Brush Bronzewing (Phaps elegans)

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Near threatened. Priority 4 (rare, near threatened) on the Western Australian priority fauna list. Priority species are not listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 but should be considered in assessments.

Breeding season

The Brush Bronzewing is resident in Australia and can breed in any month. Breeding is most frequent from October to January, with some regional and year to year variation, including in the south western Western Australian population.

Breeding mode: Usually breeds as pairs. Both sexes share incubation.

Clutch size: Two eggs.

Nest site: A shallow saucer of twigs is placed in dense, low shrub. Nests may also be on the ground in low cover, or in dense brush and occasionally trees.

Incubation: 16 to 18 days, or roughly 17 days.

Fledging: Young fledge at about three weeks, with reported fledging at 16 to 20 days.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Pairs may resume breeding 3 to 4 weeks after fledglings become independent.

Timing can vary between years and regions, and nests may be active outside the October to January peak, so survey and manage suitable habitat year round, particularly in listed populations and areas of dense coastal heath, shrubland or woodland understorey.

• Breeding and nesting: Breeding can occur throughout the year, but nesting is most frequent from October to January.
• Eggs and nestlings: Eggs and nestlings may be present in any month, especially where dense low shrub is available.
• Fledged young with adults: Young may remain with their parents until the adults nest again, so dependent or recently independent birds can overlap with new nesting.
• Resident ground activity: The species is resident and usually forages alone or in pairs in dense shrub, heath or woodland understorey, often near fresh water.
• Highest clearing risk: For EVNT work, treat dense shrub and low cover as potential nesting habitat, undertake targeted pre-clearance searches, and avoid clearing during the October to January peak where practicable.

Identification: Appearance and size

Brush Bronzewings are compact pigeons with rich brown upperparts, blue-grey underparts and brightly iridescent wing feathers. They spend much of their time on the ground and may remain hidden until a person approaches closely.

The bird has a small rounded head, deep chest, short rounded wings and a short tail. The back is rich red-brown to dark olive-brown, while the face, breast and underparts are blue-grey.

Look for a rufous or light brown forehead, dark maroon eye stripes meeting on the nape, a buff cheek stripe and a chestnut chin. The folded wing shows bold blue-grey and black barring with a green or purple sheen. Legs and feet are red.

Posture: Rotund, compact and ground dwelling.

Flight response: Often flushes abruptly at close range with a loud clatter of wings.

• Length is about 25 to 33 cm.
• Both sexes have broadly similar colouring, although sexual dimorphism is present.
• The species is stockier and shorter-winged in appearance than the Common Bronzewing.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The call is a low, repeated hoop or whoo, sometimes given for an extended period. In suitable habitat, listen around dawn and dusk as well as during quiet periods when birds are feeding or moving through dense cover.

The Common Bronzewing is the main likely confusion species. Brush Bronzewings are generally smaller and stockier, and are more often encountered alone or in pairs rather than in larger feeding groups.

• Use the combination of rich brown upperparts, blue-grey underparts and reflective wing bars.
• Do not rely on a single brief flight view, especially where dense shrub cover limits visibility.

Identification: Field signs

Direct sightings are often brief. A bird may be detected first by a sudden wing clatter, a low repeated call or movement at the edge of dense cover.

Feeding birds walk and peck on the ground. Check sheltered ground beneath shrubs, along heath edges and near water for repeated use, but avoid assigning a site as occupied from a single sign alone.

• Shallow twig nests in dense low shrubs or low cover.
• Occasional nests on the ground or in trees.
• Ground feeding tracks or small disturbed patches beneath dense vegetation.
• Calls from thick shrub layers, particularly where birds can retreat quickly.

Distribution: Range by state

The Brush Bronzewing is endemic to Australia and is broadly distributed across the south-west and south-east, with a more discontinuous pattern in some inland areas. Records can be sparse because the species is secretive and is easily missed during general fauna searches.

In Queensland, the species occurs in south-eastern Queensland. In New South Wales, it occurs along the coast and inland to the central and southern highlands.

In Victoria, it occurs through most of the state except the northern regions. In South Australia, it is widespread through southern regions, including the South East, Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and the Streaky Bay area, with occasional inland records in the Murray Mallee.

• Tasmania, including suitable habitats around the south and east of the state.
• Western Australia, mainly in the south-west.

Distribution: Local distribution to check

In South Australia, the coastal strip between Torrens Island and Port Gawler is significant for the species. Records also occur in parks and reserves from the Adelaide Hills through the Fleurieu Peninsula and across other southern habitats.

On a project site, check connected patches of dense shrub, heath, mallee and forest understorey, not just the proposed clearing footprint. Birds may move locally between cover, feeding areas and fresh water.

• Review recent records within and around the development area.
• Give extra attention to vegetated corridors and isolated dense patches that may be used as stepping stones.
• Treat an absence from a brief search as inconclusive where dense cover and low detectability are present.

Distribution: Subspecies and conservation listings

The south-western Western Australian population is the geographically distinct subspecies *Phaps elegans occidentalis*. It extends through south-western Western Australia and is the population covered by the Western Australian Priority 4 listing.

The eastern and south-eastern form, *Phaps elegans elegans*, ranges from south-eastern Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia to Tasmania. South Australia and Tasmania list the species as Rare in their respective state legislation. In Queensland, near threatened animals are protected wildlife, and interference with a breeding place may require a species management program.

Global status: Least Concern under the IUCN Red List.

Western Australia: Priority 4, applying to the south-western population, *P. e. occidentalis*.

• Confirm the current state approval and referral requirements before clearing.
• Use targeted searches where the project affects dense shrubland, heath, mallee or forest understorey, even when the species is not recorded during an initial inspection.
• Scale survey and avoidance measures to the relevant state listing and the quality and continuity of habitat.

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Look for Brush Bronzewings wherever a dense shrub layer provides concealment beneath or beside more open feeding areas. Habitat can occur in reserves, rural remnants, road reserves and construction sites where native understorey remains continuous enough for a ground-dwelling bird to move unseen.

Preferred habitat includes low grassy heathland, dense coastal heath, wet and dry sclerophyll forest, wet and dry sclerophyll woodland, shrubland and dense mallee.

Useful structural features include a thick, low to mid-storey of shrubs and foliage. Common cover plants include Banksia, Acacia, Melaleuca and Leptospermum where these form dense understorey.

• Heathy woodlands.
• Coastal shrubland and heath.
• Wet or dry forest and woodland with dense understorey.
• Dense mallee with sheltered ground cover.

Habitat: Site features to inspect

Prioritise patches with continuous low shrubs, tangled ground cover and shaded edges. Dense vegetation beside tracks, clearings, drainage lines and open feeding areas may provide movement routes and escape cover.

Fresh water is also worth checking, especially where dense shrubbery is nearby. The species may approach water cautiously after landing some distance away, so inspect surrounding cover rather than only the water point.

• Dense shrub edges and heath margins.
• Remnant vegetation adjoining open ground or seed-bearing plants.
• Sheltered vegetation near fresh water.
• Narrow habitat links between larger patches.

Habitat: Habitat condition

Brush Bronzewings are associated with resident local populations, but local movements may follow changes in food and habitat availability. Retaining connected shrub layers is therefore preferable to leaving isolated small patches surrounded by cleared ground.

A site can remain suitable even when birds are not immediately visible. Dense vegetation reduces detection and allows birds to stay concealed during searches.

• Map the extent and continuity of dense understorey before works begin.
• Record nearby habitat that may be used for feeding, drinking or escape cover.
• Include retained vegetation outside the direct clearing footprint in the site protection plan.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Brush Bronzewing usually feeds on the ground, walking and pecking beneath or beside dense vegetation. Foraging areas may be close to cover and fresh water, so avoid assessing open ground in isolation from adjoining shrub habitat.

The diet is based mainly on seeds and grain collected from the ground. Berries and small insects are also recorded, and the species swallows small grit and pebbles to help grind food in the gizzard.

• Seeds from native groundcover and shrubs.
• Fallen grain or other seed on the ground.
• Berries and small insects.
• Small grit and pebbles used during digestion.

Foraging habitat: Foraging places

Inspect the ground beneath dense shrubs, along heath and woodland edges, and in open pockets within otherwise thick vegetation. Birds generally forage singly or in pairs, so a site may support use without obvious concentrations of birds.

Water access is often cautious. A bird may land away from the water and walk in, using nearby shrub cover for concealment.

• Sheltered ground under shrub layers.
• Open patches within heath, mallee and woodland understorey.
• Edges between dense cover and seed-bearing ground.
• Vegetation near fresh water, especially where approach routes are concealed.

Foraging habitat: Works planning

Before clearing, identify whether dense cover and adjacent ground provide a connected feeding route. Stage works to retain escape cover and avoid blocking movement between feeding areas and water.

Where the species is recorded or suitable habitat is extensive, use a fauna spotter catcher and ecologist to check the work area progressively. Do not assume that a quiet site is unused.

• Keep machinery access routes out of the densest understorey where practicable.
• Avoid removing all cover around known or suspected feeding areas at once.
• Recheck retained habitat after clearing for displaced birds and changed access to water.

Breeding habitat: Nest location and structure

Brush Bronzewings breed in low, dense cover and can nest close to the ground. Adults are wary and may desert a nest if flushed, so breeding habitat needs a careful pre-clearance search and low-disturbance work approach.

The nest is a shallow saucer or flimsy platform made from twigs and rootlets. It is usually placed in a dense, low shrub, but may be on the ground in low cover or, less commonly, in a tree.

Low nests can be difficult to see beneath foliage and are vulnerable to machinery, people, cats and foxes.

• Dense low shrubs and brush.
• Low ground cover beneath or beside taller vegetation.
• Occasional tree branches or other elevated vegetation.
• Sheltered sites close to feeding habitat and water.

Breeding habitat: Breeding period

Breeding occurs mainly from September to January. Incubation and hatchlings have also been recorded outside this period, so suitable nesting cover should be treated as potentially occupied at any time of year.

The usual clutch is two eggs. Both sexes share incubation, which lasts about 16 to 18 days, and young leave the nest at about 16 to 21 days.

Clutch: Usually two eggs.

Incubation: About 16 to 18 days.

Fledging: About 16 to 21 days after hatching.

• Plan pre-clearance inspections around current records and habitat condition, not calendar dates alone.
• Increase vigilance during September to January.
• Reinspect if clearing is delayed, because a previously clear patch may later contain an active nest.

Breeding habitat: Pre-clearance and disturbance

Use an experienced fauna spotter catcher to inspect dense shrubs, low cover and the ground beneath vegetation before clearing. Move slowly and keep people, vehicles and machinery away from any suspected nest until it has been assessed.

Adults may flush suddenly and desert a nest if repeatedly disturbed. If a nest is found, stop work in the immediate area, mark the location without approaching unnecessarily and obtain project-specific ecological and regulatory advice before proceeding.

• Search from outside the densest cover before entering it.
• Check low shrubs, ground cover and likely nest platforms.
• Avoid repeated flushing and unnecessary handling.
• Record the nest location, habitat, activity and date for the site environmental record.

Sheltering habitat: Cover features

Dense shrubbery is the main shelter feature to retain for this secretive bird. It provides concealment during the day, escape cover after flushing and likely protection for birds moving between feeding and drinking areas.

Look for thick, continuous foliage at ground and shrub level in heathland, woodland, forest and mallee. Dense Banksia, Acacia, Melaleuca and Leptospermum stands may provide useful cover where the understorey is intact.

Brush Bronzewings may remain hidden until a person is close, then fly rapidly into thicker vegetation.

• Dense low shrubs and tangled foliage.
• Heath with continuous ground cover.
• Mallee and woodland understorey with sheltered gaps.
• Vegetated edges near fresh water.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting and resting

Specific roost sites and roost sizes are not established in the available field information. Manage dense vegetation as potential resting and refuge habitat rather than relying on visible communal roosts.

The species is usually solitary or found in pairs, with occasional family groups. Large, obvious concentrations are not expected.

Typical group size: Usually one bird or a pair, with occasional family groups.

Largest recorded gathering: Eight birds.

• Retain connected refuge cover around work areas.
• Avoid opening narrow corridors through the densest vegetation unless necessary.
• Keep retained shrubs protected from vehicle entry and material storage.

Sheltering habitat: Water access and escape routes

Brush Bronzewings may drink at dawn and dusk and approach water cautiously from nearby cover. Clearing around a water source can remove both the drinking site and the concealed approach route.

Maintain links between dense shelter, feeding ground and fresh water. Where works must occur nearby, keep disturbance and vehicle movements as far from retained cover as practicable and avoid severing access routes.

• Retain shrub cover around water points.
• Protect concealed approaches and departure routes.
• Do not place spoil, equipment or temporary fencing across narrow vegetated links.

Threats: Clearing and habitat fragmentation

The main development risks are loss of dense understorey, disturbance or destruction of low nests, and increased exposure to predators. Habitat fragmentation and hotter, drier conditions can add pressure, particularly where water and shelter are already limited.

Removing dense shrub layers, heath, mallee or forest understorey reduces shelter, feeding habitat and nesting opportunities. Fragmenting a patch can also expose birds to people, vehicles and predators as they move between cover and water.

Avoid unnecessary clearing and retain the largest connected areas of native understorey. Treat small remnant patches and vegetated corridors as potentially useful habitat, especially where surrounding vegetation has already been removed.

• Minimise the clearing footprint.
• Retain connected shrub layers and habitat edges.
• Use clearly marked no-go areas for retained vegetation.
• Rehabilitate disturbed areas with locally appropriate native understorey.

Threats: Nests and construction disturbance

Low nests can be overlooked during standard vegetation inspections. Adults may desert a nest when flushed, so repeated checks, noisy works and uncontrolled access through dense cover can reduce breeding success.

Use a staged pre-clearance process and an experienced fauna spotter catcher. Stop work around any active or suspected nest and obtain ecological advice before continuing.

• Inspect before clearing and again if works are delayed.
• Keep machinery and personnel out of identified nesting habitat.
• Limit approach, noise and repeated flushing.
• Document and communicate nest exclusion areas to the whole work crew.

Threats: Cats and foxes

Cats and foxes can access low nests and prey on eggs, young and adults. Clearing that removes dense cover or concentrates birds around artificial edges may increase exposure.

Manage food waste and avoid practices that attract predators to the work site. Where a broader land management program is in place, consider coordinated cat and fox control with the land manager and relevant approvals.

• Keep construction compounds clean and secure waste.
• Do not feed domestic animals or leave food accessible.
• Limit new artificial shelter that could support pest animals.
• Coordinate predator control with the responsible land manager.

Threats: Heat, drought and water loss

The Brush Bronzewing is associated with cool, moist environments and does not cope well with heat and water scarcity. Loss of shrub cover and fresh water can make local habitat less suitable and increase exposure during movement.

Retain shade, dense understorey and natural water access where possible. Plan dusty, hot or high-noise activities to reduce pressure on retained habitat, particularly during prolonged dry conditions.

• Protect existing fresh water and concealed approaches.
• Retain shaded shrub cover.
• Monitor retained habitat during extended hot or dry periods.
• Review mitigation if works reduce water access or cause widespread vegetation dieback.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Brush Bronzewings are secretive, ground feeding birds that usually occur alone or in pairs. They are most detectable in dense shrub, heath and mallee, especially during quiet periods at dawn and dusk.

Map dense shrub layers, heathland, wet and dry sclerophyll understorey, dense mallee, coastal vegetation and nearby fresh water.

Review recent records, habitat connectivity, previous clearing surveys and likely feeding areas. Treat the species as resident. Do not rely on the absence of a seasonal migration record to discount habitat use.

Main breeding period: Mostly September to January, with breeding possible in any month

Typical group size: Usually alone or in pairs, sometimes in small family groups

Key habitat: Dense shrub, heath, wet or dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, and dense mallee

• Search records within and around the project area, including records from protected areas and nearby vegetation remnants.
• Identify areas where low shrubs could contain nests, and ground cover that could conceal birds or nests.
• Plan searches around areas of proposed clearing, access tracks, laydown areas, water points and construction lighting.

Survey methodology: 2. Ground and habitat searches

Walk slowly through suitable habitat and inspect the ground, low shrubs and dense understorey from several angles. Use quiet observation rather than repeatedly flushing birds.

Search likely feeding areas for seed husks, tracks, feathers and other signs, while recognising that signs are difficult to identify reliably.

Check low shrubs and ground cover for shallow twig nests. A nest may be difficult to see until a bird flushes.

Nest: A shallow or flimsy saucer of twigs, usually in dense low vegetation and sometimes on the ground

Response to disturbance: The bird may flush abruptly with a loud wing clatter and adults may desert a nest if repeatedly flushed

• Use experienced observers familiar with the Brush Bronzewing call, a repeated low hoop or whoo sound.
• Pause regularly at habitat edges, dense cover and near water. Allow birds time to move or call naturally.
• Avoid trampling dense shrubs and ground cover during searches.
• Do not use playback close to a suspected nest or during a pre-clearance inspection unless it is authorised by the project ecologist and relevant approval.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and repeat visits

Conduct at least some observations in the first few hours after sunrise and the last few hours before sunset, when birds commonly approach water cautiously.

Give greater attention to breeding habitat from September to January, but inspect suitable habitat at any time of year because breeding can occur in any month.

Where habitat is dense or the species is a project risk, use repeat visits under suitable weather conditions. Set the number and spacing of visits through the project risk assessment and approval conditions.

Water use: Birds commonly drink at dawn or dusk and may land away from water before walking cautiously to the source

Movement: The species is generally resident, with local movements associated with food and habitat availability

• Avoid surveys during strong wind, heavy rain, extreme heat or other conditions that reduce visibility and bird activity.
• Record the date, start and finish time, observers, weather, survey route, habitat searched and any limitations.
• Record every observation, including location, number of birds, behaviour, flight direction, call, feeding, drinking, nest evidence and photographs where appropriate.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey findings and risk rating

Map occupied habitat, likely movement routes, water access, nests and areas where birds repeatedly flush. Separate confirmed observations from habitat suitability assessments.

Treat a bird flushed from dense cover as a prompt for a careful nest and habitat inspection, not as evidence that the area is unused.

Escalate the risk where clearing would remove dense shrub, heath, low nesting cover, feeding habitat or access to fresh water.

Conservation context: The Brush Bronzewing is treated as an EVNT species in the project context. State listings include Rare in South Australia and Tasmania, and Priority 4 in Western Australia.

• Provide the clearing crew with a map of no-go areas and inspection areas.
• Explain survey limitations, including dense vegetation, heat, wind, short observation periods and the species' secretive behaviour.
• Keep survey records with the project environmental records and approval documentation.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Avoidance is the preferred control for this species because nests are low, difficult to detect and vulnerable to foxes, cats and disturbance. Plan clearing around retained shrub cover, water access and any confirmed or likely breeding places.

Confirm the species status in the relevant state and the approval pathway before works begin. Check whether the action may require an EPBC Act referral or approval, and obtain any state fauna, clearing or threatened species approvals that apply.

In Queensland, treat the Brush Bronzewing as protected wildlife and check whether interference with a breeding place requires a species management program. Use the approved Queensland species management program where applicable.

In South Australia and Tasmania, check the requirements associated with the Rare listing. In Western Australia, check the requirements and advice applying to the Priority 4 population or project area.

• Have the approval conditions, permits, species management program and contact details available on site.
• Do not assume that a general clearing approval authorises disturbance to an active breeding place.
• Engage the relevant regulator or project ecologist if a proposed action could affect a nest, breeding place, important habitat or a listed population.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Retain connected patches of dense shrub, heath, woodland understorey and dense mallee wherever practicable. Keep access to fresh water and avoid isolating retained habitat with roads, compounds or continuous cleared strips.

Redesign the footprint to avoid occupied habitat, low nesting cover and repeated feeding or drinking locations. Use existing disturbed areas for compounds and access routes where possible.

There is no species specific disturbance buffer in this profile. Set buffers through the ecological risk assessment, permit conditions and the distance at which birds remain undisturbed. Increase the buffer if a bird repeatedly flushes, calls from cover or shows nest defence.

• Fence and sign exclusion areas before machinery arrives.
• Keep vehicles, stockpiles, generators and lighting outside exclusion areas.
• Do not clear dense shrubs merely to improve visibility before the pre-clearance inspection.
• Maintain shaded cover and safe access to water in retained habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance inspection

Complete a final inspection shortly before clearing, after exclusion fencing is installed and before vegetation is disturbed. Inspect low shrubs, ground cover and likely nest sites on foot with a fauna ecologist or authorised fauna spotter catcher.

Pay particular attention to September to January, while remembering that breeding can occur in any month. Search for adults carrying nesting material, alarm calls, repeated flushes, eggs, chicks or a shallow twig nest.

If the inspection identifies a possible nest or breeding place, stop the affected work area and obtain ecological and regulatory direction before proceeding.

Breeding period: Mostly September to January, but breeding may occur in any month

Clutch: Usually two eggs

Incubation: About 16 to 18 days

Fledging: About 16 to 21 days, depending on the source and observation

• Mark the location of the nest or breeding place without approaching unnecessarily.
• Set a site specific exclusion area and access controls based on the bird's behaviour, habitat and approval requirements.
• Reinspect the area if works are delayed, the footprint changes or new vegetation is to be cleared.
• Record the inspection date, observers, conditions, area searched, findings and photographs.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction

Brief all workers before entry. Show photographs and explain the bird's secretive behaviour, low nests, call and tendency to flush suddenly.

Tell workers that a bird leaving dense cover, a nest, eggs, chicks or unusual repeated calls must be reported immediately.

Nominate the fauna spotter catcher and the person authorised to stop work. Make the stop work process clear to machinery operators and supervisors.

• Prohibit workers from chasing, feeding, handling or photographing birds at close range.
• Keep dogs and unauthorised people out of exclusion areas.
• Use low disturbance access routes and keep noise, lighting and vehicle speed as low as practicable near retained habitat.
• Include the injured animal pathway and regulator contact details in the induction.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clearing should proceed slowly and in a direction that allows birds to move into retained habitat. The fauna spotter catcher must have clear authority to stop work whenever an animal, nest or other breeding place is found.

Use staged, sequential clearing under the direct supervision of the fauna spotter catcher. Start from the least suitable or already disturbed edge and work towards retained habitat where this is safe and consistent with the approval.

Clear shrubs and ground cover carefully. Pause after each section to inspect exposed habitat and allow animals to move before machinery continues.

Do not force a bird from cover, drive it towards roads or water, or clear both sides of a retained vegetation corridor at the same time.

• Keep machinery outside marked exclusion areas.
• Stop if visibility is poor, the spotter catcher loses sight of the work face or an animal moves into the clearing path.
• Use hand clearing around suspected nests and dense shrubs when approved and safe.
• Document the order and area of each clearing stage.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal, nest or breeding place found

Stop work immediately in the affected area if a Brush Bronzewing, nest, eggs, chicks or other active breeding place is found.

The fauna spotter catcher must assess the situation and notify the site environmental representative. Only an appropriately authorised person may handle or relocate fauna, and relocation must comply with the approval and permit requirements.

Do not touch an active nest or attempt to move eggs or chicks. Establish an exclusion area and obtain direction from the project ecologist and relevant regulator where required.

Nest sensitivity: Adults may desert a nest if flushed or disturbed repeatedly

Typical breeding place: Dense low shrub or ground cover, with some records of nests in trees

• Mark the location discreetly and prevent access by machinery, workers, vehicles and pets.
• Observe from a distance to determine whether adults return, without repeatedly flushing them.
• Record the species, location, behaviour, nest condition, contents, habitat, photographs and all decisions made.
• Resume work only after the authorised ecologist confirms that controls and approvals are in place.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and relocation

Handle a Brush Bronzewing only when necessary for immediate safety, and only by a person authorised under the relevant state permit, approval or fauna management plan.

Use a suitable ventilated container, keep the bird quiet, dark and cool, and minimise handling time. Do not offer food or water unless directed by a wildlife carer or veterinarian.

Relocate a mobile bird only under the approved procedure and to suitable nearby habitat. Record the release location and condition.

• Do not catch a healthy bird solely because it is present in retained habitat.
• Do not relocate eggs, chicks or an active nest unless specifically authorised and directed by a qualified wildlife professional.
• Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian for an injured bird.
• Keep cats, dogs, vehicles and people away from the animal while assistance is arranged.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or dead animal pathway

Stop nearby work and protect the animal from further harm. Ask the fauna spotter catcher to assess it without causing additional stress.

Contact the nominated wildlife rehabilitator, veterinarian, project ecologist and regulator as required by the approval. Follow their instructions for transport and care.

If the animal has died, do not dispose of it until the required identification, reporting and collection steps have been completed.

• Record the location, date, time, apparent cause, condition, photographs, person handling the animal and destination.
• Check for hazards such as exposed wire, vehicle movement, machinery, dogs, cats or chemical contamination.
• Review whether work controls need to change before restarting.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records and stop work events

Maintain a daily fauna log for all observations, flushes, nests, handling events, injuries, deaths, relocations and stop work directions.

Report any breach of an exclusion area or approval condition to the site environmental representative immediately.

Use records to confirm which habitat was cleared, which habitat was retained and whether the approved sequence and controls were followed.

• Include coordinates or a map reference, habitat type, activity underway and weather.
• Record the observer, fauna spotter catcher, contractor and any regulator or ecologist advice.
• Attach photographs and copies of permits, notifications and incident forms.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no animals or breeding places remain in the work area and that retained habitat remains functional. Use the results to adjust controls before the next clearing stage or construction activity.

Inspect the cleared footprint, retained edges, stockpiles, trenches and temporary infrastructure at the end of each clearing stage and before the area is released to construction.

Look for injured birds, trapped animals, nests, chicks, feathers, signs of repeated flushing and hazards created by the works.

Check that exclusion fencing and retained shrub patches remain intact and that access to nearby water has not been blocked.

• Close and inspect trenches, pits and pipes regularly, especially before overnight periods.
• Remove or cover hazards that could trap ground feeding birds.
• Keep construction traffic and lighting outside retained habitat wherever possible.
• Record the inspection and any corrective action.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring retained habitat

Monitor retained shrub and heath habitat during construction and, where the risk warrants it, after construction. Use repeat observations at dawn or dusk and listen for the low repeated call.

Compare observations with the pre-clearing baseline. Pay attention to loss of cover, altered water access, increased predators, vehicle activity and lighting.

Set the duration and frequency of monitoring through the approval conditions and project risk assessment. Increase monitoring if birds are repeatedly flushed or if habitat is being progressively isolated.

• Map all post-clearance records and likely movement routes.
• Record survey effort, weather, observers, birds detected, behaviour and habitat condition.
• Report unexpected declines, new breeding activity or repeated disturbance to the project ecologist.
• Do not treat a lack of detections as proof that retained habitat is unused.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated or rescued animals

Confirm that every rescued or relocated bird has been transferred to the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or approved release site.

Obtain the animal's outcome where practicable, including release, ongoing care or death. Keep these records with the project fauna register.

Check the release area for dense cover, suitable feeding habitat and safe access to water. Avoid releasing a bird into active construction areas or exposed cleared ground.

• Record the animal identification, condition, handling time, release location and authority for the action.
• Do not release a bird into habitat that is being cleared, lit heavily or occupied by cats or dogs.
• Follow any post-release monitoring requirement in the approval or wildlife care direction.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Reporting and incident review

Submit required records to the project manager, environmental representative and relevant regulator within the timeframes set by approvals and permits.

Review every nest discovery, injury, death, unauthorised disturbance, stop work event and unexpected species record.

Update the clearing method, exclusion areas, induction and monitoring plan before further work if controls were ineffective.

• Include maps, photographs, dates, personnel, work activity, cause, response and corrective action.
• Report any suspected breach of a Queensland species management program or other approval condition through the nominated pathway.
• Share lessons with the fauna spotter catcher and construction supervisors before the next work shift.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore suitable structure

Rehabilitation should restore dense, connected cover rather than only replacing canopy trees. Brush Bronzewings need low shrub and ground cover for shelter, feeding and nesting, with safe access to water.

Reinstate a dense understorey using locally appropriate native shrubs and ground layer species. Match the surrounding vegetation community, including heath, woodland, forest or mallee structure.

Use native species that provide cover and seed resources, such as locally appropriate Banksia, Acacia, Melaleuca and Leptospermum where they belong in the site vegetation community.

Retain natural leaf litter, fallen cover and low vegetation where this does not create a fire or safety hazard.

• Connect rehabilitation areas to retained shrub and heath patches.
• Stage planting so that cover develops across the site rather than in isolated strips.
• Protect new plantings from vehicles, grazing, erosion and trampling.
• Do not clear regrowth merely to maintain an open appearance.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Breeding and shelter structures

Artificial nest boxes and bat boxes are not a routine replacement for Brush Bronzewing habitat. The species generally uses a shallow twig nest in dense low vegetation or on the ground, and occasionally uses trees.

If a project ecologist considers an artificial nest site appropriate, obtain approval first and design it for the local population and habitat. Use natural dense shrub restoration as the primary breeding-place measure.

Do not install structures that create predator perches, increase exposure or attract species that compete with or prey on Brush Bronzewings.

• Place any approved artificial nest site away from machinery, roads, bright lighting and frequent pedestrian movement.
• Inspect and maintain it only under an approved ecological program.
• Remove failed or unsafe structures and record their use.
• Do not use bat boxes, hollows or generic nest boxes as a substitute for low shrub and ground cover.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, weeds and predators

Protect natural fresh water and maintain safe, covered approaches. Avoid creating exposed water points that concentrate birds near roads, cats or foxes.

Control weeds before they dominate the dense native understorey. Use methods that avoid disturbing nests, soil cover and feeding birds.

Manage introduced predators in accordance with the site pest plan and applicable animal welfare requirements. Foxes and cats can access low nests and young.

• Keep cats and dogs out of rehabilitation and retained habitat.
• Use fauna safe fencing and water point designs where infrastructure is required.
• Inspect for erosion, sediment, rubbish and chemical contamination after rain and construction activity.
• Coordinate weed and predator control with the timing of breeding activity.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting and construction layout

Keep artificial light away from retained shrub, water access and rehabilitation areas. Use the lowest practical intensity and direct lights only onto the work surface.

Avoid continuous lighting, glare and illuminated corridors through habitat. Use timers or motion controls where safe and suitable.

Place roads, compounds, generators and stockpiles outside rehabilitated habitat and movement routes.

• Shield lights from dense vegetation and water points.
• Turn off non-essential lighting when work stops.
• Inspect rehabilitation areas for new vehicle tracks and unauthorised access.
• Retain dark, quiet refuge areas within larger habitat patches.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring and maintenance

Monitor rehabilitation until native shrub cover is established and the area is functioning as connected habitat. Include Brush Bronzewing observations in routine fauna monitoring rather than relying only on nest records.

Use repeat searches and dawn or dusk observations in suitable weather. Compare results with the pre-construction baseline and nearby retained habitat.

Continue maintenance until weeds, erosion, predator access and lighting impacts are controlled.

Monitoring focus: Dense shrub and ground cover, feeding habitat, safe water access, nesting evidence and predator activity

• Record vegetation structure, plant survival, weed cover, water access, predator activity and Brush Bronzewing detections.
• Map any breeding evidence and protect it under the relevant approval or permit requirements.
• Review the rehabilitation plan if birds are absent despite suitable habitat, or if repeated disturbance or predator activity is recorded.
• Retain monitoring records for the full period required by the project approval.

Sources

• Phaps elegans Brush Bronzewing, South Australian Government: https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/landscape/docs/hf/pa-fact-brushbronzewing.pdf
• Brush Bronzewing, Western Australian Government: https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/animal/brush-bronzewing
• Brush bronzewing | Booderee National Park | Parks Australia, booderee.gov.au: https://booderee.gov.au/discover/nature/birds/brush-bronzewing/
• Brush bronzewing - Wikipedia, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brush_bronzewing
• Brush Bronzewing - Phaps elegans - Birds of the World, Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/brubro1/cur/introduction
• Brush Bronzewing - eBird, eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://ebird.org/species/brubro1/AU-TAS-HOB
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/