Areas of expertise
- Life Histories 060308
- Conservation And Biodiversity 050202
- Behavioural Ecology 060201
- Ecology 0602
- Environmental Impact Assessment 050204
- Visual Arts And Crafts 1905
Biography
Dr Penny Olsen is an Honorary Professor in the Division of Ecology and Evolution in the Research School of Biology. After a career as a field biologist and ecological consultant, she has is now mostly occupied writing books about Australian natural history and its recorders, both artistic and scientific. In 2011 she was invested as a Member of the Order of the Australia for her for ‘service to the conservation sciences through the study and documentation of Australian bird species and their history.’ Her most recent publications include a book about indigenous Australians' contributions to our understanding of Australian fauna, Australia's First Zoologists, Flight of the Budgerigar: An Illustrated History and Feather and Brush: A History of Australian Bird Art.
Current student projects
Simon Cherriman - Population status and movement ecology of the Wedge-tailed Eagle in Western Australia
Daniel Gautschi Breeding biology and population dynamics of the Norfolk Island green parrot Cyanoramphus cookii
Past student projects
Karen Ikin (nee Stagoll) investigated the impact of urban spread on woodland birds, and recommends management strategies to guide future urban planning.
Carolyn Blackmore: The breeding biology and behaviour of the grey-crowned babbler ( Pomatostomus temporalis )
Debbie Saunders: Swift Parrot winter habitat identification
Stuart Cooney: The breeding ecology of the hooded parrot ( Psephotus dissimilis )
Robert Gosford: Ethno-biological source material for avian population histories: an assessment of material relevant to the avian populations of three central Australian Bioregions
Andrew Burton: Burton, A.M. 1991. Resource partitioning between two sympatric goshawks in the Australian wet tropics. PhD thesis, James Cook University
Mark Boulet: Boulet, M. 1997. Parental resource allocation to offspring in the Peregrine Falcon. Honours thesis, ANU
Janet Gardner: Gardner, J.L. 2002. Social behaviour and breeding biology of the Speckled Warbler. PhD thesis, ANU
Tom Aumann: Aumann, T. 1999. Riparian raptor assemblages in the Australian arid zone. PhD thesis, ANU
Paul McDonald: McDonald, P. 2003. Reproductive success, dimorphism and sex allocation in the Brown Falcon Falco berigora. PhD thesis, ANU
Jill Shephard: Shephard, J.M. 2003. A multi-scale approach to defining historical and contemporary factors responsible for the current distribution of te White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster ( Gmelin, 1788) I Australia. PhD thesis, Griffith University
Publications
- Cherriman, S, Fleming, P, Shephard, J et al. 2022, 'Climate influences productivity but not breeding density of wedge-tailed eagles Aquila audax in arid and mesic Western Australia', Austral Ecology, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 261-277.
- Olsen, P & Cunningham, R 2022, 'Influence of extreme and typical rainfall on nestling body condition of the endangered Norfolk Island Morepork: conservation implications of climate change', Emu - Austral Ornithology, vol. 122, no. 3-4, pp. 176-185.
- Olsen, P 2021, 'Emu-Austral Ornithology in the era of Twitter: 120 years of regional ornithology and counting', Emu - Austral Ornithology, vol. 121, no. 4, pp. 277-283.
- Olsen, P & Menkhorst, P 2020, 'A recent investigation highlights the importance of honesty in ornithology and conservation', Emu - Austral Ornithology, vol. 120, no. 2, pp. 178-180.
- Olsen, P & Rae, S 2017, 'Invalid evidence for purported 'collapse' in the number of breeding little eagles in the Australian Capital Territory', Canberra Bird Notes, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 245-249pp.
- Olsen, P, Austin, J, Murphy, S et al. 2016, 'The only known egg of the Night Parrot? A molecular and morphometric assessment of an alleged egg from the Tanami Desert', Australian Field Ornithology, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 211-214.
- Olsen, P 2013, Collecting Ladies, Ferdinand Von Mueller and Women Botanical Artists, National Library of Australia, Canberra.
- Olsen, P 2013, A Botanical Life: Robert David Fitzgerald, National Library of Australia, Canberra.
- Olsen, P 2013, Cayley and Son: The Life and Art of Neville Henry Cayley and Neville William Cayley, National Library of Australia, Canberra.
- Garnett, S, Olsen, P, Butchart, S et al. 2011, 'Did hybridization save the Norfolk Island boobook owl Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata?', Oryx: Journal of Fauna and Flora International, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 500-504.
- Braby, M & Olsen, P 2011, A Flutter of Butterflies, National Library of Australia, Canberra, ACT.
- Olsen, P & Joseph, L 2011, Stray Feathers: Reflections on the Structure, Behaviour and Evolution of Birds, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne Australia.
- Olsen, P 2010, Upside Down World: Early European Impressions of Australia's Curious Animals, National Library of Australia, Canberra.
- Olsen, P 2010, Nature seems determined to have a bit of a play, pp. 2-7pp.
- Olsen, P & Cunningham, R 2008, Data Brief: Biodiversity - bird distribution and abundance.
- Olsen, P, Barry, S, Baker, G et al. 1998, 'Assortative mating in falcons: Do big females pair with big males?', Journal of Avian Biology, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 197-200.
- Cunningham, R & Olsen, P 2009, 'A statistical methodology for tracking long-term change in reporting rates of birds from volunteer-collected presence-absence data', Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 18, pp. 1305-1327.
- Olsen, P 2009, 'Night Parrots: Fugitives of the Inland', in Libby Robin, Robert Heinsohn, Leo Joseph (ed.), Boom and Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry Country, CSIRO Publishing, Canberra, Australia, pp. 121-146.
- Cooney, S, Olsen, P & Garnett, S 2009, 'Ecology of the coprophagous moth Trisyntopa neossophila Edwards (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae)', Australian Journal of Entomology, vol. 48, pp. 97-101.
- Olsen, P 2008, 'Urbanisation and other Human Population Pressures', Wingspan, vol. 18, no. 4, p. 9.
- Olsen, P 2008, 'Wildlife of Australia - a nature photographer's journey', in (ed.), Wildlife of Australia - a nature photographer's journey, Reed New Holland, Australia, p. 2.
- Olsen, P 2008, 'Introduction [to A Brush with Birds]', in Joanna Karmel (ed.), A Brush with Birds, National Library of Australia, Australia, pp. 1-13.
- Olsen, P & Silcocks, A 2008, 'The Atlas of Australian Birds: National Trends', Wingspan, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 17-19.
- Olsen, P 2008, 'Performance of Governments and the Rise of the Private Conservation Sector', Wingspan, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 38-39.
- Olsen, P & Ward, R 2008, 'Tasman (Green) Parrot', Wingspan, vol. 18, no. 4, p. 33.
- Olsen, P 2008, 'Trouble on the Western Front', Wingspan, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 12-13.
- Olsen, P 2008, Further Glimpses of Mr Gilbert's 'Beautiful Parrakeet', National Library of Australia News.
- Olsen, P 2007, 'Birds as Postal Tender', Wingspan, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 30-33.
- Olsen, P 2007, Glimpses of paradise: quest for the beautiful parrakeet, National Library of Australia, Canberra.
- Edwards, T, Cooney, S, Olsen, P et al. 2007, 'A new species of Trisyntopa Lower (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) associated with the nests of the hooded parrot (Psephotus dissimilis, Psittacidae) in the Northern Territory', Australian Journal of Entomology, vol. 46, pp. 276-280.
- Shephard, J, Hughes, J, Catterall, C et al. 2005, 'Conservation status of the White-Bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster in Australia determined using mtDNA control region sequence data', Conservation Genetics, vol. 6, pp. 413-429.
- McDonald, P, Olsen, P & Cockburn, A 2005, 'Sex allocation and nestling survival in a dimorphic raptor: does size matter?', Behavioral Ecology, vol. 16, pp. 922-930.
- McDonald, P, Olsen, P & Cockburn, A 2005, 'Selection on body size in a raptor with pronounced reversed sexual size dimorphism: are bigger females better?', Behavioral Ecology, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 48-56.
- Olsen, P 2005, Wedge-Tailed Eagle, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria.
- McDonald, P, Olsen, P & Cockburn, A 2004, 'Weather dictates reproductive success and survival in the Australian brown falcon Falco berigora', Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 73, pp. 683-692.
- Gardner, J, Magrath, R & Olsen, P 2004, 'Speckled warblers break cooperative rules: absence of helping in a group-living member of the Pardalotidae', Animal Behaviour, vol. 67, pp. 719-728.
- Olsen, P, Weston, M & Silcocks, A 2003, 'The State of Australia's Birds 2003', Wingspan, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 1-24.
- McDonald, P, Olsen, P & Baker-Gabb, D 2003, 'Territory fidelity, reproductive success and prey choice in the brown falcon, Falco berigora: a flexible bet-hedger?', Australian Journal of Zoology, vol. 51, pp. 399-414.
- Olsen, P 2003, 'Hawks and eagles (Accipitridae)', in Bernard Grzimek (ed.), Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (2nd ed), Thomson Gale, New York USA, pp. 317-341pp.
- Olsen, P 2003, 'Falcons and caracaras (Falconidae)', in Bernard Grzimek (ed.), Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (2nd ed), Thomson Gale, New York USA, pp. 347-362pp.
- Olsen, P 2003, 'What is a bird?', in Bernard Grzimek (ed.), Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (2nd ed), Thomson Gale, New York USA, pp. 3-18pp.
- Olsen, P 2002, 'Birds of a feather: a century of austral ornithology', Emu - Austral Ornithology, vol. 102, p. 4.
- Olsen, P & Doran, B 2002, 'Climatic modelling of the Australian distribution of the grass owl (Tyto capensis): is there an inland population?', Wildlife Research, vol. 29, pp. 117-125.
- Olsen, P 2001, Australian bird art - Too brief a history, pp. 24-29.
- Boulet, M, Olsen, P, Cockburn, A et al. 2001, 'Parental investment in male and female offspring by the Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus', Emu - Austral Ornithology, vol. 101, pp. 95-103.
- Olsen, P 2001, Feather and brush: three centuries of Australian bird art, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
- Olsen, P & Baker, G 2001, 'Daytime incubation temperatures in nests of the Nankeen Kestrel, Falco cenchroides', Emu - Austral Ornithology, vol. 101, pp. 255-258.
- Debus, S & Olsen, P 2001, Grey falcons and other raptors, pp. 12-17.
- Burton, A & Olsen, P 2000, 'Niche Partitioning by Two Sympatric Goshawks in the Australian Wet Tropics: Ranging Behaviour', Emu - Austral Ornithology, vol. 100, pp. 216-226.
- Burton, A & Olsen, P 2000, 'Management of exotic pine plantations in northeast Queensland for goshawks', Australian Forestry, vol. 63, no. 3, pp. 174-180.
