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Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)

The Dusky Woodswallow is a medium-sized woodland bird found across eastern, southern and south-western Australia. It is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales and can be affected by clearing of dry open forest, woodland, mallee remnants, dead timber and ground-layer habitat on development sites.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Timing varies across Australia because some birds are resident and others migrate or move in response to rainfall and temperature. The pattern below is most applicable to breeding populations in New South Wales and southern Australia.

The species may be present year round in some areas. Confirm local occupancy and movement patterns before scheduling clearing.

  • Breeding and laying: Nesting occurs from late September to late February. Most eggs are present from October to early December.
  • Young in nest and dependent: Fledging takes 16 to 20 days, and fledglings may require care for about one month. Dependent young may therefore occur from September into March, with greatest likelihood from October to January.
  • Post-breeding movement: In New South Wales, birds commonly move north after breeding between March and May, including to northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.
  • Return movement and flocking: Birds generally move south in spring, commonly from September to November, to breed. Large flocks may form before migration or around abundant winter food sources.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and disturbance are most likely to harm the species from late September to February, when nests, eggs, nestlings and dependent fledglings may be present. October to December is the highest risk period because egg presence peaks then.

Identification

The Dusky Woodswallow is a smoky brown to blue-grey bird with a longish tail and distinctive white markings on the wings and tail. It is usually active in open woodland, above the canopy, under the canopy or around dead timber.

Adults are predominantly smoky blue-grey, dusky brown or grey, with darker wings and tail. The wings have a prominent white leading edge and the tail has conspicuous white corners or a broad white tip. The underwing is whitish or silvery-white in flight.

The bill is bluish with a black tip, and the eye is dark brown. Sexes are alike and there is no evident seasonal change in adult appearance.

Length: 16 to 19.5 cm

Weight: Approximately 35 g

Adult plumage: Smoky brown to grey, with a white wing edge and white tail corners

Identification: Similar species and age classes

The Dusky Woodswallow is larger and bulkier, and generally paler and greyer, than the Little Woodswallow. The prominent white stripe along the leading edge of the folded wing is a useful distinguishing feature.

Juveniles have white streaking or grey-brown plumage with buff to cream mottling. Young birds also retain pale tips on the wing feathers. Immature birds can therefore look more streaked and mottled than adults.

Identification: Calls and field signs

Calls include brassy chirps and chirrups, a soft low 'vut vut' and brisk 'peet peet' notes. The species can mimic other birds, including the Rufous Whistler and Grey Shrike-thrush.

Nests are open, shallow and untidy cups made from twigs, grass and fibrous rootlets. They may be lined with fine grass or rootlets, or may be unlined. Nest placement is variable and may provide the clearest field sign during breeding surveys.

  • Check tree forks, loose bark, stump hollows, log hollows, branch spouts and the tops of wooden fence posts for nests.
  • Record adults carrying nesting material, repeated visits to a nest site, alarm calls and adults feeding fledglings.
  • Use call, flight behaviour and the white wing and tail markings with caution in mixed woodswallow flocks.

Distribution: National range

The Dusky Woodswallow is widespread across eastern, southern and south-western Australia. In New South Wales it occurs from the coast to inland areas, but is sparse or largely absent from much of the Upper Western region.

The species is recorded in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. It also occurs in associated southern Australian coastal waters, although the species is primarily terrestrial.

In New South Wales, records span many IBRA regions, including the Australian Alps, Brigalow Belt South, Broken Hill Complex, Channel Country, Cobar Peneplain, Darling Riverine Plains, Mulga Lands, Murray Darling Depression, Nandewar, New England Tablelands, NSW North Coast, NSW South Western Slopes, Riverina, South East Corner, South Eastern Highlands and Sydney Basin. Records are also listed for South Eastern Queensland.

Distribution: Strongholds and population trend

Most breeding activity in New South Wales occurs on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, where dry woodland and open forest remain important habitat. The species is also recorded in river red gum, black box and coolibah woodland associated with larger rivers and creeks in western New South Wales.

The species can move into more arid areas after rainfall, so local presence can vary between seasons and years. Large flocks may form where food is abundant, particularly in winter.

Estimated NSW adult population: Approximately 200,000 adults, based on published density estimates

NSW extent of occurrence: Approximately 888,000 km2

NSW area of occupancy: Approximately 5,024 km2, based on 1,256 grid cells measuring 2 by 2 km

Reported trend: At least a 30% reduction was identified as evidence for listing, with one reporting-rate analysis indicating an approximate 52% decline over 15 years

Distribution: Movement between regions

The species may be resident throughout the year or migratory, depending on location, temperature and rainfall. In New South Wales, birds commonly move north after breeding, including to northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. Birds generally move south again in spring.

Tasmanian birds move to south-eastern New South Wales after breeding. Migration may occur along the coast or inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range, and may involve mixed-species flocks.

Habitat: Habitat types

The Dusky Woodswallow is primarily a woodland-dependent bird of dry, open eucalypt forest and woodland. It can use modified areas, but usually where suitable trees, open flight space, sparse shrubs and dead timber remain.

Typical habitat includes dry open eucalypt forest, woodland and mallee associations. The species is also recorded in shrubland, heathland, regenerating forest, farmland, roadside remnants and windbreaks, usually near forest or woodland.

In western New South Wales, it is primarily associated with river red gum, black box and coolibah open forest or woodland along larger river and creek systems. It is less common and more patchily distributed in some mallee and cypress-pine woodlands.

Habitat: Vegetation structure

Occupied sites generally have an open or sparse understorey of eucalypt saplings, acacias and other shrubs, including heath. Ground cover may consist of grasses, sedges or open ground, with leaf litter and fallen woody debris.

The species uses both the canopy and the area below the canopy. Retaining standing dead trees, fallen timber, stumps, loose bark and an open ground layer is therefore relevant when assessing habitat on a clearing site.

  • Map remnant woodland, mallee, open forest, roadside vegetation, windbreaks and creekline woodland before clearing.
  • Record the extent of live trees, standing dead trees, stumps, fallen timber, leaf litter, sparse shrubs and open flight space.
  • Assess isolated trees and small remnants in the context of nearby woodland, because the species is associated with larger remnants and connected habitat.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The supplied sources do not identify a defined elevation limit. Presence varies with temperature, rainfall and local conditions, and the western part of the range can expand after favourable rain.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Dusky Woodswallow is an aerial insectivore that also searches foliage, leaf litter and dead timber. It may forage across open woodland, over water and along woodland edges.

The main food is invertebrates, particularly insects. The species also occasionally takes nectar, fruit and seed.

Food availability can be concentrated around grasshopper swarms, flowering trees and other productive sites. Large winter flocks may gather where food is abundant.

Foraging habitat: Foraging method and places

Birds capture insects while hovering or making short sallies above the canopy and over water. They also hover, sally and pounce below the canopy, especially over leaf litter and dead timber.

No particular food plant is identified in the supplied sources. Flowering eucalypts and other flowering vegetation may provide occasional nectar, but the species depends mainly on insects.

Published foraging range: A precise foraging range is not provided. Individuals may have large home ranges but may spend most of their time within about 2 ha.

Area defended around nest: About 50 m around the nest

  • Retain open flight paths above and below the canopy where practicable.
  • Avoid removing leaf litter, coarse woody debris and dead timber from woodland remnants.
  • Inspect water edges, woodland edges, flowering trees, open canopy gaps and dead timber for foraging activity.
  • Record flock size and feeding behaviour, particularly where insects or flowering trees are concentrated.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding is associated mainly with dry open woodland and open forest, especially on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales. Pairs usually nest alone, although loose neighbourhoods and occasional small colonies occur.

The species is monogamous and usually nests as a pair. Cooperative breeding has sometimes been recorded. Pairs may nest twice in one season.

Both parents brood the eggs and feed nestlings. Fledglings require care for about a month and may disperse with a flock before returning to their birth site in later years.

Breeding period: Late September to late February

Eggs present: September to January, with most eggs present from October to early December

Clutch size: 1 to 4 eggs

Incubation: A precise incubation period is not provided in the supplied sources

Fledging period: 16 to 20 days

Post-fledging dependence: About one month of care

Age at maturity: Not provided in the supplied sources

Lifespan: Not provided. The longest reported recapture interval is 8 years.

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

The nest is an open cup made from twigs, grass and fibrous rootlets. It may be lined with grass or rootlets, and is sometimes unlined.

Nest sites include low shrubs and trees, living or dead branches, open or concealed forks, spouts, hollow stumps, logs, spaces behind loose bark and hollows in the tops of wooden fence posts. Nest sites may be about 1 to 10 m above ground.

Nest height: About 1 to 10 m above ground

Nest arrangement: Usually solitary, but loose colonies of up to 20 nests have been recorded

Nest defence: Pairs may defend an area about 50 m around the nest

  • Before clearing, inspect live and dead trees, shrubs, stumps, logs, loose bark and fence posts for open cup nests.
  • Treat apparently small or isolated woodland remnants as potential breeding habitat where suitable nest structures and open foraging areas remain.
  • Retain a buffer around active nests and avoid disturbance during the breeding period where practicable.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting and flocking

Shelter and roosting habitat includes trees, shrubs, dead timber and dense or concealed nest sites. The species also forms flocks, particularly when roosting or before migration.

Dusky Woodswallows may move in flocks of 10 to 30 birds and cluster together to roost. Flocks can become much larger at concentrated food sources or before migration, with groups of up to 300 reported in winter.

The supplied sources do not identify a standard roost-tree size, roost height or fixed roost-site distance. Retain groups of suitable trees and shrubs, including dead trees and woodland edges, when assessing potential roost habitat.

  • Record communal roosts, repeated evening concentrations and flock movement corridors before vegetation removal.
  • Avoid removing standing dead trees, stumps, loose bark and coarse woody debris that may provide shelter or resting sites.
  • Check woodland edges, roadside remnants, windbreaks, creekline woodland and flowering trees for temporary flock concentrations.

Sheltering habitat: Nest and refuge structures

Potential shelter and breeding structures include low trees, shrubs, branch forks, spouts, hollow stumps, logs, loose bark and fence-post hollows. These structures can occur in both living and dead vegetation.

The species is associated with an open understorey and a ground layer containing leaf litter and dead timber. Excessive tidying of remnants can remove both shelter structures and feeding habitat.

  • Retain hollow stumps, logs, standing dead trees, loose bark and fallen woody debris where safe to do so.
  • Inspect retained vegetation and woody debris before moving machinery through a clearing area.
  • Include sparse shrubs and coarse woody debris in rehabilitation or revegetation designs where the species is known or likely to occur.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main risks on development sites are loss and fragmentation of dry woodland, removal of dead timber and degradation of the ground layer. Breeding disturbance can add risk from late September to late February.

Historical and ongoing clearing for agriculture, mining, forestry and residential development has reduced dry open forest, woodland and mallee habitat.

Small and isolated remnants are at greater risk where clearing removes surrounding woodland, open flight space, feeding areas or links between occupied sites. The species has been reported more often in larger remnants than smaller remnants.

  • Avoid clearing dry open eucalypt woodland, mallee, creekline woodland, roadside remnants and windbreaks where the species occurs or suitable habitat remains.
  • Retain connections between woodland remnants and protect regenerating areas that can expand existing habitat.
  • Stage clearing outside the main breeding period where practicable and undertake pre-clearing checks for nests and dependent young.

Threats: Dead timber and ground-layer loss

Removal of standing dead trees, stags, stumps, fallen timber, coarse woody debris and leaf litter reduces nesting structures, shelter and insect foraging habitat.

Overgrazing, excessive disturbance and inappropriate fire regimes can reduce litter, woody debris and invertebrate availability.

  • Do not remove dead timber or tidy the ground layer unless required for a demonstrated safety or construction purpose.
  • Fence retained habitat from unnecessary vehicle access, stock grazing and material storage.
  • Keep leaf litter, sparse shrubs, grasses, sedges and fallen woody debris in retained and rehabilitated woodland.

Threats: Competition and predation

Aggressive exclusion by overabundant Noisy Miners is a recognised threat in woodland habitat. Currawongs, magpies and butcherbirds are associated with Noisy Miners and can contribute to nest predation.

Open nests may also be exposed to increased predation where habitat structure is simplified or woodland remnants are degraded.

  • Retain or restore a sparse but continuous shrub layer where appropriate to reduce conditions that favour aggressive exclusion by Noisy Miners.
  • Avoid creating abrupt, highly simplified edges around retained woodland where this can be prevented.
  • Control food and waste sources around worksites so they do not attract additional nest predators.

Threats: Fire, roads and other project pressures

The supplied sources identify inappropriate fire regimes, grazing, vegetation clearing, habitat fragmentation, weed invasion and removal of dead wood as threats. They do not provide species-specific evidence for road mortality, disease or hydrology change.

Roads, access tracks, lighting, dust, noise and machinery can still disturb birds or increase edge effects where they pass through occupied woodland. Apply standard fauna management controls when these pressures affect known habitat.

  • Plan access tracks and compounds to avoid woodland remnants, creekline trees, dead timber and known roost or nest sites.
  • Use a pre-clearing inspection and fauna spotter catcher during vegetation removal where required by approval conditions or site risk.
  • Prevent weed spread, particularly by machinery moving between woodland remnants.
  • Manage fire planning so that retained woodland, coarse woody debris and ground cover are not unnecessarily removed or burned.
  • Treat hydrology change and disease as site-specific risks requiring assessment where works alter creekline woodland, standing water or bird congregation areas.

Survey methodology: 1. Targeted woodland bird searches

Survey the Dusky Woodswallow where works may remove or disturb dry open eucalypt woodland, mallee, open forest, roadside remnants, windbreaks or associated dead timber. The documents do not provide a species-specific survey effort, so use the applicable state survey guideline and set effort according to habitat, disturbance scale, season and detection risk.

Search proposed clearing areas and retained habitat for Dusky Woodswallows during suitable weather and daylight conditions, with attention to open eucalypt canopies, sparse shrub layers, leaf litter and dead timber.

Use repeated visits where practicable, including during the breeding period from late September to late February and, where possible, between October and early December when most eggs are present.

Record birds seen or heard, flock size, behaviour, flight direction, roosting or nesting activity, and the habitat feature used.

Breeding period: Late September to late February

Peak egg period: October to early December

Typical habitat: Dry open eucalypt forest and woodland, including mallee, with sparse understorey and grasses, sedges or open ground

  • Walk or slowly traverse all habitat that may be cleared, including edges, internal gaps, roadside remnants, windbreaks and adjacent retained woodland.
  • Inspect canopy, under-canopy, ground layer and dead timber because the species forages above the canopy, under the canopy, over leaf litter and around fallen timber.
  • Use the project survey plan to specify the number of visits, observer hours, transect lengths and area searched, and explain any limits caused by access, weather or visibility.

Survey methodology: 2. Point counts and flock observations

Use fixed observation points or equivalent timed searches in suitable woodland to detect birds moving above the canopy, over water, through gaps and along habitat edges.

Repeat observations across the survey period where the species may be resident, migratory or responding to seasonal food availability.

Record the observation point, start and finish time, weather, visibility, habitat condition, number of birds and whether the birds were feeding, roosting, nesting or moving through.

Breeding area defended around nest: About 50 m

Reported winter flock size: Up to 300 birds

Movement pattern in NSW: Many birds move north after breeding and return south in spring

  • Include observation points that cover retained woodland adjoining the impact area because Dusky Woodswallows may have large home ranges and may spend most of their time in an area of about 2 ha.
  • Pay particular attention to large flocks before migration and around abundant food sources, including flowering trees and insect concentrations.
  • Treat a single detection as evidence of use of the broader habitat, not as proof that the species is absent from unsurveyed habitat.

Survey methodology: 3. Nest and habitat feature inspection

Inspect trees, stumps, logs, loose bark, fence posts, shrubs and low trees for nests before clearing or disturbance.

Look for the species' open, shallow cup nest, which may be made from twigs, grass and rootlets and may be lined with fine grass or rootlets.

Complete inspections from the ground and use an appropriately qualified observer where a potential nest is concealed, elevated or unsafe to inspect from ground level.

Clutch size: 1 to 4 eggs

Nest height reported by BirdLife Australia: About 1 m to 10 m above ground

Fledging period: 16 to 20 days

  • Search open or concealed forks, hollows, crevices, stumps, loose bark and the tops of wooden fence posts because these are documented nest locations.
  • Record the location and condition of each potential nest site and mark features that must be retained or checked immediately before works.
  • Do not disturb an active nest, eggs or dependent young, and obtain advice from the relevant state authority or approved fauna specialist before deciding how works can proceed.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the relevant state or territory survey guideline where one applies, and document the survey dates, start and finish times, observers, weather, visibility, methods, area searched and effort for each visit.
  • Survey all proposed clearing and disturbance areas and inspect adjoining retained habitat where it could be used for nesting, foraging, roosting or movement.
  • Record the species as Artamus cyanopterus cyanopterus where the NSW subspecies profile applies, and retain photographs, coordinates and habitat notes for each record.
  • Submit confirmed records and significant breeding or mortality observations to the relevant state wildlife database, including BioNet in New South Wales, and meet any project approval reporting requirements.
  • Do not treat the absence of detections as clearance to remove habitat where survey coverage, weather, access or timing was inadequate.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Plan the project around retaining open woodland habitat, dead timber and movement links. The Dusky Woodswallow is vulnerable in New South Wales, although it is not listed under the EPBC Act on the information provided.

Avoid clearing dry open eucalypt woodland, mallee, open forest, roadside remnants and windbreaks wherever practicable.

Retain larger connected woodland patches, because the species is woodland dependent and is reported to prefer larger remnants over smaller remnants.

Retain standing dead trees, stags, stumps, fallen logs, coarse woody debris, leaf litter and sparse shrubs because these features support nesting and foraging.

NSW conservation status: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Key habitat features: Open eucalypt woodland, sparse understorey, leaf litter, dead timber and coarse woody debris

  • Keep a connected strip of suitable woodland between retained patches where practicable, rather than creating isolated remnants.
  • Avoid removing dead timber or tidying the ground layer in retained habitat.
  • Protect the area around identified nests and potential breeding habitat from vehicle movement, storage, dust, lighting and unnecessary noise.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and timing

Confirm the species' status in the state or territory where the project occurs, because the supplied listing information identifies a NSW vulnerable subspecies and no Commonwealth listing.

Obtain any required state permits, threatened species approvals, wildlife handling authorities and project-specific conditions before clearing starts.

Consider staging clearing outside the main nesting period from late September to late February, subject to the approval conditions and the wider ecological constraints of the project.

Main nesting period to avoid where practicable: Late September to late February

NSW gazettal date shown in the profile: 5 August 2016

  • Refer a project to the Australian Government only if another trigger applies, because the supplied NSW profile states that the species is not listed under the EPBC Act.
  • Use a qualified ecologist to assess whether seasonal movement, breeding, flocking or adjoining habitat changes the timing or staging plan.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies no-go areas, habitat features, survey timing, spotter catcher responsibilities, stop-work triggers, reporting and contacts for injured wildlife.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete a pre-clearance inspection immediately before works, even where an earlier ecological survey found no birds or nests.

Clearly mark retained woodland, nest buffers, dead timber, stumps, logs, loose bark, fence-post hollows and other habitat features before machinery enters the site.

Install exclusion fencing or other controls where they can protect retained habitat from machinery, soil disturbance, firewood collection, grazing impacts or material storage.

  • Brief all operators on the species' appearance, calls, nest locations, stop-work rules and the requirement to follow the fauna management plan.
  • Check that fauna spotter catchers hold the authority required in the relevant jurisdiction and have safe access to the work area.
  • Confirm the destination for injured fauna, including a suitable veterinarian or licensed wildlife carer, before clearing begins.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and spotter catcher duties

Keep clearing controlled and observable. The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to stop work where an animal, nest or habitat feature could be harmed.

Conduct a daily pre-start inspection of the active work area, retained habitat, exclusion fencing and marked habitat features.

Keep a suitably authorised fauna spotter catcher within the work zone while vegetation and habitat features are being disturbed.

Use staged clearing that moves towards retained habitat or another approved safe area, so mobile fauna has an opportunity to leave before machinery advances.

  • Keep machinery at a safe speed and stop movement when the spotter catcher requires inspection of vegetation, logs, stumps, loose bark or debris.
  • Maintain communication between the spotter catcher, supervisor and machine operators throughout clearing.
  • Prevent workers from chasing, cornering, feeding or handling birds unless they are authorised and trained to do so.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Inspect trees, stumps, logs, loose bark, fence posts and shrubs before they are removed because Dusky Woodswallows may nest in forks, hollows, crevices, stumps, behind loose bark or in fence posts.

Retain standing and fallen dead timber wherever the approved design allows, because the species forages around leaf litter and dead timber and uses these features as part of its woodland habitat.

Move or remove habitat features only under the approved fauna management plan and after checking for birds, nests and other fauna.

  • Do not fell a tree or remove a stump when an active nest, eggs or dependent young are present.
  • Treat a hollow-bearing tree, hollow stump or loose-bark feature as a potential fauna refuge until it has been inspected and cleared by an authorised person.
  • Protect retained ground cover, leaf litter and coarse woody debris from unnecessary vehicle traffic, grading, burning and stock access.

During habitat disturbance: Animal encounters and stop-work triggers

Stop the relevant work immediately if a Dusky Woodswallow, active nest, eggs, dependent young or injured bird is found in the disturbance area.

Allow an uninjured bird to leave without pursuit where it can safely move to nearby retained habitat, and do not resume work until the spotter catcher confirms that the immediate risk has been managed.

Only an appropriately authorised and trained person may capture or relocate a bird, and relocation must be to suitable nearby retained habitat approved by the fauna management plan.

Normal breeding arrangement: Usually solitary pairs, occasionally loose colonies of up to 20 nests

Parent care: Both parents brood eggs and feed nestlings; fledglings need care for about one month

  • Contact the nominated wildlife carer or veterinarian for an injured bird and keep handling, restraint and transport to the minimum required for welfare and legal compliance.
  • Escalate repeated detections, nesting activity, mortality, unsafe conditions or failure of exclusion controls to the project ecologist and site supervisor.
  • Record the date, time, location, activity, bird condition, action taken, release or treatment destination, photographs where appropriate and the names of the people involved.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Close out clearing with a documented inspection and continue protecting retained habitat. Review whether the work changed the species' nesting, foraging or movement habitat.

Inspect the cleared area, retained edges and exclusion fencing after each clearing stage for injured birds, active nests exposed by clearing, displaced fauna and newly damaged habitat features.

Complete a final inspection before demobilisation to confirm that no unsearched tree, stump, log, loose-bark feature or marked no-go area remains within the work footprint.

Repair fencing, signage and other controls where construction activities have damaged them.

  • Remove temporary controls only when the project ecologist confirms that the risk period and relevant construction activities have ended.
  • Record all detections, nest outcomes, injuries, mortalities, relocations, habitat retained and habitat removed.
  • Submit required records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide incident reports to the approval authority where required.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and corrective action

Monitor retained woodland and rehabilitation areas for Dusky Woodswallows during and after construction where the project has removed habitat, altered edges or disrupted movement between patches.

Use repeat observations and the same locations where possible so changes in presence, flocking, breeding activity and habitat condition can be compared over time.

Investigate unexpected declines, repeated disturbance, increased noisy miner activity, weed invasion, excessive grazing or loss of dead timber and implement corrective action.

  • Retain monitoring records with dates, effort, weather, observers, detections, habitat condition and management actions.
  • Review whether construction lighting, dust, noise, access tracks or edge management are reducing use of retained woodland.
  • Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval, fauna management plan or rehabilitation plan.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and reporting

Calculate any residual impact and apply the relevant state or territory offset or biodiversity assessment requirements where avoidance and minimisation do not prevent habitat loss.

Describe the area and condition of woodland cleared, retained, restored or protected, including dead timber, coarse woody debris, leaf litter and connectivity features.

Report any changed conservation status, approval issue or significant incident to the project environmental officer and relevant regulator.

  • Do not describe an offset as replacing on-site controls or the retention of suitable habitat.
  • Link offset or conservation actions to the species' documented threats, including woodland clearing, fragmentation, removal of dead wood, grazing, weeds and noisy miner exclusion.
  • Keep evidence that rehabilitation and any offset actions were completed and maintained.

Rehabilitation actions: Rebuild suitable habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate open eucalypt woodland structure rather than a dense plantation. The aim is to provide connected habitat with sparse shrubs, a functioning ground layer and dead timber for foraging and nesting.

Use locally appropriate native eucalypts and associated native shrubs, grasses and sedges that recreate the open woodland or mallee community removed by the project.

Retain open gaps and a sparse understorey rather than establishing dense shrub cover, because the species is associated with open woodland and sparse shrubs.

Reconnect small remnants through natural regeneration or revegetation where the project has created a break between suitable patches.

Preferred habitat structure: Dry open eucalypt forest or woodland with sparse eucalypt saplings, acacias and other shrubs

Ground layer: Grasses, sedges or open ground, often with coarse woody debris

  • Protect regenerating eucalypt saplings and native shrubs from grazing, vehicle damage and unnecessary slashing.
  • Retain or reinstate coarse woody debris, fallen logs, leaf litter, stumps and standing dead timber where safe and permitted.
  • Include roadside remnants, windbreaks and woodland edges in rehabilitation planning where they form part of a movement link or foraging area.

Rehabilitation actions: Provide nesting and foraging features

Retain suitable natural hollows, stumps, loose bark, forks and dead trees wherever public safety and fire controls allow.

Where natural features cannot be retained, assess whether nest boxes or other artificial hollows are appropriate under a species-specific rehabilitation plan approved by the project ecologist.

Manage the ground layer so leaf litter and dead timber remain available for the species' under-canopy foraging.

Documented nest locations: Shrubs or low trees, forks, spouts, hollow stumps or logs, behind loose bark and hollow fence posts

Foraging behaviour: Hovering and sallying above the canopy or over water, and pouncing under the canopy over leaf litter and dead timber

  • Do not remove fallen timber as part of routine rehabilitation maintenance.
  • Place any nest boxes only after confirming that their design, location, height, monitoring and maintenance are suitable for the local woodland community.
  • Avoid installing features in locations exposed to regular machinery traffic, excessive lighting, stock pressure or fire risk.

Rehabilitation actions: Control threats and measure success

Control exotic grasses and woody weeds that degrade open woodland habitat and reduce the availability of native ground cover and leaf litter.

Manage grazing to retain leaf litter, sparse shrubs, coarse woody debris and a complex ground layer.

Maintain a suitable open shrub structure that reduces the risk of aggressive exclusion by overabundant Noisy Miners.

Documented habitat threats: Clearing and fragmentation, loss of dead timber and coarse woody debris, overgrazing, weeds and aggressive exclusion by Noisy Miners

Breeding period for monitoring: Late September to late February

  • Plan fire management to avoid unnecessary loss of nest trees, dead timber, leaf litter and coarse woody debris, while meeting legal and community safety requirements.
  • Monitor for Dusky Woodswallows using repeat observations during and after rehabilitation, with additional attention to the breeding period from late September to late February.
  • Measure success using survival and growth of planted or regenerating eucalypts, retention of sparse understorey, native ground cover, retained dead timber, weed reduction, connectivity and confirmed species use.
  • Record the number and location of nests, flocks, foraging observations and any evidence of breeding, and adjust weed, grazing, fire or predator management if targets are not met.

Sources