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Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)

The Jacky Winter is a small, sedentary Australian flycatcher of open woodland, mallee and scattered-tree paddocks. On clearing and construction sites, it may be detected from exposed perches, repeated calls and small nests on dead branches. The species is least concern nationally, but some state populations or subspecies have higher local protection, including the Mount Lofty Ranges form in South Australia, which is listed as Rare.

Conservation status

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

Breeding season

Jacky Winters breed in Australia mainly from July to December, and breeding has also been recorded from August to January. Timing varies between regions and may be influenced by rainfall, so local observations should guide site scheduling.

Breeding mode: Territorial pair breeder. Cooperative feeding has been recorded rarely.

Nest site: A very small, shallow cup nest is built on an exposed horizontal branch or fork, usually on a dead branch. Nests are made from grass and bark bound with spider web.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation: Approximately 17 days. The female incubates the eggs.

Fledging and dependence: Fledging period and duration of parental dependence are not recorded. The male feeds the young, and the female probably broods them.

Breeding frequency: Several broods may be raised in one season.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding timing can shift between years and regions, particularly after rainfall, so check for singing adults, territorial activity and exposed nests before clearing.

  • Resident and active: Jacky Winters are generally sedentary, although some areas have seasonal visitors rather than year round residents.
  • Nest building, laying and incubation: Nesting and incubation may occur from July to January, with the documented breeding periods overlapping from August to December.
  • Nestlings and dependent young: Young may be present during the breeding period, but fledging dates and the length of dependence are not recorded.
  • Foraging and territory use: Adults forage throughout the year by pouncing from perches, hawking insects and taking prey from the ground or other substrates.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and construction are most likely to harm active nests, eggs or dependent young from July to January, especially where exposed nest branches and woodland habitat will be removed.

Identification: Appearance and size

Jacky Winters are small, subdued grey and brown birds that are often easy to overlook until they call or launch from a bare perch. They are generally approachable and may remain in a work area while people and machinery are present, although the species does not tolerate high levels of disturbance.

The Jacky Winter has muted grey brown plumage, a faint pale eye line and a white underbody. The white outer tail feathers are conspicuous when the bird lands or wags its tail.

Both sexes have similar plumage. The bird is about 15 g and has a compact, flycatcher-like form.

Typical size: Small, approximately 15 g

Key features: Pale eye line, white underbody and white outer tail feathers

  • Usually sits upright on a bare branch, stump or other exposed perch.
  • Often wags its tail while perched.
  • The bird may dart out suddenly, twist or hover briefly, then return to the same perch.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The call is clear and carries a long distance. It is commonly described as a rapid series of chwit sounds followed by peter or queeter notes.

The Jacky Winter can be confused with other small woodland robins and flycatchers. Confirm records using the combination of call, pale eye line, white outer tail feathers, upright posture and repeated perch to ground or air hunting behaviour.

  • Listen for chwit-chwit-chwit-peter-peter-peter.
  • Some references describe the final notes as queeter-queeter-queeter.
  • Plumage varies geographically, with darker birds in the south and paler birds in northern and inland areas.

Identification: Field signs

The most useful field signs are repeated use of exposed perches, tail wagging and short flights to catch insects. A bird may return repeatedly to the same branch, fence line or stump.

During the breeding season, persistent singing and a very small cup nest on a dead branch are useful indicators.

  • Inspect dead branches and exposed horizontal forks for small, bark-coloured nests.
  • Search from the ground as well as from access tracks, since the species often forages by pouncing onto bare ground or litter.
  • Record the bird's perch, direction of flight and whether it returns after disturbance.

Distribution: Australian range

The Jacky Winter is widely distributed across mainland Australia and also occurs in south east New Guinea. It is resident in some areas and a seasonal visitor in others, although it is generally regarded as sedentary.

The species occurs across a broad range of Australian woodlands, open forests, mallee and semi-open rural landscapes. It is mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

  • Records occur in south western and south eastern Australia.
  • The species occurs in the Murray Mallee, northern Victoria, the Central Riverina and parts of New South Wales.
  • It also occurs in south eastern Queensland and south western Australia.
  • In South Australia, the Mount Lofty Ranges form is now uncommon in many areas and has a scattered distribution across the ranges and adjoining districts.

Distribution: Regional variation and subspecies

Three subspecies are recognised nationally. The Mount Lofty Ranges form is Microeca fascinans fascinans. Its range overlaps with the non-threatened Microeca fascinans assimilis, so a sighting may not be identifiable to subspecies without suitable evidence.

In the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, post 1983 records occur across the Kaurna, Ngadjuri, Nganguraku, Ngarrindjeri and Peramangk Aboriginal Nations.

  • Treat records in the Mount Lofty Ranges as potentially significant for the Rare subspecies.
  • Use photographs, detailed location records and advice from the relevant state authority where subspecies identification affects approvals or mitigation.
  • Do not assume that every Jacky Winter record represents the listed Mount Lofty Ranges form.

Distribution: Movement and site use

The species is sedentary in many areas, but local residency varies. A site may support a resident pair, or may be used seasonally after suitable rainfall and insect availability.

Retain nearby habitat when possible, since a single observation may represent part of a larger territory rather than an isolated bird.

  • Check the wider vegetation remnant, adjoining paddock trees and connected roadside or creekline vegetation.
  • Repeat observations across suitable weather and activity periods when a project may remove woodland or dead branches.

Habitat: Vegetation and landscape features

Look for Jacky Winters in open woodland and mallee with scattered trees, an open shrub layer and bare or lightly covered ground. Good habitat can occur in farmland, parks, paddocks and linear remnants where mature trees and natural ground structure remain.

Preferred vegetation includes eucalypt woodland, grassy woodland and mallee. In the Mount Lofty Ranges, grassy woodland and mallee are the main broad vegetation groups used by the species, with shrubland also used occasionally.

  • Open woodland with scattered mature eucalypts.
  • Mallee with open spaces between shrubs and trees.
  • Paddocks or farmland with scattered trees and nearby woodland remnants.
  • Roadside, creekline and other linear vegetation that connects larger remnants.

Habitat: Ground layer and structural resources

Healthy habitat is not necessarily tidy habitat. Fallen sticks, logs, leaves and stumps support invertebrate prey and provide low hunting perches.

Retain a varied structure, including mature and dead trees, regrowth, low shrubs, native grasses, herbs and patches of open ground.

  • Avoid removing fallen timber, coarse woody debris and natural leaf litter unless required for safety or access.
  • Protect dense patches that provide nesting and shelter for woodland birds.
  • Assess habitat beyond the proposed clearing footprint, including adjoining paddock trees and remnant edges.

Habitat: Site assessment

The species can occupy relatively small remnants, but healthy woodland areas of about 1.7 hectares have been associated with a home range. Use this as a landscape context rather than a fixed clearance threshold.

A recent record, repeated calling or regular use of the same perch should trigger a closer habitat and breeding assessment.

  • Map mature living trees, dead branches, fallen timber, open ground and woodland edges.
  • Note whether clearing would break a connection between remnants or remove a group of scattered paddock trees.
  • Consider habitat quality, continuity and disturbance across the whole work area.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Jacky Winters are insectivores that forage from exposed perches. They commonly pounce onto the ground, hawk insects in the air and take prey from ground litter or other substrates.

A bird typically launches from a branch, stump, fence or other perch to catch an insect, then returns to a perch. It may dive, twist, hover or make short flights through the air.

Ground pouncing is a major feeding method. In some studied woodlands, 49 to 66 percent of recorded foraging was from the ground or ground litter, while aerial foraging accounted for 12 to 26 percent.

  • Watch exposed perches for repeated short flights.
  • Search open ground, leaf litter and the edges of low shrubs.
  • Look for birds working a small area repeatedly rather than moving continuously through the site.

Foraging habitat: Foraging habitat to retain

Retain a mosaic of bare ground, leaf litter, fallen timber, low shrubs and open woodland. This supports both insect prey and the perches used to hunt it.

Ground disturbance, removal of litter and intensive cleaning beneath trees can reduce feeding opportunities.

  • Keep fallen logs, branches and stumps where they do not create a safety risk.
  • Avoid broad grading or removal of the natural ground layer beneath retained trees.
  • Retain open woodland edges and low shrubs near likely nesting trees.
  • Maintain native grasses and herbs where possible, while managing invasive weeds.

Foraging habitat: Construction considerations

Before works begin, identify regular perches and the likely flight paths between them and open feeding areas. A bird using the site may continue to forage nearby if these features remain connected and disturbance is controlled.

If a bird repeatedly returns to an active work area, pause and reassess the work method with the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist.

  • Keep machinery and personnel within approved work areas.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of perches outside the clearing footprint.
  • Use staged clearing where practical so nearby feeding habitat remains available.

Breeding habitat: Nest and nest tree

Jacky Winters breed in small territories in open woodland and mallee. Breeding has been recorded from July to December after rain, and from August to January in South Australian records, so active nests may be present across much of the warmer part of the year.

The nest is a tiny, shallow cup made from grass and bark bound with spider web. Bark strips on the outside can make it difficult to see.

Nests are usually placed on an exposed horizontal fork or dead branch, clear of leaves. Recorded nest heights range from about 1.55 to 4.25 m, and nests may be as high as 20 m.

Breeding period: July to January, varying by region and rainfall

Nest placement: Exposed fork or horizontal branch, often a dead branch

Recorded nest height: About 1.55 to 4.25 m in one South Australian study, with nests reported up to 20 m

  • Inspect dead branches, exposed forks and horizontal limbs in retained or proposed removal trees.
  • Check the outer edges of woodland and low shrub areas, where nest trees may have a more open view.
  • Do not rely on nest size alone. Small nests can be concealed by bark or viewed edge on.

Breeding habitat: Signs of active breeding

Singing increases during breeding. Adults may make repeated trips between a nest and nearby feeding perches, sometimes carrying food.

The female incubates for approximately 17 days. The male feeds the young, and the species may raise several broods in a season.

  • Watch for repeated approach and departure flights to one branch.
  • Look for adults carrying insects or other small prey.
  • Treat a nest as active unless an appropriately qualified person confirms otherwise.

Breeding habitat: Pre-clearance checks

A pre-clearance inspection should cover all trees, dead branches, shrubs and structures proposed for removal, as well as the immediate ground beneath them. Use binoculars and inspect from several angles because the nest is small and exposed.

Where breeding habitat is present, schedule the inspection close to clearing and repeat it if works are delayed. Follow approval conditions and local fauna-handling requirements.

  • Mark trees with potential nests before machinery enters the work area.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher during clearing where required by approval or risk assessment.
  • Stop work if an active nest, dependent young or repeated nest attendance is detected.
  • Do not cut or move a nest without direction from the project ecologist and the relevant authority.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features

Specific communal roosts are not a recognised feature of the Jacky Winter profile. For a small territorial woodland bird, shelter is most likely to be associated with retained trees, shrubs, dense vegetation and connected remnants near feeding areas.

Retain live trees, dead trees, low shrubs and dense vegetation patches within and beside the work area. These features provide cover between feeding flights and help maintain a functional territory.

Woodland edges with open ground nearby can provide both visibility and shelter. Avoid simplifying these edges during site preparation.

  • Keep understorey patches where they do not conflict with safety or access.
  • Retain trees with live branches and nearby foliage around likely nest sites.
  • Maintain connected vegetation along roads, drainage lines and creeklines where possible.

Sheltering habitat: Works near retained habitat

Manage dust, noise, vehicle movement and pedestrian access around retained woodland. The species becomes scarce in heavily settled areas and is intolerant of high levels of human disturbance.

Use fencing and clear exclusion areas to prevent accidental damage to trees, shrubs, fallen timber and groundcover outside the approved footprint.

  • Define no-go areas before clearing starts.
  • Keep stored materials, spoil and vehicle parking away from retained vegetation.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of dead branches and fallen timber.
  • Reinstate native groundcover and shrub structure after construction where appropriate.

Threats: Clearing and habitat loss

The main risks on development sites are habitat removal, loss of woodland structure and disturbance around occupied habitat. Impacts can be reduced by retaining connected woodland, natural ground structure and suitable nesting trees.

Clearing for agriculture, housing, infrastructure and other works reduces the open woodland and mallee habitat used by Jacky Winters. The species has declined in parts of southern Australia and is becoming scarce around settled areas.

  • Minimise the clearing footprint and retain mature and dead trees.
  • Avoid removing scattered paddock trees that connect larger remnants.
  • Retain woodland edges, low shrubs, bare ground and fallen timber.
  • Revegetate with locally appropriate woodland species where habitat has been lost.

Threats: Ground-layer degradation

Removing sticks, leaves, logs, stumps and native groundcover reduces insect habitat and removes low hunting perches. Intensive grazing, cropping, grading and site clean-up can all reduce feeding quality.

  • Do not clean up natural debris unless required for a documented safety reason.
  • Protect native grasses, herbs, leaf litter and fallen timber from vehicle damage.
  • Manage stock grazing so woodland regeneration and understorey structure can develop.
  • Control invasive weeds and rabbits where they affect habitat condition.

Threats: Disturbance during construction

Noise, vehicle movement, people and repeated access can reduce use of otherwise suitable habitat. Disturbance is most sensitive when adults are incubating or feeding dependent young.

Apply project-specific exclusion areas around active nests and follow approval conditions. In the absence of a specified buffer, obtain advice from the project ecologist and relevant authority rather than setting an arbitrary distance.

  • Use staged clearing where practical.
  • Keep workers and machinery within the approved footprint.
  • Pause work if adults show repeated alarm, nest attendance or abnormal flight behaviour.
  • Record observations and reassess the work area after any change in clearing method.

Threats: Listing and compliance

The species is least concern nationally, but the Mount Lofty Ranges subspecies in South Australia is listed as Rare. Equivalent state categories include Rare in Tasmania and Priority 4 in Western Australia, where applicable to the relevant population or assessment context.

Treat records in listed areas as a compliance matter. Confirm the applicable state listing, approval conditions and requirements for fauna handling, nest protection and habitat clearance before works begin.

  • South Australia: Microeca fascinans fascinans in the Mount Lofty Ranges is listed as Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
  • Western Australia: Priority 4 is a non-statutory DBCA category for rare and near threatened species requiring monitoring.
  • Queensland: check whether the local population has a near threatened listing and whether works may affect a breeding place.
  • Scale survey effort and mitigation to the local listing, habitat quality, evidence of occupancy and proposed impact.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Jacky Winters are easiest to detect by their clear calls, upright posture and repeated use of exposed perches. Survey effort should cover both open woodland and mallee, including woodland edges, scattered paddock trees and areas with bare ground and retained litter.

Check current records, habitat mapping, recent observations and the relevant state listing before planning works. Confirm whether records relate to the widespread species or a listed subspecies or population.

In South Australia, check specifically for the Rare Mount Lofty Ranges form, Microeca fascinans fascinans. Check state databases and approval conditions for any Rare, near threatened or Priority 4 records relevant to the site.

Breeding period: Generally August to January. Breeding has also been recorded from July to December after rain.

Activity pattern: The species is generally sedentary, but some areas have seasonal visitors.

  • Map open woodland, mallee, scattered trees, woodland edges, bare ground, open shrub layers and areas with fallen timber and leaf litter.
  • Identify proposed clearing, access tracks, laydown areas, construction zones and lighting that may affect habitat.
  • Check whether the site is in or near a known breeding, movement or habitat corridor area.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection

Walk slowly through suitable habitat and scan exposed dead branches, horizontal forks, fence lines and other bare perches. Listen for the rapid, carrying call, described as chw it-chwit-chwit-peter-peter-peter or a similar queeter call.

Watch for short flights from a perch to the ground or into the air, followed by a return to the same perch. Tail wagging, a faint pale eye-line and white outer tail feathers help with identification.

Foraging behaviour: The species commonly pounces from a perch to the ground, hawks insects in the air and takes prey from substrates.

  • Survey from within three hours of sunrise or sunset where practicable.
  • Use quiet observation and listening before starting any playback.
  • Include open areas beside denser vegetation, as nests and foraging activity may occur at woodland edges.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and conditions

Undertake surveys when birds are active and visibility is good. Avoid strong wind, heavy rain and other conditions that reduce the chance of hearing calls or seeing flight behaviour.

Give additional attention to the breeding period. Singing, territorial behaviour, repeated flights to one location or adults carrying food may indicate a nest nearby.

  • Repeat checks where the first visit is affected by poor weather, poor visibility or high background noise.
  • Survey all habitat types that may be affected, not only the proposed clearing footprint.
  • Use call playback only where authorised, ethically approved and appropriate to the project. A South Australian survey example used no more than five playback calls per vegetation association.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and evidence

Record enough information for another ecologist to relocate the observation and understand its significance. Treat a call-only record as a detection, but do not assume that it confirms a listed subspecies.

  • Record date, start and finish time, observer, weather, survey method and area covered.
  • Record coordinates, number of birds, behaviour, call response, perch use, flight direction and habitat condition.
  • Photograph birds, nests and habitat where this can be done without causing disturbance.
  • Map active nests, repeated activity areas and any threatened subspecies evidence separately from general species records.
  • Record all playback use, including the call type, number of calls and response.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and responsibilities

Plan works around the species’ habitat and breeding behaviour. Avoidance is preferable because the nest is small, exposed and easily overlooked, and the species becomes scarce where disturbance and habitat loss are high.

Confirm the conservation status that applies at the work site before clearing. The species is nationally least concern, but local or state listings can still trigger controls.

In South Australia, the Mount Lofty Ranges form, Microeca fascinans fascinans, is listed as Rare. Check whether the relevant South Australian record is within the listed form’s range. Also check any Rare listing in Tasmania and Priority 4 status in Western Australia.

In Queensland, check whether the animal is treated as near threatened protected wildlife and whether works may tamper with a breeding place. A species management program may be required.

  • Obtain all required state wildlife, vegetation clearance and development approvals before work starts.
  • Complete an EPBC Act referral assessment where another listed matter, action or ecological community may be affected. Do not assume that a Jacky Winter record alone requires an EPBC referral.
  • Confirm any landholder, council, planning or consent conditions that require fauna surveys, buffers, monitoring or reporting.
  • Nominate the project ecologist and fauna spotter catcher who can make stop work decisions.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoid and retain habitat

Retain open woodland, mallee, scattered trees, woodland edges and areas with bare ground. Keep fallen logs, sticks, leaf litter, stumps and natural perches wherever possible.

Avoid fragmenting larger habitat areas and retain links along roads, creeks and between woodland remnants. A healthy woodland home range has been estimated at about 1.7 hectares, so assess the wider habitat rather than treating isolated trees as the only resource.

  • Redesign access, compounds and exclusion zones to avoid suitable habitat.
  • Retain live and dead trees, dead branches and exposed forks that may be used for perching or nesting.
  • Keep a messy ground layer and avoid broad-scale removal of fallen timber or leaf litter.
  • Limit night lighting near retained woodland and direct lights away from habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey

Complete a targeted pre-clearance inspection close to the start of works. Search all trees and shrubs that could contain a small exposed cup nest, with particular attention to dead horizontal branches and forks.

Use both visual searching and listening. A breeding pair may be detected by persistent singing, repeated visits to one tree or adults carrying food.

Nest description: A very small cup made from grass and bark strips bound with spider web, usually on an exposed fork or horizontal dead branch.

Known nest height: At Gluepot Reserve, recorded nests were 1.55 to 4.25 m above ground, with a mean height of 2.5 m.

  • Inspect the whole clearing footprint, access routes and areas where machinery will swing or stockpile materials.
  • Mark any active nest, repeatedly used perch, adult bird concentration or suspected breeding area on plans and on the ground.
  • Have an ecologist assess whether a nest is active before any nearby disturbance begins.
  • Do not rely on a desktop habitat assessment alone where suitable woodland is present.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Timing, buffers and exclusion

Where practicable, schedule vegetation removal and high-noise works outside the main breeding period of July or August to January. Timing alone does not replace a pre-clearance check, because breeding can follow rain and local conditions vary.

No universal Jacky Winter buffer has been established. Set a site-specific no-go area around an active nest or breeding area using advice from the project ecologist, the approval conditions and the likely noise, vibration, access and line-of-sight effects.

  • Fence and sign the exclusion area before machinery arrives.
  • Keep vehicles, workers, materials and lighting outside the exclusion area.
  • Maintain the exclusion until the ecologist confirms that breeding activity has ended or the relevant authority approves another action.
  • Increase the exclusion area if adults show alarm, repeated diversion flights or reduced feeding visits.

Before habitat disturbance: 5. Induction and equipment

Brief every worker, contractor and machine operator before entering the site. Show photographs of the species, its call, its nest and the marked exclusion areas.

Make the fauna spotter catcher’s authority clear. Workers must know who can stop work and how to contact that person.

  • Explain the prohibition on approaching, handling or relocating birds or nests without authorisation.
  • Include procedures for unexpected nests, injured animals, trapped fauna, poor visibility and changed work areas.
  • Provide radios or reliable contact methods for the spotter catcher, supervisor and ecologist.
  • Keep maps, permits, contact numbers and incident forms available in site vehicles.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Stage the clearing

Use a slow, staged clearing process and keep a qualified fauna spotter catcher present where required by approval or risk assessment. Jacky Winters are small and exposed nests can be missed, so work must stop when behaviour or habitat suggests breeding activity.

Clear in small, controlled stages from the already disturbed edge towards retained habitat. This gives birds a chance to move away and allows the spotter catcher to inspect each new work area.

Keep the approved footprint visible and prevent machinery from entering retained habitat or marked exclusion areas.

  • Complete a final visual and listening check immediately before each clearing stage.
  • Remove non-habitat vegetation first where this can be done safely and lawfully.
  • Retain trees, dead branches, logs, stumps and leaf litter identified for protection.
  • Stop if a bird repeatedly returns to a tree, carries food, displays distress or enters a suspected nest.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop work and manage breeding places

The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to stop work immediately if an active nest, breeding place or dependent young are found. Do not move the nest, cut the supporting branch or encourage the adults away.

Have the ecologist assess the site and contact the relevant approval authority where the proposed action may affect a protected breeding place.

  • Maintain the exclusion area and keep people, vehicles, vibration and lighting away.
  • Record the nest location, condition, contents, adult behaviour and the work that was stopped.
  • Resume only after the ecologist and relevant authority confirm the control measures or approval pathway.
  • Do not assume that an empty nest is inactive without an assessment of current use.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handle animals only when authorised

Only trained and authorised personnel may capture or handle a Jacky Winter. Avoid capture where the bird can leave the work area safely.

Use the least stressful method available and keep handling time short. Do not chase birds through dense vegetation or repeatedly flush them.

  • Use a clean, ventilated holding container only when temporary containment is necessary and authorised.
  • Keep the bird shaded, quiet and away from machinery, dust, fumes and direct lighting.
  • Release a healthy bird at a suitable nearby location agreed by the ecologist, unless an approval or veterinarian requires another action.
  • Do not relocate a nest or dependent young without specific expert and regulatory direction.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Respond to injured or distressed animals

Treat an injured, grounded or exhausted bird as a fauna incident. Do not offer food or water unless directed by a wildlife veterinarian or wildlife carer.

Reduce noise and handling, and arrange prompt assessment by an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian.

  • Secure the immediate area and remove the source of injury where safe to do so.
  • Place the bird in a suitable ventilated container only if authorised and necessary for safety.
  • Record the location, time, apparent injury, photographs where appropriate, handler and transfer details.
  • Follow the state wildlife authority pathway and the project incident procedure.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Keep daily records

Maintain a daily fauna log throughout clearing and construction. Good records support compliance, incident review and later habitat monitoring.

  • Record cleared areas, retained habitat, inspections, bird sightings, nests, stop work events and releases.
  • Record the names and authorisations of personnel who handled fauna or made decisions.
  • Photograph marked exclusion areas and any nest, injury or unusual behaviour where this can be done without disturbance.
  • Report any breach of an approval condition or exclusion area to the site manager and project ecologist immediately.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Complete post-clearance checks

Do not close out fauna controls when the last tree is removed. Complete a final inspection, confirm that retained habitat and exclusion areas remain intact, and review any incident before the next work stage begins.

Inspect the cleared footprint, retained vegetation and adjoining habitat after each clearing stage. Look for injured birds, stranded fauna, damaged nests and machinery impacts outside the approved area.

Check that no logs, dead branches, stumps or leaf litter retained as habitat have been unnecessarily removed.

  • Confirm that all fauna has left the work area or has been dealt with under the approved procedure.
  • Check sediment, dust, noise, lighting and access controls near retained woodland.
  • Photograph and map retained habitat and any damaged features.
  • Record the date, area checked, observers, findings and corrective actions.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Close out relocated or handled animals

Review every animal that was captured, held, released or transferred. Confirm the receiving carer, veterinarian or release location and retain the relevant documentation.

If a bird was released, check that the release site contains suitable perches, open foraging areas and shelter, and is not inside an active work zone.

  • Record whether the animal was released, transferred, rehabilitated or died.
  • Report mortality, repeat injuries or failed releases through the approval and wildlife authority pathways.
  • Do not conduct follow-up capture or radio tracking unless approved and supervised by an appropriately qualified person.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitor retained habitat and breeding

Where works occur beside retained woodland, monitor for renewed Jacky Winter activity during the following breeding period and after major construction disturbance. Use the same observation points where possible so results can be compared.

Focus on singing birds, repeated perch use, feeding flights and new nests at woodland edges and in retained trees.

  • Set monitoring frequency and duration through the project approval, risk assessment and ecologist’s advice.
  • Record presence, behaviour, nest locations, breeding outcome where observable and habitat condition.
  • Review monitoring results after heavy construction, vegetation damage, fire, grazing change or major lighting changes.
  • Escalate any new active nest or repeated disturbance to the project ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Review incidents and controls

Hold a short fauna review after clearing and after any stop work or injury event. Use the findings to change work methods before the next stage.

Look for missed nests, ineffective inductions, poor visibility, excessive lighting, machinery access errors and habitat damage.

  • Update the site risk assessment, maps and induction where needed.
  • Record corrective actions, responsible people and completion dates.
  • Share lessons with contractors and the fauna spotter catcher team.
  • Notify the relevant regulator or approval holder where required by conditions.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore the open woodland structure and the ground resources used by Jacky Winters. The aim is a connected habitat mosaic with mature and regrowth trees, exposed perches, open foraging areas and a retained natural ground layer.

Re-establish local woodland species suited to the site. Include a varied structure of mature trees where retained, regenerating trees, open shrub layers, native grasses and small open areas.

Retain or reinstate fallen branches, logs, stumps, leaf litter and other natural debris. These features support invertebrates and provide ambush perches.

Habitat association: Jacky Winters use open woodland, mallee and paddocks with scattered trees, often with an open shrub layer and bare ground.

  • Reconnect isolated remnants with native vegetation along suitable corridors.
  • Restore woodland edges and scattered tree areas rather than creating dense plantings across all open ground.
  • Protect planted and regenerating vegetation from stock, rabbits, fire and vehicle damage.
  • Avoid broad-scale tidying that removes litter, timber or low habitat structure.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Manage food and ground habitat

Maintain the invertebrate resources used by this ground-pouncing and aerial insectivorous bird. Ground litter, bare patches, logs, sticks and stumps should remain distributed through the rehabilitation area.

Manage grazing, fire and weed control so that native groundcover and natural debris are retained.

  • Control invasive grasses and weeds without removing all native litter and shelter.
  • Prevent soil compaction and repeated vehicle movement through foraging areas.
  • Retain some bare ground within a diverse ground layer, while preventing erosion.
  • Manage rabbits and other herbivores that suppress regeneration.
  • Avoid insecticide use where it is not necessary, and apply any required treatment in a way that limits effects on prey and adjacent habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Consider breeding features carefully

Jacky Winters build small exposed cup nests on horizontal dead branches or forks. Standard nest boxes and bat boxes are not a natural fit for this species and should not be installed as a routine measure.

If breeding habitat has been lost, an ecologist may assess whether retained or installed dead branches, suitable tree forks and exposed woodland edges can provide replacement nesting opportunities.

  • Retain suitable dead branches and forks where they are safe and stable.
  • Do not place artificial nest structures unless a species specialist designs and supervises a site-specific trial.
  • Do not use bat boxes or enclosed nest boxes as a substitute for open fork nesting habitat.
  • Monitor any artificial or modified nest feature for use, predation, safety and unintended effects, and remove it if it creates a hazard.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage weeds, water and lighting

Use weed control that protects native regeneration and the ground layer. Provide water only where it is needed for rehabilitation or stock management, as poorly designed water points can attract predators and concentrate disturbance.

Keep rehabilitation areas dark and quiet at night where practicable.

  • Direct construction and security lighting away from retained and rehabilitated woodland.
  • Use shielding and the lowest practical light intensity and operating period.
  • Prevent sediment, pollutants and excess runoff from entering rehabilitated areas.
  • Do not create permanent artificial water points solely for Jacky Winters unless the broader ecological risks have been assessed.
  • Maintain clean equipment and prevent weed spread between remnants and rehabilitation areas.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Monitor long-term outcomes

Monitor whether rehabilitation develops the habitat features needed by the species, not just plant survival. Jacky Winter records should be interpreted alongside habitat condition, prey resources and connectivity.

Use repeat searches during suitable morning and evening periods, with consistent observers, locations and methods where possible.

  • Track tree and shrub establishment, ground-layer condition, fallen timber, weeds, grazing, fire and predator activity.
  • Record Jacky Winter presence, calls, perch use, foraging, territorial behaviour and nesting attempts.
  • Compare results with nearby retained woodland and adjust grazing, weed, fire, lighting or access controls as required.
  • Continue monitoring for long enough to detect establishment of woodland structure and use by breeding birds, as set by the approval or rehabilitation plan.

Sources