Fauna Spotters logo

Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina)

The Pied Currawong is a large, mostly black native bird of eastern and south-eastern Australian forests, woodlands and urban areas. It nests in tall trees and may use cleared sites, gardens and remnant vegetation, so clearing and construction can affect breeding pairs, dependent young, food resources and movement between habitat patches.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

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

Breeding season

Timing varies between regions and between mainland birds and the Lord Howe Island subspecies. The mainland breeding observations below are based mainly on Wollongong records, while the Lord Howe Island guideline gives July to September and November to December breeding records.

Month values are January to December. A value of 0 means not typical in the supplied evidence, 1 means it occurs or may occur, and 2 marks the period of greatest expected activity or project risk.

  • Breeding: At Wollongong, nest building, incubation, nestling care and fledging were observed from August to February. Lord Howe Island nesting has been recorded in July to September and November to December.
  • Young: Incubation lasts about 21 days and the nestling period is about 36 days. Dependent juveniles remained in the breeding home range for about eight weeks after fledging.
  • Movement and dispersal: Juveniles moved farther from the nest after about 10 days post fledging but remained within the breeding home range for at least a further 41 to 45 days in the study. A family was later recorded 850 m from the nest.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from nest building through fledging and early post-fledging dependence. The Wollongong study recorded breeding activity from August to February, with fledging around days 36 to 38 and dependence continuing for about eight weeks.

Identification

Pied Currawongs are conspicuous, heavy-set birds with a loud, ringing call. They are often detected before they are seen, particularly near nest territories.

Adults are large and mostly black. They have a bright yellow eye, a large black bill, dark grey to black legs, and small white patches on the undertail, tail tips, tail bases and wings. Females are similar to males, although females may be greyer on the underparts. Juveniles are duller and browner than adults.

The species is about 50 cm long and weighs about 350 g. BirdLife Australia places it in the medium size category, from 30 to 45 cm, although the breeding study reports an adult length of about 50 cm.

Body length: About 50 cm.

Weight: About 350 g.

Eye: Bright yellow in adults.

Identification: Similar species

The main field comparison is the Grey Currawong, Strepera versicolor. Pied Currawongs generally show more obvious white in the wing and tail, although the amount of white varies between Pied Currawong subspecies and age classes.

The western Victorian form, Strepera graculina ashbyi, can resemble the Grey Currawong because it has a smaller white wing patch and a narrower or partly concealed white tail base. Subspecies identification is unreliable for birds under about one year old because juvenile tail feathers have reduced white at the base. Check the yellow gape of a subadult and avoid assigning a subspecies from a brief view.

  • Use the yellow eye, black bill and Pied Currawong call together with the pattern of white in the wing and tail.
  • Do not rely on the amount of white at the tail base alone when separating Pied and Grey Currawongs.
  • Treat western Victorian subspecies identification as specialist work, particularly for immature birds or birds in moult.

Identification: Field signs

The main call is a loud, ringing, syllabised 'currah-currah-currong'. Other sounds include deep croaks and a wolf whistle. At breeding sites, calling is often highest shortly after sunrise and before dark, and the call is used to advertise territory, warn of nest predators, expel intruders and maintain the pair bond.

Nests are open bowls of sticks lined with grasses and other soft material. In the Wollongong study, all nests were in eucalypts, 8.5 to 19 m above ground, usually towards the end of a main branch with at least 4 m of vegetation above the nest. A nest may be difficult to see from the ground because it is placed high in the canopy.

Adults defend the area around an active nest with alarm calls, bill snapping, aerial pursuit and dive bombing. A pair may defend an area within about 40 m of the nest, with most recorded attacks occurring within 25 m.

Nest height recorded: 8.5 to 19 m above ground.

Typical defended radius: About 40 m, with most attacks within 25 m.

  • Listen for repeated 'currah-currah-currong' calls from tall trees, especially around sunrise and sunset.
  • Search high eucalypt forks and branch ends for a stick bowl with a softer lining.
  • Treat repeated alarm calling, aerial attacks or a pair circling one tree as signs of a nearby active nest.
  • Record the direction and approximate distance of calls, rather than repeatedly approaching the suspected nest.

Distribution: Mainland range

The Pied Currawong occurs broadly in eastern and south-eastern Australia. It is common in much of its mainland range, but some regional forms and the Lord Howe Island subspecies have separate conservation concerns.

BirdLife Australia lists the species in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The breeding literature describes it as widely distributed through south-eastern Australia, including forests, towns and suburbs.

The species is associated mainly with the eastern and south-eastern forest belt. The supplied sources do not provide a complete national atlas range or a reliable state-by-state population estimate, so site assessment should use current state databases and local records.

  • States directly identified in the supplied distribution source are Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
  • South Australian records and conservation references occur in the material for western Victorian forms, but the supplied documents do not define a statewide population boundary for the species.

Distribution: Regional forms and strongholds

The Otway Ranges, Otway Plain and eastern Warrnambool Plain are described as the core area for the ashbyi form in southern Victoria. Birds showing this form were recorded in moist mixed-species eucalypt forest, cool temperate rainforest, plantations, farmland with remnant eucalypts, townships, coastal towns and urban parks and gardens.

The Lord Howe Island subspecies, Strepera graculina crissalis, occupies Lord Howe Island. It uses tall undisturbed forest and remnant forest patches in the settlement area, with territories that include tall timber along a stream or gully.

Wollongong breeding home range: 12.2 and 15.7 ha in two measured territories.

Lord Howe Island territory size: About 10 ha on average, according to the survey guideline.

  • Otway Ranges and adjacent lowlands are a stronghold for the ashbyi form.
  • Lord Howe Island supports a separate island subspecies, with limited information on movements and population size.
  • Pied Currawongs also occur in Sydney, Canberra, Wollongong, Geelong and other towns and suburbs.

Distribution: Population information

The supplied sources do not provide a current national population estimate or a quantified mainland population trend. BirdLife Australia describes the species as common and familiar across its range, while the Lord Howe Island subspecies is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act in the survey guideline.

For project decisions, a local breeding territory should be treated as important even where the species is common regionally. A pair may use a breeding home range of more than 12 ha and may continue feeding dependent young well beyond the nest tree.

Habitat: Habitat types

Pied Currawongs use forests and woodlands, but they also occupy urban areas and modified vegetation where tall trees, food and nest sites remain available.

Recorded habitat includes tall eucalypt forest, wet sclerophyll forest, cool temperate rainforest, mixed-species eucalypt forest, plantations, farmland with remnant eucalypts, public reserves, suburban parks and gardens, and settlement areas.

The species is adaptable, but breeding observations consistently involve tall trees suitable for a high open nest. Retaining mature trees and connected patches of vegetation is therefore more important than treating all cleared or developed land as equivalent habitat.

  • Prioritise retention of mature eucalypts and other tall nesting trees.
  • Retain remnant vegetation, tree lines, gullies and streamside timber that connect feeding areas with nest sites.
  • Inspect urban and rural sites as well as native forest, because breeding pairs may use modified habitats.

Habitat: Structural features

Wollongong nests were placed in eucalypts 8.5 to 19 m above ground. Nests tended to be near the end of a main branch, with at least 4 m of vegetation above them. The Lord Howe Island subspecies typically occupies tall, undisturbed forest and territories that include tall timber in a stream or gully.

Recorded nest tree height: 8.5 to 19 m nest height above ground.

Vegetation above nests: At least 4 m recorded above the nest.

  • Look for tall trees with stable forks or outer branches and cover above the nest position.
  • Map gullies, streams and tall timber as potential habitat features, especially on Lord Howe Island or for island-derived records.
  • Avoid assuming that a small remnant is unused because no bird is present during a single inspection.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

Pied Currawongs forage across trees, ground cover, gardens and open areas. Their diet is broad, so retaining both native vegetation and productive remnant or urban habitat can matter.

Food includes small lizards, insects, caterpillars and berries. The species also takes small and young birds, and larger prey up to the size of a young possum. Birds may hunt in groups and may store larger prey in a tree fork, crevice or other larder.

The breeding study recorded adults foraging up to about 280 to 300 m from the nest in two Wollongong territories. Dependent juveniles remained near the nest initially, then used more of the breeding home range and were later recorded 850 m from the nest with their parents.

Recorded foraging distance from nest: About 280 to 300 m.

Later family movement recorded: A family was recorded 850 m from the nest 14 weeks after fledging.

Main food categories: Insects, caterpillars, lizards, berries, small birds, young birds and larger prey.

  • Retain fruiting plants, native insect habitat, fallen timber, leaf litter and vegetated edges where these do not create a separate safety risk.
  • Check tree forks, crevices and dense vegetation for stored prey or repeated feeding activity before removing vegetation.
  • Consider the full breeding home range, not only the nest tree, when assessing clearing near an active nest.

Foraging habitat: Breeding food demands

During breeding, the male supplied much of the female's food during nest building and incubation. The male also supplied food after hatching, while the female brooded and fed the young during the early nestling stage. Nestling feeding rates varied from 2.4 to 11.1 visits per hour, with a mean of 3.6 visits per hour in the study.

Observed nestling feeding rate: 2.4 to 11.1 visits per hour, mean 3.6 visits per hour.

  • Avoid removing food-rich vegetation around an active nest during nestling rearing.
  • Keep disturbance and machinery away from regular adult flight paths where practicable.
  • Record prey remains, feeding perches and repeated adult movements as evidence of local foraging habitat.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding pairs need tall nesting trees, nearby feeding habitat and enough low-disturbance space to defend the nest and raise young.

The female generally builds the nest and incubates, while the male provides much of her food. Both parents feed and defend the young. The nest is a bowl of sticks lined with grasses and other soft material, usually placed in a high fork or near the end of a main branch.

The study at Wollongong recorded 13 nestlings from seven nests, of which six fledged. One nest contained a Channel-billed Cuckoo nestling, and cuckoo raids caused nest failure in some cases.

Breeding observations: Nest building, incubation and fledging were recorded from August to February in the Wollongong study.

Clutch size: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Incubation: About 21 days.

Nestling period: About 36 days, with fledging occurring around days 36 to 38 in the observed nests.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: 24 years or more has been reported.

Fledging success in sample: Six of 13 nestlings fledged, or 46 percent, across seven observed nests.

Breeding habitat: Features needed for breeding

Breeding habitat includes a tall eucalypt or other suitable tree with a high, stable fork or outer branch. The recorded nest sites had 4 m or more of vegetation above the nest. The pair defended about 0.5 ha around the nest and foraged across a breeding home range of about 12 to 16 ha at Wollongong.

Dependent juveniles remained in the breeding home range for about eight weeks after fledging. They stayed in the defended territory for the first 10 days, then used more distant parts of the home range while still receiving food from the parents.

Nest tree type in study: Eucalypts.

Nest height: 8.5 to 19 m above ground.

Defended area: About 0.5 ha, or a radius of about 40 m around the nest.

Breeding home range: About 12 to 16 ha.

Post-fledging dependence: About eight weeks in the breeding home range.

  • Retain potential nest trees and nearby mature trees that provide lookout and feeding perches.
  • Search for active nests before clearing, pruning, crane access, road widening or installation of overhead infrastructure.
  • Apply a wider inspection area than the immediate nest tree because adults defend and use surrounding habitat.
  • Plan works to avoid the period from nest building through fledging and post-fledging dependence where practicable.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting and cover

The supplied documents provide little information on dedicated roost sites. Field assessment should therefore focus on tall trees, dense vegetation, gullies and other sheltered places used by adults and recently fledged young.

Pied Currawongs use tall trees for nesting, lookout points and territorial calling. Juveniles remain in nearby trees after fledging and may roost within the breeding home range while still dependent on the adults.

The sources do not describe a specific roost structure, hollow, burrow or den requirement for the mainland species. On Lord Howe Island, territories include tall forest and stream or gully timber, but the supplied information does not identify a particular roost size or type.

Dedicated roost structure: Not specified in the supplied documents.

Fledgling use of habitat: Young stayed in the defended territory for about 10 days after fledging and then used the wider breeding home range.

  • Retain tall trees, dense canopy and sheltered vegetation around known or suspected breeding territories.
  • Inspect adjacent trees and dense vegetation before removing a nest tree, because fledged young may be nearby and unable to sustain long flights.
  • Treat tree forks, crevices, dense foliage and sheltered gullies as potential resting or prey storage sites until inspected.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are loss of nest trees, disturbance during breeding, removal of feeding habitat and disruption of movement between habitat patches. The supplied documents give more detail on breeding disturbance and rodenticide exposure than on roads, fire, disease or hydrology change.

Clearing mature trees can remove active nests, future nest sites, lookout perches and food resources. Removing remnant vegetation can also reduce the usable breeding home range around a nest.

Fragmentation is relevant because pairs use areas of about 12 to 16 ha during breeding at Wollongong, while dependent young remain in that home range for about eight weeks after fledging. A small retained patch may therefore be used as part of a larger territory rather than as an isolated unit.

  • Complete a pre-clearing inspection for nests, territorial calling, alarm behaviour and dependent young.
  • Retain mature eucalypts and other tall trees, especially trees with suitable forks and canopy cover.
  • Keep connected vegetation, gullies, streamside timber and fruiting or insect-rich habitat where practicable.
  • If clearing is unavoidable, stage works to avoid active breeding and post-fledging dependence.

Threats: Disturbance and infrastructure works

Noise, machinery, tree pruning, access tracks and repeated worker activity near a nest can disrupt incubation, feeding and territorial defence. The breeding pair may respond aggressively to intruders within about 40 m of the nest, and most recorded attacks occurred within 25 m.

The supplied sources do not quantify road mortality or collision rates for the species. Roads and infrastructure should nevertheless be assessed where they remove trees, divide a breeding home range or increase vehicle movement through feeding and fledgling areas.

  • Establish an exclusion area around an active nest based on the site risk assessment and the pair's behaviour.
  • Do not use repeated close approaches to confirm a nest when alarm calling or dive bombing is occurring.
  • Check for fledged young in adjacent trees and ground vegetation before machinery enters the site.
  • Assess vehicle access routes for collision risk during the fledgling period.

Threats: Predators and nest failure

The breeding study recorded nest failure from gale damage, nestlings falling, predation and Channel-billed Cuckoo raids. Adults also defended nests from Brown Goshawks, Australian Ravens, Australian Magpies and other Pied Currawongs.

Pied Currawongs themselves take small and young birds, particularly where cover is scarce in urban areas. This can affect local bird communities, but it is also part of the species' normal foraging ecology.

  • Retain dense cover and connected vegetation for fledglings where it does not conflict with safety requirements.
  • Do not remove nest trees or nearby cover solely because other birds are using the same area without first assessing the active breeding pair.
  • Record predator and cuckoo activity during nest monitoring.

Threats: Fire, disease and hydrology

The supplied documents do not provide species-specific thresholds for fire intensity, disease or hydrology change. Fire can remove mature nesting trees, canopy cover and food resources, while altered drainage can affect gullies, streamside timber and productive vegetation used by the species.

No specific disease threat is identified in the supplied sources. Apply standard hygiene and biosecurity procedures when handling birds, nests or contaminated equipment.

  • After fire, inspect surviving mature trees, damaged limbs and remnant canopy for unsafe or abandoned nests before works.
  • Retain unburnt patches, mature trees and streamside vegetation where safe and practicable.
  • Avoid unnecessary changes to drainage through gullies and vegetated waterways used by breeding territories.
  • Follow approved fauna handling, hygiene and disease reporting procedures.

Threats: Poisoning and island populations

The Lord Howe Island subspecies is vulnerable to secondary poisoning during rodent eradication because it may prey on poisoned rodents. The Lord Howe Island Rodent Eradication Project proposed taking about 50 to 60 percent of the currawong population into captivity during baiting, with captivity lasting up to nine months or until bait and rodent carcasses had broken down.

This island-specific risk does not describe routine mainland construction impacts, but it shows that poisoned prey can expose currawongs even when birds do not consume bait directly.

Lord Howe Island captive management proposed: About 50 to 60 percent of the currawong population.

Proposed maximum captivity period: Up to nine months, subject to bait and carcass breakdown.

  • Prevent access by currawongs to rodenticide bait and poisoned carcasses where baiting is part of a project.
  • Use fauna risk controls and carcass removal procedures specified for the approved baiting operation.
  • Treat Lord Howe Island records as a separate management issue from mainland Pied Currawongs.

Survey methodology: 1. Area searches and transects

Survey the Pied Currawong as a conspicuous, vocal bird of forest, woodland and urban habitat. Confirm the taxon before fieldwork because the documents distinguish the mainland species, Strepera graculina, from the EPBC listed Lord Howe Island subspecies, Strepera graculina crissalis.

Use area searches or transect surveys through suitable habitat, recording visual detections and the distinctive call.

For the Lord Howe Island currawong, allow 8 hours over 4 days for areas up to 50 hectares.

Search tall, relatively undisturbed forest, remnant forest patches, gullies and stream corridors, and inspect habitat within and around the proposed disturbance area.

Map all detections, apparent territories, nests, groups and flight paths in relation to the works.

Recommended effort: 8 hours over 4 days

Survey area guide: Up to 50 hectares

Detection: Sight and loud, distinctive call

Survey methodology: 2. Timing and conditions

Time surveys to cover the period when birds are present and detectable in the project area.

For the Lord Howe Island subspecies, nesting has been recorded in November and December, although an earlier source records breeding from July to September.

For mainland Pied Currawongs, plan additional nest searches during the local breeding period and confirm timing with state or regional records, because the supplied sources do not establish one national breeding calendar.

Avoid relying on a single visit where weather, noise, dense vegetation or temporary movement could reduce detection.

Lord Howe Island nesting records: November and December

Additional reported breeding period: July to September

Survey methodology: 3. Nest and territory searches

Search tall trees and high forks for stick nests, particularly trees with suitable branches between 8.5 metres and 19 metres above ground.

Inspect a buffer around active or recently used nests for repeated adult movements, food deliveries, territorial calls and fledglings.

Treat a nest area as occupied until checks show that breeding has finished and dependent young are no longer using the area.

Use the known breeding ecology to guide searches: the female generally builds and incubates, the male feeds the female, and both parents feed young.

Recorded nest height: 8.5 to 19 metres

Recorded defended area near nest: About 40 metre radius

Recorded breeding home range: 12 to 16 hectares

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Confirm whether the record concerns Strepera graculina, the Lord Howe Island subspecies Strepera graculina crissalis, or a regional form such as S. g. ashbyi before applying the survey guideline or listing provisions.
  • Use the 8 hour, 4 day effort guide for suitable Lord Howe Island habitat up to 50 hectares, and document any departure from that effort for mainland projects.
  • Record date, time, observers, survey hours, weather, habitat, coordinates, detection type, number of birds, behaviour, nest status and photographs where permitted.
  • Submit confirmed records and breeding observations to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and the Atlas of Living Australia where appropriate.
  • Report suspected listed taxon records promptly to the project environmental officer and the relevant government agency.

Before habitat disturbance: Confirm status and approvals

Resolve the species and legal status before works begin. Then retain the trees, gullies, streams and connected forest patches that support feeding, breeding and movement.

Check the scientific name, subspecies, location and listing status against current Commonwealth and state databases before finalising the work method.

Treat Strepera graculina crissalis on Lord Howe Island as the EPBC listed taxon identified in the survey guideline.

Do not assume that a mainland Pied Currawong record has the same status: the Brogo survey table records S. graculina as not listed, while the western Victorian form has a separate and disputed taxonomic history.

Refer the action under the EPBC Act if the confirmed taxon is nationally listed and the action may have a significant impact, and obtain all required state or territory permits and approvals.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Retain tall mature trees, high tree forks, stream and gully vegetation, remnant forest patches and connected tree cover.

Avoid clearing an active nest, its immediate defended area and access routes used by adults to forage and feed young.

Stage clearing so retained forest remains connected to nearby habitat and birds are not forced into isolated remnants.

Use the project environmental officer to set site specific no go areas after the pre-clearance survey; the sources support a defended area of about 40 metres around a nest, but do not establish a universal statutory buffer.

Habitat features to retain: Tall forest, woodland, gullies, streams, mature trees and connected remnant vegetation

Observed nest territory: About 40 metre radius

Before habitat disturbance: Plan the works and prepare the site

Schedule works outside active nesting and fledgling dependency where practicable, using local survey results rather than assuming that one breeding period applies across Australia.

Prepare a fauna management plan that names the authorised spotter catcher, observer roles, stop work triggers, handling limits, release sites, veterinary contacts and reporting pathway.

Complete a pre-clearance survey shortly before disturbance and repeat it if there is a substantial delay or if habitat or bird activity changes.

Mark retained trees, nests, gullies, streams, access corridors and exclusion areas on plans and on the ground.

Install exclusion fencing only where it will guide machinery away from retained habitat without blocking bird movement or creating a collision hazard.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Keep an authorised fauna spotter catcher and the machinery operator in direct communication throughout clearing. Stop when an occupied nest, injured bird or unexpected listed taxon is found.

Hold a daily pre-start briefing covering the mapped habitat, exclusion zones, nest locations, release sites and stop work triggers.

Inspect exclusion fencing, retained trees and access routes before machinery enters the work area.

Use staged clearing from the disturbed edge towards retained habitat, at a speed that allows the spotter catcher to inspect vegetation and respond to fauna.

Keep the spotter catcher in a position with a clear view of the clearing face and require the operator to stop immediately on the agreed signal.

Do not allow machinery to push, fell or process a tree, log or other habitat feature until the spotter catcher has checked it.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna handling and release

Only an appropriately authorised and experienced person should capture, handle, transport or release a Pied Currawong.

Do not chase or handle a healthy bird unnecessarily; first allow it to move to retained habitat if this can occur safely.

If capture is necessary, minimise noise, restraint time, heat and transport, and use equipment suitable for a large passerine.

Release an uninjured bird into nearby retained habitat that is outside the work area and provides cover, food resources and connected vegetation.

Do not relocate a dependent fledgling away from its parents unless an authorised wildlife professional directs this action.

Send an injured or apparently poisoned bird to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer and follow the project wildlife incident procedure.

Recorded adult mass and length: About 350 grams and 50 centimetres

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and stop work

Stop work if an active nest, dependent young, injured bird, dead bird, suspected listed Lord Howe Island currawong, or bird trapped in machinery or exclusion fencing is found.

Retain and protect nest trees and nearby vegetation until the environmental officer confirms that breeding and fledgling dependency have ended or an approved management response is in place.

Inspect hollow-bearing trees, logs, rocks, burrows and wet areas as general fauna habitat before removal, even though the supplied sources do not identify them as Pied Currawong nesting structures.

Prevent bait, chemicals, sediment and construction waste from entering retained gullies, streams or other feeding areas.

If works involve rodenticide, treat the currawong as potentially exposed through predation on poisoned rodents and apply the approved non-target species controls.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident response

Record every detection, nest, capture, relocation, injury, death, release, stop work event and restart approval on the day it occurs.

For each bird, record the location, time, behaviour, condition, handler, destination and photographs where lawful and useful.

Escalate any possible EPBC listed taxon, significant injury, mortality or breeding disruption to the project environmental officer immediately.

Keep machinery, fauna and habitat records together so the environmental officer can demonstrate compliance and identify repeated risk areas.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Confirm that the work area is clear of fauna and that retained habitat controls remain effective. Follow up any nest, fledgling, injury or mortality record before demobilisation.

Complete a systematic inspection of the cleared area, machinery, debris piles, retained trees, fencing and access tracks before the crew leaves each work stage.

Check for injured, trapped or dead birds and report all findings under the project incident procedure.

Reinspect retained nest trees and nearby vegetation where breeding activity was recorded before clearing.

Remove temporary hazards such as loose netting, open pipes, unsecured fencing and waste that could trap birds.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained habitat and known territories during the next suitable breeding period where the project removed or fragmented habitat.

Use repeat area searches or transects and record calls, sightings, nests, fledglings and changes in use of retained forest.

Compare post-work results with the pre-clearance baseline, including the number and location of territories and breeding attempts.

Submit confirmed records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and report EPBC matters through the approval conditions and project reporting system.

Maintain exclusion fencing, erosion controls, weed controls and access restrictions until the environmental officer signs them off.

Useful monitoring indicators: Territories, adult detections, active nests, fledglings, calls, injuries and mortalities

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and corrective action

Apply any offset, habitat compensation or restoration measure required by the approval, permit or state policy.

If monitoring identifies loss of a territory, nest failure, repeated disturbance or mortality, review the work method and implement corrective actions before the next stage.

Retain all survey, incident, rehabilitation and monitoring records for the period required by the approval and environmental management system.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore connected forest and woodland structure, retain feeding habitat and provide future nesting trees. It will not replace a mature nest tree in the short term, so existing trees and remnant vegetation should be protected first.

Replant locally appropriate native eucalypt forest and woodland species suited to the site, using the original plant community and local provenance where available.

Re-establish connected vegetation between retained forest patches, gullies and streams rather than creating isolated planting blocks.

Retain natural regeneration, mature trees, fallen timber and dense cover where they do not create a safety or fire hazard.

Do not install nest boxes as a substitute for retaining suitable mature trees unless a qualified ecologist identifies a local need and selects a design and location.

Rehabilitation actions: Support feeding and breeding habitat

Maintain tall trees and high forks as future nest sites, noting that documented nests were 8.5 metres to 19 metres above ground.

Protect stream and gully vegetation because Lord Howe Island territories were reported to include a section of stream or gully with tall timber.

Use native plants that provide cover, insects, small vertebrates and fruit, because Pied Currawongs eat insects, lizards, caterpillars, berries and small birds.

Avoid creating dense exotic plantings or unmanaged food sources that could increase pressure on smaller bird species in urban areas.

Rehabilitation actions: Weeds, predators and fire

Control weeds that suppress native regeneration or reduce structural diversity, while avoiding disturbance to active nests and occupied habitat.

Manage feral predators, domestic animals and artificial food sources in accordance with the approved site plan and relevant state requirements.

Design fire management to retain mature trees, nest trees, gullies and connected forest, and obtain ecological advice before fuel reduction near occupied habitat.

Prevent construction material, sediment and chemicals from entering streams, gullies and retained vegetation.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor plant survival, regeneration, canopy development, weed cover, connectivity and retained tree condition at intervals set by the rehabilitation plan.

Repeat Pied Currawong area searches or transects during suitable breeding periods and record adult detections, territories, nests, fledglings and calls.

Use the documented nest height, defended area and breeding home range as field context when interpreting habitat use, not as universal acceptance criteria.

Treat rehabilitation as successful only when the approved vegetation and habitat targets are met and monitoring shows ongoing use by Pied Currawongs without project related injury or mortality.

Nest height reference: 8.5 to 19 metres

Defended area reference: About 40 metre radius

Breeding home range reference: 12 to 16 hectares

Sources