With all of this information being collected by many volunteers and to ensure all of the data going into the database was collected and recorded in the same way a set of guidelines were written for use in the field - the National Malleefowl Monitoring Manual.

With the growth of the digital age, we have seen vast improvements with data collection using Palms then GPS PDA, and now smartphones gathering digital images of each mound, and the growth of the database into an incredibly useful tool that also allows volunteers to see the outcome of their combined efforts.

All volunteers can get access to the site. Of particular interest is the file of all past photos of the mounds. Each year another photo is added for each mound, resulting in a slide show of the many stages a mound can go through the database is also an incredibly powerful tool for scientists to use when analysing mound use over the years although its main function is to track trends in Malleefowl populations.

Mound activity is used as the best indicator of species survival: the greater the number of active mounds, the more Malleetow out there in the bush.

The database is always being refined to increase its ability to aid in supplying trend analysis data for future conservation efforts of the Malleefowl. It is an amazing credit to all of the volunteers’ efforts over the many years of data collection and makes available some very important pieces of information such as how Malleefowl populations are going; where Malleetow numbers are increasing and where they are

decreasing.

Knowing what the trends in Malleetow populations are in different areas is not just an interesting thing to know. It immediately leads us to ask 'why are Malleefowl doing better here than there?' Answering this question informs us what the species requires to survive. The annually updated information also allows managers to target certain areas where the birds seem to be struggling and to measure how effective different management actions are. The aggregated data produced through this database was gathered by many individuals, many of them volunteers, and is held in trust by the National Malleefowl Recovery Group Inc.

The information will be used to provide management information to land managers or as directed by the National Malleefowl Recovery Team.

Contact us if you would like to get involved in monitoring Malleefowl