Research interests

• Wildlife ecology and management
• Population dynamics and management of vertebrate pests
• Wildlife abundance estimation

Background

John Tracey for the last 13 years has managed a range of research projects which investigate the dynamics, ecology, impacts and management of vertebrate pest species and exotic and endemic diseases. He currently manages the national CRC research program on pest birds, Kakadu Feral Animal Training Program and Aerial Survey and other projects including targeting surveillance of avian influenza in wild birds, density estimators of feral goats, feral pigs and macropods, and oral delivery of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease. His research is focussed on improving scientific based decision making for sustainable agriculture and the adaptive management of wildlife populations.

Qualifications

• B.App.Sc. (Natural Systems and Wildlife Management) Hons – University of Queensland 1996
• M. App. Sc. (Resource Management) – University of Canberra 2004

Current projects

• Efficacy of existing techniques for managing  pest birds
• Improving the relevance and efficiency of wild bird surveillance for avian influenza
• Towards national best practice strategies for managing pest birds
• Lord Howe Island Ducks: hybridisation, abundance, impacts and management
• Bio-economic evaluations of management strategies for pest birds
• Measuring and managing non-target impacts of rodenticides
• Kakadu feral animal training program and aerial survey

Recent Publications

Tracey JP, Lukins BS & Haselden C (2008) Hybridisation between Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Grey Duck (A. superciliosa) on Lord Howe Island and management options. Notornis 55(1): 2-8.

Tracey JP, Fleming PJS, West P, Slade S, McLeod SR, Jambrecina M (2008) Techniques for Aerial Surveys of Wildlife. Training and Reference Manual. Orange: NSW Department of Primary Industries, the Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre and Kakadu National Park.

McCallum H, Roshier D, Tracey JP, Joseph L & Heinsohn (2008) Will Wallace’s line save Australia from Avian Influenza? Ecology and Society 13(2): 41-57.

Tracey JP, Fleming PJS & Melville GJ (2008) Accuracy of some aerial survey estimators: contrasts with known numbers. Wildlife Research, 35(4), 377-42.

Fleming PJS & Tracey JP (2008) Aerial surveys of wildlife: theory and applications. Preface to special issue. Wildlife Research, 35(4), iii-iv.

Fleming PJS & Tracey JP (2008) Some human, aircraft and animal factors affecting aerial surveys: how to enumerate animals from the air. Wildlife Research, 35(4), 258-67.

Melville GJ, Tracey JP, Fleming PJS & Lukins BS (2008) Aerial surveys of multiple species: Distance and mark-resight estimators. Wildlife Research, 35(4), 310-19.

Tracey JP, Bomford M, Hart Q, Saunders G, Sinclair R, 2007. Managing Bird Damage to Fruit and Other Horticultural Crops. Canberra: Bureau of Rural Sciences.

Tracey JP & Fleming PJS (2007) Behavioural responses of feral goats (Capra hircus) to helicopters. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 108, 114-28.

Tracey JP, Fleming PJS & Melville GJ (2005) Does variable probability of detection compromise the use of indices in aerial surveys of medium-sized mammals? Wildlife Research, 32(3), 245–52.

Tracey JP, Woods R, Roshier D, West P & Saunders GR (2004) The role of wild birds in the transmission of avian influenza for Australia: an ecological perspective. Emu, 104(2), 109–24.

Professional associations and activities

• Invasive Animals CRC  
• Australasian Wildlife Management Society
• Birds Australia

Fields of Research

• 060208 Terrestrial Ecology
• 070205 Animal Protection (Pests and Pathogens)
• 050211 Wildlife and Habitat Management
• 070308 Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Wildlife management 
• Pest animal research and management
• Aerial surveys of wildlife