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Little Lorikeet (Parvipsitta pusilla)

The Little Lorikeet is a small, fast flying Australian parrot that uses flowering eucalypt woodlands, open forests and riparian trees from Cape York to South Australia. On works sites, it can be missed while feeding high in the canopy, but mature hollow bearing trees and flowering woodland may support breeding or feeding birds. It is Vulnerable in New South Wales and Endangered in South Australia, and is treated as an EVNT species for project planning. The species also has equivalent Rare listings in South Australia and Tasmania, while Queensland protections apply to near threatened animals and their breeding places.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Breeding season

Little Lorikeets breed in Australia from May to September, using small hollows in mature and old eucalypts. Timing can vary with local flowering, food availability and region, and birds may move nomadically outside the breeding season.

Breeding mode: Egg laying in small tree hollows.

Clutch size: 3 to 5 eggs.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Fledging period: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Captive birds breed at one year of age. This suggests a minimum wild maturation age of one year.

Nest sites: Hollows are usually 2 to 15 m above ground, commonly in living, smooth-barked eucalypts. Entrances are approximately 3 cm in diameter.

Breeding frequency: Two broods may be raised in one season when eucalypt nectar and pollen remain available throughout the breeding period.

Breeding and movement intensity can change between years and regions, particularly when flowering and nectar supplies vary; breeding birds on the NSW north-western slopes have been observed resident from April to December.

  • Breeding and nesting: Active nesting is documented from May to September, with hollows reused over many years.
  • Eggs and dependent young: Eggs and young may be present during the May to September breeding season, but incubation and fledging dates are not recorded.
  • Nomadic movement and local presence: Movements can occur in any month and are linked to season and flowering food availability.
  • Canopy foraging: Small flocks forage year round in flowering eucalypts and other canopy trees, often along watercourses and in riparian woodland.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and tree removal have the greatest potential to harm eggs, nestlings or dependent young from May to September, especially where hollow-bearing trees are present.

Identification: Appearance and size

Little Lorikeets are small, bright green parrots that usually move quickly through or above the canopy. They are often detected by their flight calls or contact calls before they are seen.

The body is bright green, with a red face or red forehead and throat area around the black bill. The red does not extend behind the eye. The underwing coverts are green and the undertail is olive yellow, with a partly concealed red base.

Adults are 16 to 19 cm long and weigh about 40 g. They are the smallest of the Australian lorikeets.

  • Flight is fast and direct, through or above the canopy.
  • Birds commonly occur in small, active flocks and may feed with other lorikeets.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The flight call is a sharp, rolling screech, often described as zit zit or zzet. Flocks produce frequent chattering contact calls.

The main field confusion species is the Purple crowned Lorikeet. The Purple crowned Lorikeet has red underwing coverts and a lower pitched, buzzing flight call.

  • Listen for the distinctive shrill call when birds are hidden by foliage.
  • Check the underwing colour if a bird passes close enough for a clear view.

Identification: Field signs

The most useful field signs are calls, fast green birds moving through the canopy, feeding flocks around flowering trees, and small hollow entrances in mature smooth barked eucalypts.

Little Lorikeet nests are in tree hollows with entrances of about 3 cm. Droppings, whitewash, stains and odour are not reliable identification signs for this species.

  • Record the direction of flight and the trees being used.
  • Note whether birds are feeding, calling, roosting or carrying nesting material.
  • Do not assume that an apparently empty hollow is unused.

Distribution: Australian range

The Little Lorikeet is endemic to Australia. Its broad range follows the eastern side of the continent, but abundance is uneven and local records can change with flowering conditions.

The described range extends from just north of Cairns and Cape York, around eastern Australia, to Adelaide and South Australia. In New South Wales it occurs from the coast across the Great Dividing Range to inland slopes and areas near Albury, Parkes, Dubbo and Narrabri.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. Records and distribution information also include the Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory.

  • Important New South Wales regions include the North Coast, Sydney Basin, South Eastern Highlands, South Eastern Queensland border region, South Western Slopes, Riverina, Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South.
  • South Australian records are now concentrated mainly in the south east, with a major historical decline around Adelaide.
  • Victoria includes eastern and inland woodland areas, including habitats associated with the temperate woodland bird community.

Distribution: Local occurrence

The species is locally nomadic. A site may be used in one season and have few records in another, depending on flowering and other food resources.

Mapped areas may contain suitable habitat without being occupied throughout. Conversely, isolated flowering trees and roadside remnants can attract birds outside larger woodland blocks.

  • Treat nearby records as relevant even when the subject site has no recent observation.
  • Search flowering trees, riparian corridors and mature woodland remnants across the wider project area.

Distribution: Conservation status and project relevance

The Little Lorikeet is Vulnerable in New South Wales and Endangered in South Australia. It is profiled as an EVNT species for environmental planning.

The species is treated as Rare in South Australia and Tasmania under the relevant state frameworks, and as a near threatened equivalent in those states. In Queensland, near threatened animals are protected wildlife, and interference with a breeding place requires a species management program.

  • Confirm the current approval and survey requirements for the project jurisdiction.
  • Where a project may affect hollow bearing trees or flowering woodland, assess the species even if no birds are detected during one survey.

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Look for open eucalypt forest and woodland with mature trees, flowering resources and connected or semi connected canopy. Riparian areas and fertile soils are frequently used, but isolated trees can also be significant on cleared sites.

The species uses dry, open eucalypt forest and woodland, including old growth forest, logged forest and remnant woodland in agricultural landscapes. It also uses open dry sclerophyll forest and mallee.

White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely's Red Gum woodland is particularly relevant on the western slopes and tablelands. This community is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community in New South Wales.

  • Eucalyptus albens, White Box
  • Eucalyptus melliodora, Yellow Box
  • Eucalyptus blakelyi, Blakely's Red Gum
  • Eucalyptus viminalis, Manna Gum
  • Eucalyptus dealbata, Tumbledown Gum
  • Angophora, Melaleuca and other flowering trees

Habitat: Landscape features

Riparian woodland is often used because fertile soils can support higher tree productivity. Look along drainage lines, creek margins and other productive linear habitats.

Roadside remnants, paddock trees, urban trees and isolated flowering eucalypts can provide feeding habitat, especially where larger woodland patches have been cleared.

  • Retain links between flowering trees and mature hollow bearing trees where practicable.
  • Map mature trees in narrow remnants, not only trees within large vegetation patches.

Habitat: Habitat condition

The species can use logged forest and younger regrowth in some regions, but breeding resources depend on suitable hollows in mature trees. Repeated clearing can remove both nesting trees and the flowering canopy needed to support local birds.

A site with no birds during a brief inspection should not be classified as unused if it contains flowering eucalypts, riparian woodland or hollow bearing trees.

  • Assess canopy condition, flowering species, hollow availability and nearby woodland connectivity.
  • Record recent fire, clearing, storm damage and tree decline when evaluating habitat.

Foraging habitat: Food resources

Little Lorikeets feed mainly in the canopy and may be difficult to see from the ground. Survey flowering trees carefully, especially where several trees are flowering at the same time or where birds can move along a watercourse.

The main foods are nectar and pollen from flowering eucalypts. The species also feeds on blossoms, Melaleuca flowers, mistletoe, mistletoe fruits, native and cultivated fruits, and seeds.

White Box is particularly important for pollen and Yellow Box is particularly important for nectar on the western slopes and tablelands. Blackbutt and Swamp Mahogany have also been used on the New South Wales Central Coast.

  • Inspect flowering Eucalyptus, Angophora and Melaleuca.
  • Record mistletoe and fruiting plants within and beside the clearing footprint.
  • Include isolated flowering trees in paddocks, road reserves and urban areas.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Birds usually forage in small flocks of fewer than 10, although larger groups and mixed species flocks can occur. They often feed with other lorikeets.

Feeding birds may remain high in the canopy and can be overlooked during ground based inspections.

  • Scan the upper canopy before machinery starts.
  • Use calls and repeated observations to track birds moving between trees.
  • Record the tree species, flowering intensity and approximate flock size.

Foraging habitat: Site assessment

Assess the whole feeding area, not just trees inside the construction footprint. A small number of retained trees may be useful only if nearby flowering resources and movement routes remain available.

Where clearing is proposed during a flowering period, schedule an additional observation period if practicable. This can help determine whether birds are using the site and which trees are most significant.

  • Map flowering trees within the footprint and in adjacent retained habitat.
  • Identify trees that connect riparian vegetation, woodland remnants and known hollow bearing trees.

Breeding habitat: Nesting trees and hollows

Breeding information is limited, but the nesting requirements that are known are highly relevant to clearing. Protect mature smooth barked eucalypts and any hollow that could provide a small entrance, even when no bird is present.

Little Lorikeets nest in small tree hollows, usually in living smooth barked eucalypts. Recorded nest trees include Manna Gum, Blakely's Red Gum and Tumbledown Gum. Hollows are occasionally in dead trees.

Nest hollows are usually 2 to 15 m above ground and have entrances of about 3 cm. The same hollow may be reused for decades.

  • Search trunks and large limbs of mature eucalypts for small round entrances.
  • Map hollow bearing trees before finalising access tracks, crane pads and construction zones.
  • Treat a hollow as a potential breeding place until it has been assessed by an appropriately qualified person.

Breeding habitat: Breeding period

Breeding is recorded from May to September. On the New South Wales north western slopes, breeding birds have been observed from April to December.

A clutch usually contains 3 to 5 eggs. Two broods may be raised in one season when nectar and pollen remain available through the breeding period.

  • Plan tree inspections before clearing and repeat checks during the breeding period where habitat is retained near works.
  • Keep flowering and nesting trees connected where possible.

Breeding habitat: Hollow condition and persistence

Birds generally abandon a hollow within two years after the tree dies. A deserted hollow can close within 14 months, including after storm damage, because the entrance is small.

These features mean that dead or damaged trees can still have recent breeding value, but their condition should be assessed rather than dismissed.

  • Do not remove standing dead trees or storm damaged hollow bearing trees without a site assessment.
  • Record tree health, hollow height, entrance size and evidence of recent use.

Breeding habitat: Clearing controls

Where a hollow bearing tree must be removed, obtain the required approval and use a fauna management procedure suited to hollow nesting parrots. Any active nest, dependent young or injured bird requires qualified fauna handling and direction from the relevant authority.

No species specific buffer distance or relocation method is established here. Use the approval conditions, current jurisdictional guidance and advice from a suitably experienced ecologist.

  • Sequence clearing so that habitat trees are inspected immediately before removal.
  • Retain suitable trees in place wherever practicable.
  • If removal is approved, retain felled hollow bearing trees as habitat only where safe and consistent with the approval.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting structure

Little Lorikeets roost in treetops and may roost away from their feeding trees. The species does not have a documented cave, burrow or colony roost requirement.

Roosting occurs in treetops, often at some distance from feeding areas. Mature eucalypt canopy, riparian trees and connected woodland should therefore be considered potential sheltering habitat.

Roost sizes and consistent communal roost locations are not established for this species.

  • Retain mature canopy trees outside the immediate feeding area where practicable.
  • Check likely roost trees before dawn and near dusk if roost use is suspected.
  • Record repeated flight lines between feeding and sheltering areas.

Sheltering habitat: Works near sheltering habitat

Sudden removal of canopy trees can displace birds even when no nest is present. Noise, lighting and machinery movement may also affect birds using retained trees close to a work area.

Use the project approval and fauna management plan to set practical controls for vegetation removal, night works and lighting.

  • Stage canopy removal rather than removing all trees at once where practicable.
  • Avoid unnecessary night lighting directed at retained woodland.
  • Keep retained trees free from stockpiles, vehicle damage and soil disturbance.

Sheltering habitat: Detection during works

A burst of repeated zit zit calls, chattering from the canopy or birds repeatedly crossing the work area can indicate nearby sheltering or feeding habitat.

Stop and reassess if birds are seen entering a hollow, repeatedly circling a tree or carrying material. Escalate the observation to the fauna spotter catcher or project ecologist.

  • Record time, location, direction of movement and tree species.
  • Use photographs or mapped points where safe and appropriate.
  • Do not use call playback around a suspected nest unless it is authorised under the survey or management plan.

Threats: Loss of mature and hollow bearing trees

The main development risks are loss of hollow bearing trees, removal of flowering canopy and fragmentation of woodland and riparian habitat. Risk is highest where clearing affects both nesting trees and nearby food resources.

Clearing mature eucalypts can remove active nests, traditional nest hollows and future breeding resources. Preferred hollows are limited and can be reused for many years.

Tree removal, storm damage, fire and edge effects can reduce the supply of suitable hollows.

  • Complete a hollow bearing tree survey before final design.
  • Retain habitat trees and their surrounding canopy wherever practicable.
  • Include trees just outside the clearing boundary if construction may damage roots or limbs.

Threats: Loss of flowering and foraging habitat

Removal of flowering eucalypts, Melaleuca, Angophora, mistletoe and fruiting plants can reduce food available to local birds. This is relevant even where no nest tree is removed.

Isolated trees and narrow roadside or riparian remnants may provide feeding habitat when larger woodland areas have been cleared.

  • Map flowering resources before clearing.
  • Protect riparian vegetation and mature paddock trees where possible.
  • Use locally appropriate native plantings to maintain canopy and food resources.

Threats: Fragmentation, fire and forestry impacts

Fragmentation can separate nesting trees from flowering trees and reduce movement routes through the canopy. Repeated fire, intensive clearing and unsuitable forestry timing can reduce both canopy resources and hollow availability.

Some south east Queensland records are associated with particular logging rotation and fire interval conditions, but those relationships should not be applied as a universal prescription without local assessment.

  • Maintain links along drainage lines and between woodland remnants.
  • Protect mature trees during fire planning and hazard reduction works.
  • Assess cumulative loss of habitat across the project area, not only the immediate footprint.

Threats: Disturbance and construction activity

Construction can disturb birds using nests, feeding trees or roosting canopy. Repeated disturbance, tree vibration, dust and accidental damage to retained vegetation can reduce the value of otherwise suitable habitat.

Use a fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist to manage active nests, injured birds and unexpected records during clearing.

  • Brief the clearing crew on the species' calls, appearance and small hollow entrances.
  • Use stop work and escalation procedures for birds entering hollows or showing injury.
  • Keep retained habitat free from machinery access, spoil and construction materials.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Little Lorikeets are small, fast flying canopy birds. They are often detected by their shrill, rolling flight call rather than by direct observation. Use repeated surveys across suitable flowering woodland, including riparian trees and hollow bearing trees.

Map open eucalypt forest and woodland, riparian vegetation, roadside remnants, isolated flowering trees and hollow bearing trees before fieldwork.

Identify White Box, Yellow Box, Blakely’s Red Gum, Manna Gum, Tumbledown Gum, Blackbutt, Swamp Mahogany, Angophora and Melaleuca where present.

Check records near the site and within adjoining woodland. Consider the species’ nomadic movements and the possibility of temporary influxes when food is abundant.

Map potential nesting trees and flowering resources. Nest hollows may be 2 to 15 m above ground, with openings of about 3 cm.

  • Review recent flowering conditions, drought, fire and clearing history.
  • Identify habitat links along watercourses and any isolated flowering trees that may be retained or affected.
  • Check the relevant state listing and approval requirements before finalising the survey scope.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection

Search the canopy and listen for the distinctive shrill, rolling call, often described as “zit-zit” or “zzet”. Record birds flying over the site as well as birds feeding or nesting within it.

Give particular attention to flowering eucalypts, Angophora, Melaleuca, mistletoe and fruiting trees. Little Lorikeets commonly forage in small flocks and may mix with other lorikeets.

Distinguish the species from the Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Little Lorikeets have green underwing coverts, while the Purple-crowned Lorikeet has red underwing coverts and a lower pitched buzzing flight call.

  • Use static point counts and 500 m area searches. A 500 m area search of more than 30 minutes is preferred where practicable.
  • Record all birds seen or heard, including flight direction, flock size, behaviour, feeding tree, height and whether birds entered a hollow.
  • Use experienced observers who can identify lorikeet calls in noisy construction environments.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and survey effort

Conduct repeat surveys from August to November when applying the standardised bird survey approach. Survey in the morning, ideally from 30 minutes before sunrise to 6 hours after sunrise.

Complete at least three repeat surveys in each sampled area. Avoid rainy weather, strong wind above 25 km per hour and temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius.

Increase coverage when flowering is occurring, when recent records exist, or when the site contains hollow bearing trees. The species is generally nomadic, so a single negative survey should not be treated as proof of absence.

Breeding occurs from May to September. Where breeding habitat may be affected, include surveys during this period where safe and practicable.

  • For fragments under 200 ha, survey at least three sites.
  • For patches from 200 to 1,000 ha, survey at least ten sites.
  • For patches over 1,000 ha, survey more than 20 sites.
  • Use the same search route, observation points, weather recording and effort at each repeat survey.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and reporting

Record the date, start and finish time, observers, survey method, weather, habitat condition and flowering species.

For each detection, record the location, number of birds, call or visual confidence, flight path, activity, associated species and any hollow or roost use.

Map feeding trees, flight paths, nest trees, suspected nest hollows and roosting areas. Record evidence of repeated use, including birds entering or leaving a hollow.

  • Photograph habitat and trees from a safe distance where this will not disturb birds.
  • Submit records to the project database and relevant state biodiversity reporting system.
  • Report uncertainty clearly and obtain expert confirmation where identification is not secure.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan the work around habitat retention and breeding place protection. The Little Lorikeet is Vulnerable in New South Wales and Endangered in South Australia. It is treated as a near threatened equivalent in Tasmania, and Queensland applies protective controls to near threatened animals and their breeding places.

Confirm the current listing in every jurisdiction affected by the project. Apply the relevant assessment, clearing and threatened species approval requirements before work starts.

In New South Wales, assess the proposal under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and obtain any required approval. A threatened species assessment of significance may be required.

In South Australia, seek advice from the relevant wildlife authority before disturbing an Endangered species, its habitat or a breeding place. Obtain any required permit or approval.

In Queensland, confirm whether the animal is protected wildlife and whether tampering with a breeding place requires an approved Species Management Program. Do not disturb a breeding place unless the required authority is in place.

The Little Lorikeet is not listed under the EPBC Act. Check whether the project may affect another nationally listed species, ecological community or other matter that requires an EPBC referral.

  • Keep approvals, permit conditions, maps and contact details on site.
  • Use the most current scientific name, Parvipsitta pusilla, in project documents, while checking for records under Glossopsitta pusilla.
  • Escalate any proposed clearing of hollow bearing trees, riparian woodland or known feeding habitat to the project ecologist before approval.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and habitat retention

Retain mature and old smooth barked eucalypts, especially trees with small hollows. Retain live hollow bearing trees wherever practicable because nest hollows may be reused for decades.

Protect flowering trees, mistletoes, riparian vegetation, roadside remnants and isolated trees in paddocks. These resources can support birds even where woodland is fragmented.

Keep feeding habitat connected to nest trees. Historical observations associate nest sites with key food trees within 2 km.

Do not remove a tree solely because a hollow is currently vacant. Vacant hollows may be reused, and openings can close after storm damage or tree death.

  • Mark all retain trees and habitat exclusion areas before machinery arrives.
  • Fence or otherwise protect trees, roots, hollows, watercourses and flowering vegetation from vehicles, stockpiles and site compounds.
  • Use existing cleared areas for access, laydown and storage.
  • Avoid pruning branches that contain hollows or could obstruct birds entering a nest.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre clearance survey

Complete a targeted pre clearance inspection immediately before works, after the final clearing footprint has been marked. Search all trees proposed for removal and trees close enough to be affected by vibration, falling trees or machinery.

Inspect hollows from the ground and use qualified arborist or fauna personnel where safe access is required. Look for birds entering or leaving, fresh chewing around a small opening, alarm calls, eggs, chicks, feathers and nesting material.

Survey the surrounding canopy for feeding flocks and roosting birds. A quiet hollow does not establish that it is unused.

Where an active nest or dependent young are suspected, stop the affected work area and obtain advice from the project ecologist and relevant authority.

  • Complete the inspection during daylight and in suitable weather.
  • Mark each tree with a unique identifier and record its condition, hollow height, opening size, evidence of use and proposed treatment.
  • Do not use intrusive inspection methods that could injure birds or damage the hollow.
  • Repeat the check if clearing is delayed or if new trees are added to the footprint.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Timing, exclusion and induction

Where practicable, schedule removal of potential nest trees outside May to September, the known breeding season. Retain flexibility because breeding birds may remain resident from April to December in some inland areas and food driven movements can occur at any time of year.

Set a site specific exclusion area around active nests, roosts and retained habitat. No species specific buffer distance is established here, so have the ecologist set the distance according to the tree, work type, noise, vibration and visibility.

Brief all workers, machine operators and fauna spotter catchers before clearing. Explain the call, appearance, nest hollow characteristics, stop work process and reporting requirements.

Use physical barriers and clear signs. Include retained trees, access routes, exclusion areas and no go zones in the daily pre start briefing.

  • Do not rely on a generic bird buffer where an active breeding place is present.
  • Keep noisy works, night lighting and sudden disturbance away from known roosts and nest trees.
  • Make the fauna spotter catcher’s stop work authority clear to every supervisor and operator.
  • Confirm the injured animal and wildlife rescue contacts before mobilisation.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear progressively and keep the fauna spotter catcher in control of the immediate clearing zone. Stop work whenever a Little Lorikeet, active breeding place or unexpected habitat feature could be affected.

Clear from the already disturbed edge towards retained habitat so animals have an opportunity to move into safe areas. Remove understorey and non habitat obstacles first, while retaining all marked habitat and nest trees.

Use a staged approach for tree removal. Fell only trees that have been inspected and released by the fauna spotter catcher.

Pause between stages to allow observations of birds leaving the work area. Do not force birds from hollows with smoke, noise, probing or water.

Avoid removing flowering trees while birds are actively feeding if an alternative sequence is available.

  • Maintain a clearly defined active clearing zone.
  • Keep machinery outside exclusion areas unless the fauna spotter catcher and ecologist release the area.
  • Check the ground, felled branches, hollows and tree bases before moving material.
  • Treat any tree with a newly observed hollow or bird activity as unreleased.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Fauna spotter catcher authority

The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to stop work immediately. The authority must not depend on prior approval from the machine operator or site supervisor.

Stop work if a Little Lorikeet is seen entering a tree, if an animal is injured, or if eggs, chicks, feathers, nesting material or fresh chewing are found.

Keep workers and machinery clear while the spotter catcher assesses the situation. Restart only after the spotter catcher and project ecologist confirm the control measures.

  • Record each stop work event, its cause, location, duration and outcome.
  • Use a trained and authorised person to manage wildlife handling and release.
  • Do not allow untrained workers to approach, catch, feed or transport a bird.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Active breeding places, roosts and colonies

If an active nest hollow is found, stop work in the affected area and protect the tree and surrounding habitat. Do not remove, block, probe or relocate the hollow without the required approval and specialist direction.

If a group is found roosting or breeding in a tree, pause the work and establish an exclusion area. The Little Lorikeet is usually seen in small flocks, but larger food driven gatherings may occur.

In Queensland, treat a nest hollow or other breeding place as protected wildlife habitat and follow the approved Species Management Program where one applies.

In New South Wales or South Australia, contact the project ecologist and relevant authority before disturbing an active breeding place. Apply any permit conditions and listing protections.

  • Keep people, vehicles and lighting away from the exclusion area.
  • Do not use playback or repeated approaches to confirm occupancy during clearing.
  • Arrange monitoring by a suitably qualified ecologist where work must occur near an active nest or roost.
  • Document the decision to retain, defer, avoid or manage the breeding place.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or displaced animals

If a Little Lorikeet is injured, stop work and keep the area quiet. Prevent further contact with machinery, dogs and people.

Only an authorised and trained wildlife handler should catch, contain or transport the bird. Use a suitable ventilated container, keep it dark and quiet, and do not give food or water unless directed by a wildlife rehabilitator.

Contact the nominated wildlife carer or veterinarian promptly. Record the location, time, apparent injury, handling, container, transport and receiving carer.

If a bird is displaced but uninjured, allow it to move away naturally where safe. Do not chase it or release it into unsuitable habitat.

  • Keep the bird separate from other wildlife.
  • Do not attempt treatment on site.
  • Notify the site supervisor, project ecologist and relevant authority when required by approval conditions.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Clearing records

Maintain a daily fauna register. Include survey effort, trees inspected, trees released, detections, nest or roost observations, stop work events, animals handled and final outcomes.

Record the exact location of each affected tree and retain photographs where safe and appropriate.

Report any breach of an exclusion area, approval condition or wildlife handling requirement immediately through the project incident system.

  • Keep copies of permits, release forms, wildlife records and photographs with the project environmental records.
  • Update habitat maps when a nest tree, feeding tree, roost or new flight path is found.
  • Provide a daily summary to the project ecologist during active clearing.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post clearance checks

Finish each clearing stage with a careful inspection and a documented release. Follow up all wildlife incidents and confirm that retained habitat and breeding resources remain secure.

Inspect the cleared area, retained trees, felled material and access tracks after each stage. Look for injured birds, chicks, eggs, damaged hollows and animals trapped behind barriers.

Check that no retained hollow bearing tree has been struck, destabilised or damaged by machinery. Re establish exclusion fencing where it has moved or failed.

Confirm that birds have access to retained canopy, feeding trees and safe flight paths.

  • Complete checks in daylight and after any unplanned tree fall or severe weather event.
  • Do not remove felled hollow bearing material until it has been inspected and its retention value assessed.
  • Record all findings, including no animal found.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a clearing completion report with survey dates, methods, habitat retained, trees removed, breeding places found, incidents, animals handled and approvals applied.

Submit required notifications and records to the relevant state authority and wildlife rehabilitator. Meet any project approval reporting deadlines.

Report new records to the appropriate biodiversity database, with accurate coordinates and evidence of identification.

  • Reconcile the final cleared footprint against the approved plans.
  • Document any departure from the approved method and the corrective action.
  • Keep the records available for audit and future site planning.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring retained habitat

Inspect retained woodland, riparian trees and known feeding resources after construction begins. Look for continued flock use, new nest activity, tree damage, weed spread and changes in flowering resources.

Where a known nest tree or important feeding area remains, establish a monitoring schedule suited to the project risk and approval conditions. Include observations during the breeding season and during flowering periods.

Use the same locations and methods where possible so results can be compared over time.

  • Record birds seen or heard, flock size, behaviour, feeding trees, nest activity and disturbance.
  • Check whether construction lighting, noise or traffic is changing use of retained habitat.
  • Escalate declining use, nest failure or repeated disturbance to the project ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Relocated or rehabilitated animals

Obtain the wildlife carer’s outcome for every handled bird. Record release, ongoing care, transfer, mortality and any follow up advice.

Release rehabilitated birds only under the direction of the authorised rehabilitator and in suitable habitat. Do not release birds into active work areas or isolated unsuitable vegetation.

Review all handling events to identify whether exclusion, sequencing, supervision or habitat retention should change for later stages.

  • Keep the original capture location and release location in the project record.
  • Do not publicly disclose sensitive nest locations where this could increase disturbance.
  • Include animal outcomes in the final environmental report.

After habitat disturbance: 5. Incident review

Hold a review after any nest disturbance, tree impact, injured animal, unauthorised handling event or breach of an exclusion area.

Identify the immediate cause, the habitat or approval control that failed and the change required before work resumes.

Update the induction, clearing plan, map and risk assessment where the review identifies a recurring risk.

  • Share lessons with the spotter catcher, supervisors, operators and subcontractors.
  • Obtain written ecologist approval before restarting work affected by a serious incident.
  • Track corrective actions to completion.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore food and shelter habitat

Rehabilitation should restore a connected supply of flowering and nesting trees, not just ground cover. Little Lorikeets use open eucalypt woodland, riparian vegetation and isolated flowering trees, and depend on small hollows in mature trees.

Replant locally appropriate eucalypts and other native trees that provide nectar, pollen, blossoms, fruit or shelter. Match species to the local woodland and riparian community.

Restore White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely’s Red Gum woodland where those communities are appropriate. Include Manna Gum, Tumbledown Gum, Angophora and Melaleuca where they belong locally.

Create linked plantings between retained woodland, watercourses and isolated flowering trees. Protect new plantings from grazing, vehicle damage and competition.

  • Use local provenance seed or plants where available and appropriate.
  • Stage planting so flowering resources are available across different seasons.
  • Retain naturally regenerating eucalyts and protect developing hollow bearing trees.
  • Do not plant invasive or non local species for food value alone.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replace lost breeding resources

Retain sound hollow bearing trees and large fallen logs wherever safe. A replacement box cannot immediately provide the value of a mature tree.

Consider a small nest box or artificial nest site only where an ecologist confirms that the design, opening size, height, placement and surrounding habitat suit the Little Lorikeet. Natural hollows have openings of about 3 cm and are commonly 2 to 15 m above ground.

Place replacement structures near retained feeding habitat and away from machinery, intense lighting and regular human disturbance.

Inspect and maintain any artificial nest site under an approved monitoring plan. Remove damaged, unsafe or unsuitable structures.

  • Use a qualified arborist and ecologist to select mounting trees or poles.
  • Do not install bat boxes, large parrot boxes or generic nest boxes and assume they will suit this species.
  • Treat an occupied artificial nest site as an active breeding place and apply the same stop work and protection procedures as for a natural hollow.
  • Record installation location, design, height, orientation, inspection date and evidence of use.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Manage weeds, fire and watercourses

Control weeds that suppress eucalyts, riparian regeneration and flowering plants. Use methods that avoid poisoning or disturbing feeding and nesting trees.

Protect drainage lines and riparian soils from erosion, sediment, compaction and altered water flow. Riparian woodland can provide productive feeding and nesting habitat.

Plan fire and fuel management with the land manager and ecologist. Avoid removing mature trees or simplifying woodland structure through poorly planned fuel treatment.

Retain mistletoes where safe and ecologically appropriate because the species feeds on mistletoe nectar and fruit.

  • Use staged weed control so shelter and food remain available during rehabilitation.
  • Keep herbicide, mulch and machinery away from tree hollows and trunks.
  • Monitor regeneration after fire, flood, drought or construction disturbance.
  • Repair erosion promptly and prevent sediment entering retained habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting and construction design

Keep artificial lighting away from retained nest trees, roosting canopy, riparian corridors and major flight paths. Use the lowest practical intensity and direct light only where needed.

Use downward facing, shielded lights and avoid light spill into woodland. Limit night work near retained habitat where the risk assessment identifies disturbance.

Design roads, fences and overhead infrastructure to maintain safe movement between feeding and breeding habitat.

  • Turn off unnecessary lights outside active work periods.
  • Use visual barriers around construction compounds where they reduce disturbance without blocking bird movement.
  • Inspect new fencing and wires for collision risk and modify them where required by the project ecologist.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long term monitoring

Monitor survival of plantings, tree health, flowering, hollow development, weed control and use by Little Lorikeets. The monitoring period should match the project approval and the time needed for habitat establishment.

Repeat bird observations at the same sites and under comparable conditions. Record calls, flock size, feeding behaviour, nest use and roost use.

Review the rehabilitation plan if birds do not return, flowering resources fail, artificial nest sites are unused, or retained trees decline.

  • Include monitoring after major storms, fire, drought or construction changes.
  • Replace failed plants and repair damaged protection promptly.
  • Use monitoring results to guide future clearing, habitat retention and nest site management.
  • Maintain records so changes can be assessed across seasons and years.

Sources