"Many iconic Australian animals, such as bilbies, potoroos, bettongs and bandicoots, feed directly on soil fungi -- including native truffles. The same pathways are likely to be responsible for their distribution in the environment."

To ensure the long-term survival of species that depend on soil fungi, especially the glossy black-cockatoo, Dr Crowley says conservation efforts need to consider the value of habitats on poor soils.

The study: Geology controls the distribution of a seed-eating bird: Feeding-tree selection by the glossy black-cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami

Key Ideas

• The red siskin has long been sought out by illegal bird traders and breeders due to its unique red-and-black plumage and cheerful song.

• The endangered species had almost disappeared from tropical South America until 2000, when a population was recorded in the South Rupununi region of Guyana.

• Local Indigenous communities have rallied behind the small bird, successfully maintaining population levels and encouraging a broader conservation movement that focuses on education and deterring poaching.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/12067783