Ronald Johnstone

Research Associate - Ornithology

Terrestrial Zoology

Diploma Applied Science; Former Curator of Ornithology

Ron Johnstone examining birds in the WA Museum collection. ron.johnstone@museum.wa.gov.au

Research


  • Distribution, status, ecology and taxonomy of Western Australian birds.
  • Distribution, status, migration and movements, conservation  and breeding biology of Western Australian cockatoos .
  • Birds of the Pilbara Region.
  • Birds of the Ord River Basin.
  • Seabirds of the eastern Indian Ocean
  • Distribution, status, ecology and biosystematics of the Indo-Australian Bird Fauna.
  • Birds of tropical northern Australia.
  • Birds of Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands.
  • History of Ornithology in Western Australia.
  • Field Guide to the Birds of Western Australia

Collections: provides assistance with the curation, management, development and facilitation of research on the ornithological collections.

Services (to other bodies): Represents the Western Australian Museum at meetings, workshops and on committees involved with the conservation of birds and important habitats in Western Australia.

Websites


Cockatoo Care: museum.wa.gov.au/explore/online-exhibitions/cockatoo-care

Exhibitions and Public Programs


Provide identifications and information on all aspects of birds to the public, students, government departments and researchers. Presents talks and provides media coverage of work in ornithology section. Produce field guides, handbooks and information sheets on the birds of Western Australia and birds of Christmas Island and of Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Selected Publications

Publications list 2009-2021

Johnstone, R.E. and Kirkby, T.  (2009).Birds of the Wungong Dam Catchment, Bedfordale, Western Australia.  West.Aust.Nat. 26 (4): 219-274.

Johnstone, R.E. and Kirkby, T.  (2009). Birds of Bungendore Park, Bungendore Park Management Committee, Armadale.

Johnstone, R.E. and Benken, R.  (2009).Hybridisation between Australian Ringneck Platycercus zonarius and Red-capped Parrot Platycercus spurius in Cottesloe, Perth, Western Australia.  West.Aust.Nat. 27 (1): 1-7.  

Johnstone, R.E. and Kirkby, T.  (2009).Research of Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.  Wungong Whispers Vol. 9. September 2009.

Burbidge, Allan H., Johnstone, R.E. and Pearson, David J. (2010). Birds in a vast arid upland – avian biogeographical patterns in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.  Rec. West. Aust. Mus. Suppl. 78: 247–270.

Johnstone, R.E., Kirkby, T. and Sarti, K. (2010) Wungong Catchment Forest Enhancement Project 2010/2011.Wungong Research Forum 2010, Black Cockatoo Project. Water Corporation.

Johnstone, R.E., Sarti, K. and Kirkby, T. (2010) Baudin’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus baudinii information sheet.  Western Australian Museum, Perth.

Johnstone, R.E., Sarti, K. and Kirkby, T. (2010) Carnaby’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris information sheet.  Western Australian Museum, Perth.

Johnstone, R.E., Sarti, K. and Kirkby, T. (2010) Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso information sheet.  Western Australian Museum, Perth.

Johnstone, R.E.,Kirkby, T. and Satri, K. ( 2010) Cockatoos Calling. Endangered Black Cockatoos in Western Australia.proceedings of a symposium about their biology, status, threats and efforts to restore their habitat and populations.urban bushland Council (WA Inc) .editor.

Johnstone , R.E. (2010) The occurrence of the Brown Quail near Perth. Western Australian Bird Notes 136, 19.

Johnstone , R.E. (2011) White-tailed Grey Fantail in Western Australia. Western Australian Bird Notes 137,

Johnstone , R.E. (2011) Brown Quails dreaming , fact or fiction. Western   Australian Bird Notes 138, 7-8.

Trainor, Colin. R., Verbelen, Philippe and Johnstone, Ron. E. (2012) The avifauna of Alor and Pantar, Lesser Sundas, Indonesia. Forktail 28, 77-92.

Johnstone, R.E., Burbidge, A.H. and Darnell, J.C. (2013). Birds of the Pilbara region, including seas and offshore islands, Western Australia: distribution, status and historical changes. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 78: 343-441.

Johnstone , R.E. and Balen, S.(Bas) van (2013). The birds of the Kai and Tayandu Islands, Maluku Region, Indonesia. West. Aust. Nat. 29 (1): 11–56.

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2013). First Australian Record of Hooded Pitta (Pitta sordida cucullata) with notes on distribution and migration. West. Aust. Nat.29 (1): 66–71.

Johnstone, R.E., Kirkby, T. and Sarti, K. (2013). The breeding biology of the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso Gould in south-western Australia.  I. Characteristics of nest trees and nest hollows. Pacific Conservation Biology 19 (3): 121-142.

Johnstone, R.E., Kirkby, T. and Sarti, K. (2013). The breeding biology of the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso Gould in south-western Australia.  II. Breeding Behaviour and diet. Pacific Conservation Biology 19 (3):143-156.

Johnstone, R.E. (2013). Foreword in Birds of South Western Australia, a photographic study. John Vogel.

Johnstone, R.E. (2014). The wrens of Dirk Hartog Island National Park. Identification Guide. Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Johnstone, Ronald E., Hidayat, Oki., Darnell, John C. and Trainor, Colin R. (2014). The avifauna of Semau Island, Lesser Sundas, Indonesia: Ecology, Taxonomy and Conservation.West.Aust.Nat.29 (3):162–222.

Johnstone, R.E., Fisher, C, and Saunders, D.A. (2014).Case 3658 Calyptorhynchus baudinii Lear, 1832 (Aves, CACATUIDA): proposed conservation of usage by designation of a neotype. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 71 (3), 170–178.

Johnstone, R.E. and Kirkby, T. (2014). Vertebrate Fauna of Bungendore Park. Bungendore Park Management Committee, Armadale.

Frogs of Bungendore Park. Information pamphlet.  Bungendore Park Management Committee, Armadale.

Johnstone, R. E. Kirkby, T. and Mannion, M. (2015).Trials on the use and effectiveness of artificial nest hollows for Carnaby’s Cockatoo at Cataby, Western Australia. West. Aust. Nat. 29 (4) 250–262.

Johnstone, R. E. and Darnell, J.C. (2015). First Australian record of Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia) with notes on its distribution and migration. West. Aust Nat. 29 (4) 2-263–269.

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2015). Checklist of the Birds of Western Australia. In: Western Australian Museum http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/collections/databases/fauna.asp

Johnstone, R. E. and Kirkby, T. (2015).Contact calls of Baudin’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus baudinii. West.Aust.Nat.30 (1) 48–52.

Horton, P. van Grouw, H. and Johnstone R.E. (2016). Clarifying collection details of specimens from Champion Bay, Western Australia, held in the Natural History Museum, Tring. Bull. B.O.C.136(2) 129–138.

Ellis, R. and Johnstone, R.E. (2016).  Diet of Liasis olivaceus (Pilbara Olive Python). Herpetological Review 47 (4), 2016.

Johnstone, R.E. (2016).  Book Review. Pigeons and Doves in Australia by Joseph M. Forshaw and William T. Cooper. Auk 133  565–567.

Turpin, J.M. and Johnstone, R.E. (2017). An isolated population of the Southern Scrub-robin (Drymodes brunneopygia) in the Great Victoria Desert. Pacific Conservation Biology, 23, 95–106.

Johnstone, R.E., Kirkby, T. and Sarti, K. (2017).The distribution, status, movements  and diet of the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo in the South-west with emphasis on the Greater Perth region , Western Australia. West. Aust. Nat.30 (4): 193–219.

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2017).The story of the Red Knot band number 052-65648.Tattler 42 4–5.

Tucker, A.D., Johnstone, R.E., Loyn, R., Vinnicombe, T., Newman, B., Newman, H., Veal, H., Bentley, B, and Williams ,D. (2017).Invasive Eurasian Tree Sparrows Passer montanus on Troughton Island in the North Kimberley of Western Australia: A cyclone –induced colonization attempt ? Australian Field Ornithology 2017, 34, 67–70.

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2017). Checklist of the Birds of Western Australia. In: Western Australian Museum http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Checklist-of-Birds-of-WA-August-2017_1.pdf

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2017). Checklist of the Birds of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In: Western Australian Museum http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Checklist-of-Birds-of-Christmas-and-Cocos-%28Keeling%29-islands-August-2017_1.pdf

Johnstone, R.E. and Greatwich, B. (2018). First Western Australian specimen of House Swift (Apus nipalensis) with notes on its distribution and migration. West. Aust. Nat.31 (2): 105–112.

Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist 28: 13–23.

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2019). Checklist of the Birds of Western Australia. In: Western Australian Museum http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Checklist-of-Birds-of-WA-October-2019_1.pdf

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2019). Checklist of the Birds of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In: Western Australian Museum http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Checklist-of-Birds-of-Christmas-and-Cocos-%28Keeling%29-islands-October 2019_1.pdf

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2020). Checklist of the Birds of Western Australia. In: Western Australian Museum http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Checklist-of-Birds-of-WA-November-2020_1.pdf

Johnstone, R.E. and Darnell, J.C. (2020). Checklist of the Birds of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In: Western Australian Museum http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Checklist-of-Birds-of-Christmas-and-Cocos-%28Keeling%29-islands-November 2020_1.pdf

Burbidge, A.H., Dolman, G., Ottewell, K., Johnstone, R. and Burbidge M. (2021). Genetic and morphological relationships of fieldwrens (Calamanthus): implications for conservation status and management. Emu-Austral Ornithology 121: 75–89. doi:10.1080/01584197.2021.192293.