalisations of the Painted Button-quail Turnix varius in North Queensland. Australian Field Ornithology, 40, 111–119. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo40111119 Download PDF
MacColl, C., Leseberg, N.P., Seaton, R., Murphy, S.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2023). Rapid and recent range collapse of Australia’s Red Goshawk Erythrotriorchis
radiatus. Emu – Austral Ornithology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2172735 Download PDF
Murphy, S.A., McGregor, H., Leseberg, N.P., Watson, J. & Kutt, A.S. (2023). Feral cat GPS tracking and simulation models to improve the conservation management of night parrots. Wildlife Research, 50(5), 325–334. DOI: 10.1071/WR21123 Download PDF
2022
MacColl, C. & Debus, S.J.S. (2022). Morphological variation in the Black Falcon Falco subniger. Australian Field Ornithology, 39, 214–219. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo39214219 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Murphy, S.A., Leseberg, N.P. & Watson, J.E.M. (2022). Retaining the ‘art’: Painted Button-quail Turnix varius do make platelets in north-eastern Queensland. Australian Field Ornithology, 39, 206–210. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo39206210 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2022). New records of Painted Button-quail Turnix varius in North Queensland suggest a distribution through southern and central Cape York Peninsula. Australian Field Ornithology, 39, 199–205. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo39199205 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Shimomura, R., Rush, E.R., Leung, L.K.-P. & Murray, P.J. (2022). Distribution of Black-breasted Button-quail
Turnix melanogaster in the Great Sandy Region, Queensland and associations with vegetation communities. Emu – Austral Ornithology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2022.2047733 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A., Joseph, L. & Watson, J.E.M. (2022). A review of specimens of Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii suggests serious concern for its conservation outlook. Emu – Austral Ornithology. DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2022.2090962 Download PDF
Leseberg, N.P., Venables, W.N., Murphy, S.A., Jackett, N.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2022). Accounting for both automated recording unit detectionspace and signal recognition performance in acousticsurveys: A protocol applied to the cryptic and criticallyendangered Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Austral Ecology, 47, 440–455. DOI: 10.1111/aec.13128 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Jackett, N.A., Mason, I.J., Rush, E.R., Leseberg, N.P. & Watson, J.E.M. (2022). Nests and eggs of the Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus: Two new nests and a review of previous descriptions. Australian Field Ornithology. DOI: 10.20938/afo39012018 Download PDF
2021
Leseberg, N. P., Murphy, S. A., Burbidge, A. H., Jackett, N. A., Olsen, P., Garnett, S. T. & Watson, J. (2021). Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis. In S. T. Garnett, & G. B. Baker (Eds.), The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020 (pp. 444–447). CSIRO Publishing. https://cdu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61CDU_INST/j6pesm/alma991002199119803446
Leseberg, N.P., McAllan, I.A.W., Murphy, S.A., Burbidge, A.H., Joseph, L., Parker, S.A., Jackett, N.A., Fuller, R.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2021). Using anecdotal reports to clarify the distribution and status of a near mythical species: Australia’s Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Emu – Austral Ornithology, 121(3), 239–249. DOI:
10.1080/01584197.2021.1927760 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D. & Stoetzel, H.J. (2021). First confirmed record of Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus in Queensland. Australian Field Ornithology, 38, 145–150. DOI: 10.20938/afo38145150 Download PDF
Webster, P.T.D., Jackett, N.A., Swann, G., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A., Watson, J.E.M. (2021). Descriptions of the vocalisations of the Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus. Australian Field Ornithology, 38, 137–144. DOI: 10.20938/afo38137144 Download PDF
Callaghan, C.T., Watson, J.E.M., Lyons, M.B., Cornwell, W.K. & Fuller, R.A. (2021). Conservation birding: A quantitative conceptual framework for prioritizing citizen science observations. Biological Conservation, 253, 108912. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108912 Download PDF
2020
Jackett, N.A., Murphy, S.A., Leseberg, N.P. & Watson, J.E.M. (2020). A review of vegetation associated with records of the Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae in north-east Queensland. Australian Field Ornithology, 37, 184–189. DOI: 10.20938/afo37184189 Download PDF
Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A., Jackett, N.A., Webster, P.T.D., MacColl, C., Stoetzel, H.J. & Watson, J.E.M. (2020). Recognising the impact of sight record assessment on the scientific record and a species’ conservation status. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 120, 181–183. DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2020.1774395 Download PDF
Leseberg, N.P., Venebles, W.N., Murphy, S.A. & Watson, J.E.M. (2020). Using intrinsic and contextual information associated with automated signal detections to improve call recognizer performance: A case study using the cryptic and critically endangered Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 1520–1530. DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.13475 Download PDF
Stoetzel, H.J., Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A., Andrew, M.E., Plant, K.J., Harrington, G.N. & Watson, J.E.M. (2020). Modelling the habitat of the endangered Carpentarian Grasswren (Amytornis dorotheae): The importance of spatiotemporal habitat availability in a fire prone landscape. Global Ecology and Conservation, 24. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01341 Download PDF
Collingwood, T.D., Watson, J.E.M., Kearney, S., Brown, A., Ross, A., Kulka, G., Kulka, H., Royee, F., Ross, B., Mahney, T., Huett, K. & Kutt, A.S. (2020). Native and exotic nest predators of Alwal (Golden-shouldered parrot Psephotellus chrysopterygius) on Olkola Country, Cape York Peninsula, Australia. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 120(2), 168–172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2020.1750963 Download PDF
2019
Laguna, J.M., Reside, A.E., Kutt, A., Grice, A.C., Buosi, P., Vanderduys, E.P., Taylor, M. & Schwarzkopf, L. (2019). Conserving the endangered Black-throated Finch southern subspecies: what do we need to know? Emu – Austral Ecology, DOI: 10.1080/01584197.2019.1605830 Download PDF
Leseberg, N.P., Murphy, S.A., Jackett, N.A., Greatwich, B.R., Brown, J., Hamilton, N., Joseph, L. & Watson, J.E.M. (2019). Descriptions of known vocalisations of the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis. Australian Field Ornithology, 36, 79–88. DOI: 10.20938/afo36079088 Download PDF
Reside, A.E., Cosgrove, A.J., Pointon, R., Trezise, J., Watson, J.E.M. & Maron, M. (2019). How to send a finch extinct. Environmental Science and Policy, 94, 163–173. DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2019.01.005 Download PDF
2016
Vanderduys, E.P., Reside, A.E., Grice, A. & Rechetelo, J. (2016). Addressing Potential Cumulative Impacts of Development on Threatened Species: The
Case of the Endangered Black-Throated Finch. PLoS ONE, 11(3): e0148485. DOI: :10.1371/journal.pone.0148485 Download PDF
