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Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is a large, noisy honeyeater of northern and eastern mainland Australia. It uses woodland, forest, watercourses and other vegetated areas, and may occur in orchards, gardens and urban parks on or beside works sites. It is listed as Rare in South Australia and is treated as an EVNT species for project assessment, although it is Least Concern under Queensland legislation.

Conservation status

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Rare. This listing covers only Entomyzon cyanotis cyanotis.

Breeding season

The Blue-faced Honeyeater breeds in Australia from June to February. It is generally sedentary in northern areas, but can be locally nomadic in the south, with seasonal movements recorded in parts of New South Wales and southern Queensland.

Breeding mode: Breeding pairs are formed. Immature birds may help feed nestlings, so some pairs may breed cooperatively.

Breeding season: June to February.

Clutch size: Usually two eggs, rarely three.

Incubation: 16 days.

Fledging and dependency: Fledglings remain with their parents for some time after leaving the nest. The fledging period is not recorded.

Nest sites: Usually reuses abandoned nests of other large birds, including babblers, friarbirds, miners, wattlebirds, Australian Magpies and Magpie-larks. New nests are round cups made from bark and grass.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding timing may vary between regions and years, particularly in the south, so survey across suitable seasons where practicable and increase effort if birds, nests or dependent young are detected.

  • Breeding and nesting: Search trees, dense foliage, Pandanus and likely host nests before clearing during the breeding season.
  • Eggs, nestlings and dependent young: Young may be present through the breeding period, and fledglings can remain dependent on adults after leaving the nest.
  • Foraging and calling activity: The species is active throughout the year and is often detected by its loud calls, including before sunrise.
  • Local movement and flocking: Northern birds are generally sedentary, while southern birds may move locally or seasonally and should not be assumed to remain at one site.
  • Highest clearing risk: For sites managed as EVNT or Rare habitat, complete targeted pre-clearance checks and retain active nests, nest trees and nearby foraging vegetation, with timing adjusted to the local approval conditions.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is a large, conspicuous bird that is usually detected by its loud calls and gregarious behaviour. It is often seen in pairs or small flocks, including around water, flowering trees and fruiting plants.

Adults have a black crown, face and neck, a narrow white band across the back of the neck, golden olive-green upperparts and white underparts. The throat and upper breast are grey-black.

The bare facial skin is two-toned, with brilliant cobalt blue below the eye and yellow to white around the eye. Males and females look similar.

Juveniles have a greyer head and bib, browner upperparts and yellow-green facial skin. The adult blue facial patch develops by about 16 months of age.

  • Length: 26 to 32 cm.
  • Adult wingspan: about 44 cm.
  • Adult mass: around 105 g.

Identification: Calls and behaviour

The species is noisy and active. It may call from trees before sunrise and is often detected before it is seen.

Common calls include a repeated, penetrating "woik", "weet weet weet" calls at daybreak, flight squeaks and softer "hwit hwit" calls.

  • Usually occurs in pairs or small flocks.
  • Groups commonly contain up to seven birds, with larger flocks occasionally recorded.
  • Birds may defend feeding areas from other birds.

Identification: Similar species and field signs

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is much larger than Melithreptus honeyeaters. It is generally more strongly marked than friarbirds, miners and wattlebirds.

The blue facial skin, black head, white neck markings and golden olive-green back are useful field characters. The albipennis subspecies has a distinctive white wing patch.

Look and listen for birds moving through tree crowns, around flowering plants and near water. Nests can also be a useful sign during breeding checks.

  • No droppings, whitewash, stains or odours are distinctive for this species.
  • Record the call, number of birds, direction of movement and any apparent nest or feeding tree.
  • Use photographs where practical, particularly for birds with juvenile facial colouring.

Distribution: Australian range

In Australia, the Blue-faced Honeyeater occurs across the northern and eastern mainland, extending south through inland and riverine districts. It is more common in the north, with patchier records in parts of southern Australia.

The range extends from the Kimberley region of Western Australia across the Top End of the Northern Territory and through Queensland. In New South Wales it occurs mainly in the Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands, western slopes and Riverina, with gaps along parts of the central and south coast.

In Victoria it is mainly found in the north, including areas near the Murray River and some inland locations. In South Australia it reaches the south-east, the Murray region and occasionally the Adelaide area.

  • Western Australia: Kimberley region.
  • Northern Territory: Top End, including Melville Island.
  • Queensland: Cape York, the Gulf country and much of eastern and central Queensland.
  • New South Wales: Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands, western slopes and Riverina, with coastal records south to Nambucca Heads.
  • Victoria: northern Victoria, the Murray region and some western inland areas.
  • South Australia: south-east and Murray districts, with occasional records near Adelaide.

Distribution: Subspecies and regional variation

The northern and north-western range includes Entomyzon cyanotis albipennis. Entomyzon cyanotis griseigularis occurs on Cape York Peninsula and meets the nominate form near the base of the peninsula.

The nominate Entomyzon cyanotis cyanotis occurs across eastern Australia from Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria to south-eastern South Australia. Entomyzon cyanotis harterti occurs in southern New Guinea.

  • Subspecies boundaries can be difficult to apply during routine site surveys.
  • Record photographs and location details where a distinctive white wing patch or unusual regional form is observed.

Distribution: Site records and survey planning

The species can occur in modified landscapes, so a cleared site should not be assumed to be unsuitable. Check retained trees, water points, flowering vegetation, fruiting plants and connected woodland around the disturbance area.

The species may be locally nomadic in southern parts of its range. Repeat observations across suitable seasons can help distinguish a regular site use area from a single passing record.

  • Review recent fauna records before clearing or construction.
  • Map records by habitat type, water source, mature tree and proposed disturbance area.
  • Include adjacent retained vegetation in the assessment, not just the clearing footprint.

Habitat: Vegetation types

Blue-faced Honeyeaters use a broad range of wooded and semi-open habitats, particularly where trees, flowering plants and water occur together. Retained vegetation around a work area may be used even when the site is not intact woodland.

Look for open forest and woodland, dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest, rainforest margins, monsoon forest, paperbark stands, mangroves and Pandanus thickets.

The species also uses wetter parts of semi-arid landscapes. In eucalypt woodland, the understorey may be grassy or may include shrubs and small trees such as grevilleas, paperbarks, wattles, Cooktown ironwood and billygoat plum.

  • Eucalypt woodland and open forest.
  • Vegetation along watercourses and around wetlands or water points.
  • Mixed eucalypt and Pandanus stands.
  • Mangroves, coastal heathlands and rainforest edges.
  • Orchards, banana plantations, farms, parks, gardens and golf courses.

Habitat: Landform and site features

Prioritise near-water vegetation, drainage lines, creek margins, run-on depressions and other areas where vegetation remains taller or denser than the surrounding landscape.

In the Kakadu region, birds were associated with mixed stands of eucalypts and Pandanus, rather than pure stands of either vegetation type.

  • Mature trees with flowering crowns.
  • Pandanus, paperbarks and other trees that provide dense foliage.
  • Connected woodland along riparian corridors.
  • Fruiting or flowering plants near retained trees.
  • Vegetated edges around dams, tanks and other water points.

Habitat: Habitat checks before works

Walk the proposed clearing boundary and nearby retained vegetation. Check for active birds, feeding groups, likely nest trees and routes between woodland patches.

Where clearing is proposed in habitat that connects larger patches, assess the effect on movement between those patches and retain practical links wherever possible.

  • Map mature trees, hollow-bearing trees, stags and large logs that may be used by fauna generally.
  • Identify weeds, invasive plants, stock access and other factors that may reduce habitat quality.
  • Include seasonal flowering and fruiting resources in the site assessment.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding sites

The species feeds mainly in tree branches and foliage, often in small, noisy groups. It may forage in native or exotic vegetation, so gardens, orchards and planted areas can form part of a local feeding area.

The diet is mainly insects and other invertebrates, including cockroaches, termites, grasshoppers, lerps, scale insects, beetles, flies, moths, bees, ants and spiders. Small lizards have also been reported as prey.

Plant foods include nectar, pollen, berries and fruit. Bananas and grapes may attract birds in cultivated areas, particularly in tropical regions.

  • Flowering eucalypts and grasstrees.
  • Fruiting native or exotic plants.
  • Tree bark, limbs and foliage with invertebrate prey.
  • Pandanus leaf bases, especially in northern areas.
  • Orchards, banana plantations and other productive garden vegetation.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Birds usually forage in branches and foliage. They catch prey mostly by sallying, and also probe and glean among leaves and bark.

In Kakadu, birds hunted prey between the leaf bases of screw palm, Pandanus spiralis. They may join mixed-species flocks with Little Friarbirds and other honeyeaters.

  • Record the height and vegetation used during each observation.
  • Note whether birds are feeding, moving through, calling or defending an area.
  • Record flowering, fruiting and insect-rich vegetation that could be affected by works.

Foraging habitat: Practical controls

Retain mature feeding trees and connected vegetation where practicable. Avoid unnecessary removal of flowering or fruiting plants during periods when birds are actively using them.

Control dust, weeds, spray drift, sediment and polluted runoff so feeding vegetation and nearby water are not degraded.

  • Keep machinery and stock out of retained feeding areas.
  • Stage works to retain access to suitable trees and water where practicable.
  • Revegetate disturbed edges with locally appropriate native species.

Breeding habitat: Nests and nest sites

Blue-faced Honeyeaters form breeding pairs and may breed cooperatively, with immature birds helping to feed nestlings. Breeding can occur from June to February, so active nest checks are needed during much of the year.

Most nests are built on abandoned nests of other birds. Recorded former nest owners include Grey-crowned Babblers, friarbirds, Noisy Miners, Red Wattlebirds, Australian Magpies and Magpie-larks.

The species may leave an old nest unmodified, or add material and reline it. New nests are neat, round cups made from rough bark linked with finer bark and grass.

  • Check dense foliage, Pandanus, shrubs and the upper parts of trees.
  • Look for a cup nest placed on an old nest rather than assuming every nest is newly built.
  • Treat an occupied nest, recently used nest or adult carrying nesting material as a potential breeding site.

Breeding habitat: Breeding timing and behaviour

Breeding season is June to February. The usual clutch is two eggs, rarely three, and incubation lasts 16 days.

Both adults tend the young. Helpers may assist, and fledglings can remain with their parents for some time after leaving the nest.

  • Watch for repeated adult movements to one location.
  • Listen for alarm calls or persistent calling near dense foliage.
  • Avoid clearing or high disturbance near an active nest until the site has been assessed by the project ecologist.

Breeding habitat: Pre-clearing and construction controls

A suitably experienced fauna spotter catcher should inspect vegetation immediately before clearing, with particular attention to old nests in trees and dense foliage. Nest checks should be repeated if works are delayed or the work area changes.

If an active nest is found, stop work in the immediate area and establish a site-specific exclusion area under the project approval and ecologist's direction. Do not remove or relocate a nest without appropriate authorisation and advice.

  • Retain nest trees and nearby cover where practicable.
  • Avoid unnecessary clearing during the June to February breeding period where a practicable alternative exists.
  • Record the nest location, activity, photographs, adults present and the management response.

Sheltering habitat: Likely shelter features

Specific night roost sites have not been identified for this species, but its use of dense foliage, woodland edges and water-associated vegetation indicates that retained cover should be treated as potentially valuable shelter.

Look for dense tree crowns, Pandanus, paperbarks, rainforest edges, riparian vegetation and other sheltered stands. These features may provide cover between feeding movements and during periods of disturbance.

Pairs and flocks may move through connected vegetation rather than remaining in one small patch.

  • Dense foliage near feeding trees.
  • Pandanus thickets and paperbark stands.
  • Mature trees along watercourses.
  • Sheltered woodland edges and vegetation corridors.
  • Retained trees and shrubs within otherwise modified landscapes.

Sheltering habitat: Checks around work areas

Inspect retained vegetation before dawn, during early morning activity and before noisy works where practicable. The species may call from cover before it is visible.

Record repeated use of a tree line, thicket, water point or other shelter feature, even when no nest is found.

  • Avoid parking, lighting or storing materials beneath retained shelter vegetation.
  • Keep access tracks and laydown areas outside dense retained cover where practicable.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher during clearing and immediately report birds that are reluctant to leave cover.

Sheltering habitat: Managing disturbance

Retain connected shelter vegetation and avoid creating isolated strips where possible. Keep indirect impacts such as dust, spray drift, erosion, weeds and polluted runoff away from retained habitat.

Where night works are proposed near dense vegetation or water, assess lighting and noise effects and retain dark, undisturbed refuge areas where practicable.

  • Do not block established movement routes without assessment.
  • Maintain fauna refuges during fire management.
  • Use staged clearing so birds can move towards suitable retained habitat.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is adaptable, but clearing and poorly managed construction can remove feeding, nesting and shelter resources. Management should reflect the local listing: apply standard fauna protections across the range, with additional assessment and monitoring where the species is listed or treated as an EVNT species.

Removal of mature trees, flowering plants, Pandanus, riparian vegetation and connected woodland can reduce feeding and breeding opportunities. Fragmentation may interrupt movement between habitat patches.

Retain mature trees, stags, logs, dense vegetation and practical links between retained patches. Avoid clearing beyond the approved footprint.

  • Mark no-go areas before works begin.
  • Keep retained vegetation protected from vehicles, stock, fill and accidental damage.
  • Use staged clearing to allow birds to move into suitable habitat.

Threats: Breeding and direct fauna impacts

Clearing during the June to February breeding period can affect nests, eggs, nestlings and dependent fledglings. Old nests may be reused or incorporated into new nests.

Complete pre-clearing inspections and use a fauna spotter catcher. Stop and reassess if an active nest, dependent young or repeated adult nest attendance is detected.

  • Do not disturb an active nest without project-specific ecological and approval advice.
  • Record and report all breeding observations.
  • Maintain nearby cover where practicable until young have dispersed.

Threats: Fire, weeds, grazing and invasive species

Altered fire regimes, livestock grazing, weed invasion and pest animals can reduce woodland structure and food resources. Fire management should retain fauna refuges and avoid burning when breeding fauna may be present.

Prevent the spread of weeds and pathogens on vehicles and equipment. Control weeds and pest animals using methods that minimise effects on non-target fauna.

  • Avoid unnecessary soil disturbance.
  • Do not dump garden waste or other material into retained bushland.
  • Manage erosion, sediment and runoff before construction starts.

Threats: Listing, survey and compliance response

The species is listed as Rare in South Australia and is profiled as an EVNT species for environmental assessment. In Queensland it is listed as Least Concern under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, so the Queensland near threatened breeding-place provisions do not apply to this species on that basis.

For a South Australian or other EVNT assessment, use targeted checks of woodland, water-associated vegetation, mature trees, flowering resources and likely nest sites. Survey effort should cover more than one season where the project could affect substantial habitat, and should record person hours, survey conditions, observer expertise and limitations.

  • Check the current state and Commonwealth approval requirements before clearing.
  • Escalate records from listed areas to the project ecologist and environmental manager.
  • Use repeat surveys where rainfall, season or disturbance may affect detectability.
  • Monitor retained habitat and any nest or feeding areas during construction.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Blue-faced Honeyeaters are conspicuous, vocal birds that often occur in pairs or small groups. Surveys should focus on dawn activity, suitable feeding habitat and likely breeding places, with effort adjusted to the proposed clearing and the conservation listing that applies in the relevant jurisdiction.

Map open forest, woodland, rainforest edges, paperbarks, mangroves, watercourses, Pandanus thickets, orchards, gardens and other flowering or fruiting vegetation.

Identify mature trees, dense vegetation and abandoned nests that could be used for breeding. Check whether the site lies within the range of a listed subspecies or within the Plains mallee box woodlands ecological community.

Review recent records, habitat connectivity, nearby water and seasonal food resources. Confirm the current state and territory listing before finalising the survey and approval pathway.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection

Survey from before sunrise through the first hours of daylight, when the species is especially vocal. Listen for repeated, penetrating calls and watch for birds moving between tree crowns, foliage, flowers and water.

Use quiet walking searches, stationary observations, water-point checks and incidental observations during other fauna work. Search in pairs or small flocks, and inspect mixed eucalypt and Pandanus stands where present.

Look for adults carrying food, nest material or faecal sacs, fledglings, repeated visits to one location and defensive behaviour around a nest.

  • Record visual detections, calls, flight paths and feeding activity separately.
  • Use binoculars and photographs where this can be done without approaching a nest.
  • Do not rely on a single visit where clearing could remove mature vegetation or a breeding place.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and repeat visits

Plan surveys in more than one season where the project may affect habitat. This is particularly useful in dry areas, after variable rainfall, or where flowering, fruiting and water availability change through the year.

Give particular attention to the breeding period from June to February. In southern areas, allow for local nomadic movements and seasonal movements in parts of New South Wales and southern Queensland.

Where conditions are dry or records are sparse, extend the survey across more than one year when practicable. Increase searches after rain or when flowering and fruiting resources are available.

Survey methodology: 4. Effort and records

Set effort according to the size and condition of the site, the amount of habitat to be cleared and the listing level. Use more than one method and repeat searches where habitat is suitable but no birds are detected.

Record survey dates, start and finish times, weather, rainfall conditions, observers, observer expertise, methods, areas searched and person hours.

For every record, capture the location, number of birds, behaviour, age class where known, habitat, direction of movement, photographs or recordings, and whether breeding activity was suspected.

  • Map all nests, likely breeding places, roosting areas, feeding concentrations and important water points.
  • Document areas not searched and any limitations caused by access, weather, fire, noise or dense vegetation.
  • Retain records in the project fauna database and provide them to the relevant regulator when required.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and listing checks

Plan the work around habitat retention and the possibility of an active breeding place. Confirm approvals before vegetation is disturbed, and brief all workers on the authority of the fauna spotter catcher and the stop work process.

Confirm the state or territory status applying to the site. South Australia lists the species as Rare. Western Australia uses Priority 4 as a rare and near threatened category. Queensland records and project approvals must be checked against the current Queensland Nature Conservation Act requirements.

Check whether the action could affect a matter protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Make an EPBC referral where the legal test is met, and follow any approval conditions.

In Queensland, confirm whether the animal is protected wildlife and whether disturbing or tampering with a breeding place requires a Species Management Program. Obtain state permits, wildlife authorities and any fauna spotter catcher approvals before work starts.

  • Keep approvals, conditions, maps and contact details at the site office and in the supervisor's vehicle.
  • Do not treat a general fauna approval as permission to disturb an active breeding place.
  • Escalate any uncertainty to the project ecologist and the relevant regulator before clearing.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and habitat retention

Redesign the footprint to retain mature trees, stags, dense vegetation, water-associated habitat, Pandanus, flowering trees and connected native vegetation.

Avoid unnecessary clearing near recorded nests, feeding concentrations and regularly used water points. Retain buffers required by approval conditions.

Where the Plains mallee box woodlands ecological community is present, apply the approved community buffer. A buffer of at least 50 m beyond the canopy of the outermost trees is general ecological-community guidance, with 100 m used where practical for patches of high conservation value. Confirm the applicable approval before applying these distances to a species record.

  • Fence and sign no-go areas before machinery arrives.
  • Keep stockpiles, access tracks, laydown areas and lighting outside retained habitat where practicable.
  • Prevent weed spread, polluted runoff, erosion, spray drift and unnecessary soil disturbance.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and breeding check

Complete a pre-clearance search shortly before work begins, including trees, dense foliage, Pandanus, abandoned nests and vegetation around water. Repeat the check after a delay if clearing is postponed or conditions change.

Search for the species during daylight and listen at dawn where practicable. Inspect likely nests from the ground first and use a qualified arborist or other authorised person if elevated inspection is needed.

If adults repeatedly visit a nest, carry food, defend an area or attend dependent young, treat the site as an active breeding place until assessed by the project ecologist and regulator.

  • Mark active or suspected breeding places on the clearing plan.
  • Do not remove an apparently empty nest without checking whether it is being reused.
  • Set a site-specific exclusion area and work restriction through the approval holder or regulator. Do not invent a buffer where approval conditions specify another distance.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Timing, exclusion and induction

Schedule clearing outside the June to February breeding period where practicable. If this cannot be achieved, use a documented pre-clearance process and obtain any required approval for work near an active breeding place.

Allow for local movement in southern parts of the range and in parts of New South Wales and southern Queensland. A site that is empty on one visit may still be used later when food or water conditions change.

Induct all workers and contractors before they enter the clearing area.

  • Explain the species' appearance, calls, likely habitats and nest types.
  • Show no-go areas, access routes and the stop work signal.
  • Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work immediately when a bird, nest, breeding place or unexpected habitat feature is found.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a staged clearing sequence that gives birds time to move into retained habitat. Keep the fauna spotter catcher in a position to see the work face and stop machinery before an animal or breeding place is placed at risk.

Clear in small, supervised stages towards retained vegetation and away from isolated habitat where practicable. Start with low vegetation and progressively remove larger vegetation only after it has been checked.

Pause between stages so birds can leave the work area. Do not drive birds towards active nests, roads, open water or other hazards.

Keep machinery outside exclusion areas and maintain access for the fauna team, emergency response and regulators.

  • Use spotters on the ground and in machinery where required by the approval.
  • Recheck felled vegetation, nest-bearing branches and the ground around retained trees before moving material.
  • Stop if visibility is poor, weather changes rapidly or the work area cannot be safely monitored.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and release

Allow healthy adult birds to move away without pursuit. Do not chase, catch or relocate a bird unless this is authorised and necessary to prevent immediate harm.

Only authorised and appropriately trained people may handle the species. Use a covered, ventilated container and keep handling time and noise to a minimum.

Release a healthy bird only under the direction of the fauna spotter catcher and in suitable retained habitat near the capture location, unless the approval or wildlife authority requires another arrangement.

  • Do not feed, water or medicate the bird unless directed by a wildlife carer or veterinarian.
  • Record the capture, handling, condition, location, time and release decision.
  • Seek advice before moving a bird that may be dependent on a nest or fledgling.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Active breeding places and roosts

Stop work immediately if an active nest, dependent young, repeated breeding activity or a regularly used roost is found. Keep people, vehicles and machinery outside the exclusion area.

Contact the project ecologist, approval holder and relevant regulator or wildlife authority. Follow the approved Species Management Program, permit or other condition before work resumes.

Do not remove, repair, relocate or destroy a nest. The species commonly uses abandoned nests of other birds, and some nests may be reused or relined.

  • Maintain the exclusion until the authorised person confirms that work can recommence.
  • Protect nearby food trees, water and cover while the breeding place is active.
  • Record the species, location, nest type, evidence of activity, photographs, actions and regulator advice.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or distressed animals

Stop work and secure the area. Keep workers, vehicles, dogs and machinery away from the bird.

Have the fauna spotter catcher assess the bird without unnecessary handling. Contact the project wildlife carer, veterinarian or state wildlife authority using the approved injured fauna pathway.

Place the bird in a secure, ventilated container only if directed or authorised, and keep it quiet and shaded during transfer.

  • Do not release an injured bird at the site.
  • Record the condition, suspected cause, finder, time, location, photographs, handler, destination and outcome where known.
  • Report deaths, collisions, nest damage and unauthorised disturbance as incidents under the project approval.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Close out each clearing stage with a documented inspection and review. Early follow-up is useful where habitat has been fragmented, breeding activity was detected or animals were handled.

Inspect the cleared area, retained vegetation, access tracks and exclusion boundaries after each clearing stage. Look for injured birds, trapped animals, damaged nests, fallen nest trees and birds attempting to return to removed habitat.

Check that no machinery, spoil, fencing or lighting has entered retained habitat or approved buffers.

Repeat checks after storms, high winds, fire, flooding or other events that may damage nests or retained trees.

  • Record the date, people present, area checked, findings and corrective actions.
  • Report any injured or dead animal through the project incident system.
  • Keep retained habitat clearly marked until construction risks have passed.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and relocated animals

Monitor birds relocated or released under an approved process in accordance with the permit or wildlife authority direction. Use the least intrusive method that answers the management question.

Check whether birds are using retained vegetation, water points and restored areas. Record return movements, continued presence, distress, injury or renewed breeding activity.

Do not assume that a released bird has survived without a documented follow-up outcome.

  • Use photographs, field notes and mapped observations to support monitoring.
  • Escalate repeated injuries, displacement or failure to use the release area to the project ecologist.
  • Do not undertake additional relocation without approval and a clear welfare and habitat plan.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Reporting and incident review

Provide a clearing report that compares the work completed with the approved footprint and conditions. Include survey effort, detections, nests, exclusion areas, handling events, injuries, mortalities and habitat retained.

Review any stop work event with the supervisor, fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist before the next clearing stage.

Update the risk assessment if birds are more numerous than expected, breeding activity is found, or retained habitat is not functioning as planned.

  • Submit regulator notifications within the timeframe required by the approval.
  • Map all incidents and use the records to refine future pre-clearance surveys.
  • Keep permits, inductions, daily logs, photographs and wildlife treatment records together in the project file.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should restore connected native habitat that supplies food, shelter and nesting opportunities. Focus on locally appropriate vegetation, water protection and long-term control of weeds and disturbance.

Reinstate native woodland, forest, rainforest edge, paperbark, Pandanus, riparian and other habitat types that match the pre-clearing community and surrounding landscape.

Retain and protect mature trees, stags, logs, dense foliage and natural nest-bearing structures wherever safe. Link revegetated areas with existing native vegetation rather than creating isolated plantings.

Use locally appropriate native plants that provide flowers, fruit, foliage and invertebrate habitat. Include a mix of canopy, mid-storey and ground-layer plants where suitable.

  • Control weeds before planting and during establishment.
  • Prevent grazing, vehicle access, fire damage and soil compaction in rehabilitation areas.
  • Protect restored areas from spray drift, polluted runoff and dumping of garden waste.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Breeding structures and habitat features

Prioritise retention of natural trees and existing bird nests. The Blue-faced Honeyeater commonly uses abandoned nests of other birds, so nest boxes are not a routine substitute for retained vegetation and natural nest resources.

Use artificial nest sites only where a suitably qualified ecologist confirms that they suit the local population, the habitat and the approval conditions. Design, placement and inspection should be site specific.

Do not install bat boxes, maternity roost structures or cave substitutes for this species. Those structures are not appropriate replacements for its known nest types.

  • Do not disturb or relocate an active nest to install an artificial structure.
  • Monitor any artificial nest site for occupation, damage, overheating, predators and maintenance needs.
  • Remove or modify a structure only under an approved management plan.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, food and lighting

Protect natural watercourses, wetlands and water points from sediment, chemicals, rubbish and excessive disturbance. Where water features are reinstated, use safe edges and locally appropriate native vegetation.

Restore flowering and fruiting plants suited to the site, while preventing cultivated species from spreading into native habitat. Avoid creating conditions that attract birds into unsafe construction areas or roads.

Use shielded, low spill lighting near retained and rehabilitated habitat. Turn off unnecessary lighting during inactive periods and avoid directing lights into trees, water or movement corridors.

  • Keep maintenance chemicals away from drains and waterways.
  • Manage irrigation so that it supports establishment without waterlogging or eroding soil.
  • Review lighting after installation if birds avoid habitat or are drawn into hazardous areas.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Monitor survival and growth of plantings, weed cover, habitat connectivity, mature tree retention and use by Blue-faced Honeyeaters. Include dawn observations and searches during the June to February breeding period where the project may affect breeding habitat.

Use the same mapped points or transects where practical so results can be compared through time. Record survey dates, weather, effort, birds detected, behaviour and breeding evidence.

Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval, and extend it where rehabilitation is slow or incidents continue.

  • Replace failed plants and repair erosion or fencing promptly.
  • Adapt weed, fire, water and access management when monitoring shows declining habitat condition.
  • Document completion against rehabilitation criteria and provide the results to the regulator or land manager where required.

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