Southern Squatter Pigeon Habitat and Threat Model

Historical and contemporary ensemble species distribution models for the Southern Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta scripta) in eastern Australia. The dataset estimates a historical habitat extent of approximately 688,000 km² and a contemporary extent of approximately 359,500 km², representing an approximate 48% decline. It evaluates the influence of environmental variables and threatening processes, identifying red fox density as the primary negative predictor of the bird's relative likelihood of occurrence.

Use Cases

• Assessing the relative impact of red fox predation on a threatened bird species based on ensemble model outputs.
• Hindcasting historical species ranges using pre-European colonization environmental conditions and threat distributions.
• Prioritizing conservation areas by analyzing spatial patterns of habitat loss concentrated in inland New South Wales and southern Queensland.
• Comparing the influence of different threatening processes, such as feral cat density and habitat condition, on species distribution.

Strengths

• Employs an ensemble species distribution modeling (SDM) approach, a recognized method for reducing prediction uncertainty.
• Provides explicit, quantified estimates for historical (688,000 km²) and contemporary (359,500 km²) habitat extents and the percentage decline (48%).
• Cross-platform presence (DataCite, Figshare) indicates validation and importance for the research community.

Limitations

• Column names and a precise row count are not provided in any source, limiting understanding of the data structure.
• The dataset size (209968) is given without units, making its exact meaning (e.g., bytes, rows) ambiguous.
• Metadata completeness is medium; specific environmental variables used in the models are not listed.

Provenance

Source

Author: van Osta, John; Organization: Taylor & Francis

Collection Method

Developed through ensemble species distribution modeling (SDM) and hindcasting of historical conditions.

Time Range

Covers historical period prior to European colonization through to contemporary era.

Freshness

2026-03-25

Geography

Eastern Australia, primarily central and northern Queensland, with historical coverage extending to inland New South Wales and southern Queensland.