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Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus)

The Pilotbird is a small, largely sedentary, ground-dwelling bird of dense forest understorey in south-eastern Australia. It matters on development sites because clearing, fragmentation, fire and loss of dense ground cover can remove breeding and foraging habitat, particularly where unburnt forest provides refuge after fire.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Vulnerable.

Australian Capital Territory, Nature Conservation Act 2014: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The following pattern combines the broader breeding period reported for the species with the ACT breeding period. Timing can vary between upland and lowland forests, so site observations should take precedence over a calendar alone.

Pilotbirds are not migratory in the supplied documents. Clearing risk can remain high outside the breeding season where works remove occupied territory, unburnt refuge or dense foraging cover.

  • Breeding: Breeding occurs from August to March, with August to January recorded in the ACT. Adults build domed nests on or near the ground and usually lay two eggs.
  • Young: Nestlings are incubated for 20 to 22 days. Both parents feed the young, and fledged young may remain dependent on adults for up to two months.
  • Territory use: Pilotbirds are largely sedentary, occupy small territories year round and are usually found in pairs or family parties.
  • Highest clearing risk: Ground and understorey clearing is most likely to harm the species from August to March because nests, eggs, nestlings and dependent fledged young may be present. Dense ground cover remains important outside this period.

Identification

Pilotbirds are secretive, strong-footed birds that are more often detected by their call or movement through leaf litter than by prolonged views. Identification should focus on the combination of body shape, rich rufous-brown plumage, ground-foraging behaviour and dense forest habitat.

Adults are small and plump, with a large head, cinnamon forehead, amber eyes, slender pointed dusky bill, deep rufous-brown upperparts and a long, broad, wedge-tipped tail. The throat, breast and upper belly are cinnamon with brown scalloping, while the lower underparts are dull white and the flanks are brown.

Males and females are similar in appearance and do not show seasonal plumage differences. Juveniles resemble adults but have darker foreheads and underparts and a prominent pale gape.

Length: About 18 cm.

Wingspan: About 23 cm.

Weight: About 27 g.

Identification: Behaviour and call

Pilotbirds usually hop briskly over the forest floor and rarely fly higher than 1 to 2 m. If disturbed, they may ascend into shrubs.

The species is secretive and may be located by its loud, sparking, vivacious song, which carries through the forest. It is often seen in pairs, family parties or in the wake of scratching Superb Lyrebirds.

  • Search damp ground, leaf litter and dense undergrowth rather than open canopy or high shrub layers.
  • Record the direction of calling birds and any repeated movement through the same patch, because birds occupy small territories year round.

Identification: Nests and other field signs

Adults build a domed nest on or near the ground. The nest is likely to be difficult to detect in dense undergrowth, so disturbance of ground cover should be avoided during the breeding period.

The supplied documents do not describe diagnostic tracks, scats, roosts or eyeshine. A call, a bird seen scratching leaf litter, or a domed ground nest provides more useful evidence than unconfirmed ground signs.

Nest position: On or near the ground.

Diagnostic non-visual sign: A loud, sparking, vivacious song that carries through forest.

  • Treat a domed nest on or near the ground as an active breeding sign until its status is confirmed by a suitably qualified person.
  • Do not rely on absence of a visual detection to rule out Pilotbirds from dense wet forest or heavy undergrowth.

Distribution: States and regions

Pilotbirds occur across south-eastern Australia, from the Brindabella Ranges and Snowy Mountains to the wetter forests of eastern Victoria and the Dandenong Ranges. The two recognised forms are separated broadly by elevation and forest setting, but their ranges overlap across the wider south-eastern distribution.

The upland form occurs above 600 m in the Brindabella Ranges of the ACT, the Snowy Mountains of NSW and north-east Victoria.

The lowland form occurs from the Blue Mountains in NSW, through wetter forests of eastern Australia, to the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne in Victoria.

  • In the ACT, records are concentrated in the Cotter Valley in the Brindabella Ranges, including Blundells Creek, Bendora Road, Warks Road and Tidbinbilla.
  • At a project site, assess both occupied habitat and recently burnt habitat that may become suitable again.

Distribution: Population and trend

The species is recognised as Vulnerable nationally. Its population and habitat declined following the 2019 to 2020 fires, and the causes of decline have not ceased.

The population estimates are uncertain and are based on habitat occupancy, density, fire severity and assumed mortality. They should not be treated as a site population estimate.

Estimated mature population: About 88,000 mature individuals, comprising about 11,000 upland and 77,000 lowland birds. Reliability is low.

Estimated fire mortality: About 33% of upland and 30% of lowland birds were estimated to have perished in the 2019 to 2020 fires.

Estimated habitat decline after fire: About 52.5% of upland and 50.9% of lowland habitat was estimated to have been lost or affected.

Generation period used for assessment: Three generations, or 11 years.

Distribution: Known strongholds and refuges

In the ACT, unburnt forest in the Lower Cotter Catchment and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve remained important after the 2020 fires. Other ACT records include Blundells Creek, Bendora Road and Warks Road.

Unburnt patches should be assessed as potential refuge habitat even where no bird is detected during a short survey.

Habitat: Forest setting

Pilotbirds need forest with dense ground and shrub cover. Habitat includes moist gullies and wetter forest, but the species can also use dry slopes, ridges, dry sclerophyll forest and woodland where suitable understorey remains.

The main habitat is wet sclerophyll forest in temperate areas, especially moist gullies with dense undergrowth. Pilotbirds also occur in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands on dry slopes and ridges.

Lowland birds use wetter forests from the Blue Mountains to the Dandenong Ranges. Upland birds use forest above 600 m in the Brindabella Ranges, Snowy Mountains and north-east Victoria.

Upland elevation: Usually above 600 m.

Key forest types: Wet sclerophyll forest, dry sclerophyll forest and woodland.

Preferred structural setting: Moist gullies or other forest with heavy undergrowth and ground cover.

  • Retain continuous patches of dense undergrowth, damp leaf litter and ground cover within and beside construction areas.
  • Assess gullies, drainage lines, forest edges and fire refuges separately from more open or heavily disturbed forest.

Habitat: Habitat on development sites

Any breeding or foraging habitat is treated in the ACT conservation advice as habitat critical to the species' survival. Areas burnt in 2019 to 2020 or in future fires may also become suitable again and should not automatically be dismissed as having no habitat value.

The Kurri sand swamp woodland conservation advice identifies Pilotbirds as birds of heavy undergrowth that forage on damp ground or leaf litter. This supports considering dense understorey and moist ground habitat in lowland NSW assessments.

  • Map dense understorey, wet gullies, damp leaf-litter areas and unburnt patches before clearing.
  • Keep potential refuge areas connected where practicable and prevent construction access from widening gaps through dense undergrowth.

Foraging habitat: Food and method

Pilotbirds forage mainly on the forest floor, usually in pairs. They scratch and turn leaf litter with their strong feet and bills, taking prey from damp ground and the litter layer.

The diet is mainly insects and other invertebrates, including worms. Seeds and small berries are eaten occasionally.

Birds use their bills and feet to turn and scratch leaf litter. They may forage in the wake of Superb Lyrebirds, which disturb the forest floor.

Main food: Insects and other invertebrates, including worms.

Additional food: Occasional seeds and small berries.

Foraging height: Primarily on the ground; birds rarely fly higher than 1 to 2 m.

Foraging social behaviour: Mostly in pairs, with occasional family parties.

  • Inspect damp ground, deep leaf litter and dense undergrowth as the main foraging strata.
  • Avoid stripping leaf litter, compacting soil or removing low understorey from areas used by calling or observed birds.
  • Retain foraging habitat around known territories, not only the point where a bird was detected.

Foraging habitat: Foraging area

The documents do not provide a measured foraging radius or territory size. They report that birds occupy small territories year round, so local habitat removal can affect a resident pair even when the cleared area is small.

Foraging habitat can remain important after fire if it retains damp ground, leaf litter and understorey. Recently burnt open areas may also increase exposure to feral cats and foxes.

  • Do not use a fixed buffer or assumed foraging distance unless it is supported by the project assessment and local survey evidence.
  • Record the extent and condition of leaf litter and understorey within the proposed clearing area and nearby retained habitat.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Pilotbirds breed on or near the ground in dense forest undergrowth. Breeding habitat is easily affected by clearing, machinery, trampling, fire and removal of leaf litter.

Breeding occurs during the warmer part of the year. Both parents feed the young, and adults may continue feeding fledged young for up to two months. Juveniles forage with adults until young males leave to establish their own territories.

Breeding season: August to March across the range; August to January is recorded for the ACT.

Nest: Dome-shaped and built on or near the ground.

Clutch size: Usually two eggs.

Incubation: 20 to 22 days, by the female.

Parental care: Both parents feed nestlings, and may feed young for up to two months after fledging.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not stated in the supplied documents.

  • Before clearing, search dense undergrowth and ground-level vegetation for domed nests, especially from August to March.
  • If a nest or dependent young is found, stop work in the immediate area and apply the project fauna handling and nest management procedure.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Suitable breeding areas have dense forest undergrowth, ground cover and leaf litter. Moist gullies and wet forest are particularly important, although breeding habitat can also occur in other forest types used by the species.

The nest is on or near the ground, so activities that disturb the litter layer or low vegetation can directly affect eggs, nestlings or adults.

  • Retain dense understorey and leaf litter around suspected breeding areas.
  • Schedule vegetation removal outside the breeding period where practicable, while recognising that resident birds and their habitat can be affected throughout the year.
  • Use a suitably qualified fauna spotter to inspect ground-level vegetation immediately before clearing.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and refuge

Pilotbirds shelter and move close to the ground in dense forest. They do not depend on tree hollows, but they do depend on thick undergrowth, leaf litter and nearby unburnt cover.

Pilotbirds occupy dense forests with heavy undergrowth and may ascend into shrubs when disturbed, usually no more than 1 to 2 m above the ground. Their small territories are occupied year round.

Unburnt forest can provide refuge after fire, including for birds displaced from burnt habitat. The ACT advice identifies unburnt areas near known populations as needing protection from cats and foxes after fire.

Typical shelter height: On the ground, with occasional movement into shrubs no more than 1 to 2 m above ground.

Known refuge type: Unburnt dense forest with heavy undergrowth near burnt habitat.

Hollows, burrows and roosts: The supplied documents do not identify a dependence on tree hollows, burrows or communal roosts.

  • Retain dense ground and shrub cover, particularly in moist gullies and beside burnt areas.
  • Protect unburnt patches from unnecessary access, machinery movement, night works and additional disturbance after fire.
  • Do not assume a burnt area has no future shelter value, because it may become suitable again.

Sheltering habitat: Ground disturbance

Ground-based shelter and nesting cover can be removed by slashing, piling vegetation, soil compaction, repeated vehicle movements and clearing of leaf litter. These impacts are relevant even where canopy trees are retained.

The supplied documents do not give required dimensions for shelter patches or a species-specific refuge buffer.

  • Mark exclusion zones around dense undergrowth and damp leaf-litter patches before construction starts.
  • Keep cleared vegetation, spoil and equipment out of retained ground cover.
  • Use local survey results and the approved environmental management plan to set any site-specific exclusion distance.

Threats: Fire and drought

Fire is the main documented threat to Pilotbirds. Clearing and fragmentation can compound fire impacts by removing remaining refuge and reducing dense understorey, while introduced predators may increase risk in recently burnt habitat.

Frequent, extensive or high-severity fire can kill birds directly and remove nesting and feeding habitat. The 2019 to 2020 fires were estimated to have caused substantial mortality and habitat loss in both recognised forms.

Drought reduces habitat quality, increases vegetation flammability and can contribute to more severe fire behaviour. Pilotbird numbers in one Brindabella study remained affected for at least six years after high-intensity fire.

Estimated birds lost in 2019 to 2020 fires: About 33% of upland and 30% of lowland birds.

Estimated habitat affected: About 52.5% of upland and 50.9% of lowland habitat.

Observed recovery concern: Pilotbird numbers remained affected for at least six years after a high-intensity fire in the Brindabella Ranges.

  • Protect unburnt dense forest during fire planning, suppression, access works and post-fire recovery activities.
  • Avoid introducing new ignition sources or increasing fuel and access risks beside known Pilotbird habitat.
  • Map fire severity and retained habitat before deciding that a burnt area can be cleared.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

Clearing removes dense undergrowth, damp leaf litter and ground-level nesting habitat. Fragmentation can isolate small territories and reduce the amount of unburnt refuge available after fire.

The conservation advice recommends protecting habitat from disturbance and fragmentation and treating breeding and foraging habitat as habitat critical to survival.

  • Avoid clearing wet gullies, dense understorey and unburnt forest patches where practicable.
  • Keep construction footprints, access tracks, laydown areas and drainage works out of retained ground cover.
  • Survey all suitable habitat rather than relying only on records from databases or previous assessments.

Threats: Predators and other pressures

Feral Cats and Foxes are documented potential threats, especially after fire. Cats can use open fire scars to hunt, increasing risk where dense cover has been removed.

The supplied documents do not identify a species-specific disease threat or quantify impacts from roads or hydrology change. These issues should still be assessed where a project changes wet gullies, access, vehicle traffic or predator access.

  • Control or reduce feral Cat and Fox access around retained habitat after fire, in line with approved pest management requirements.
  • Manage construction waste, food and shelter that could attract predators to retained forest.
  • Assess road and drainage designs for loss of moist gully habitat, increased edge effects and vehicle disturbance.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and ground searches

Pilotbirds are small, secretive, largely sedentary, ground-dwelling birds of dense forest undergrowth. Survey work should focus on wet gullies, damp ground and leaf litter, and should account for their weak flight and low detection probability.

Map wet gullies, moist sclerophyll forest, dense undergrowth, damp ground and heavy leaf litter before selecting survey locations.

Search quietly through suitable undergrowth and along forest-floor habitat for birds, nests, feeding signs and recent records.

Give particular attention to habitat within 1 to 2 m of the ground, because Pilotbirds rarely fly higher than this height.

Record retained and disturbed habitat separately, including burnt areas that may become suitable again as vegetation recovers.

Survey methodology: 2. Dawn and breeding-season observations

Conduct repeated observations during the species' breeding period, which is August to January in the ACT advice and August to March in the NSW determination.

Use quiet early-day observations in suitable dense undergrowth and wet gullies, when birds can be detected by their loud, carrying song or by movement on the forest floor.

Record the date, start and finish time, weather, observer effort, location, number of birds, behaviour and the habitat being used.

Treat a single non-detection as inconclusive because Pilotbirds are secretive and occupy small territories.

Survey methodology: 3. Call and incidental-record searches

Listen for the Pilotbird's sparking, vivacious song while moving through or observing suitable forest-floor habitat.

Use existing records, local bird databases and nearby observations to target areas with a reasonable likelihood of occupancy.

Do not rely on call playback unless it is authorised by the relevant wildlife authority and covered by the project fauna management plan, because the supplied documents do not prescribe playback or a species-specific playback protocol.

Document records from all project personnel, including the observer, coordinates, date, time, behaviour and a photograph or sound recording where available.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

The supplied documents do not specify a statutory survey effort, number of nights, transect length, trapping effort or playback protocol for Pilotbirds.

Set survey effort with the relevant state or territory authority and a suitably qualified ecologist, based on the size of the disturbance area, the amount of suitable habitat, fire history, season and the consequences of a missed detection.

Do not use cage trapping, mist-netting or other capture methods for this species unless they are specifically approved, led by an appropriately authorised person and justified in the fauna management plan.

Submit confirmed records, including non-detections where required by the approval, to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and retain the project survey data with the environmental records.

Report any suspected nest, breeding territory, injured bird or fire-affected refuge to the project environmental officer and the relevant wildlife authority.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoid clearing Pilotbird habitat wherever practicable. The species depends on dense undergrowth, damp ground and leaf litter, and fire can remove both birds and the structure they use for feeding and nesting.

Retain wet gullies, dense undergrowth, damp forest-floor habitat and connected patches of suitable forest.

Retain any known breeding or foraging habitat, because the ACT advice treats both as habitat critical to the species' survival.

Retain nearby unburnt habitat after fire, as it can provide refuge from cats and foxes and support surviving populations.

Avoid removing burnt habitat solely because it is currently unoccupied, because areas affected by the 2019 to 2020 fires may become suitable again as they recover.

Minimise fragmentation, edge creation, vehicle access and disturbance to leaf litter, logs and low vegetation.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Check whether the proposed action may significantly affect the nationally listed Pilotbird and obtain project-specific EPBC Act advice, referral decisions or approvals before work starts.

Check the applicable state or territory threatened species legislation, permits, survey licences and conditions, including requirements for NSW, the ACT and Victoria where the species occurs.

Schedule clearing outside the main breeding period where practicable, noting that breeding is documented from August to January in the ACT and August to March in the NSW determination.

Stage works so that retained habitat and unburnt refuge areas remain available while clearing proceeds elsewhere.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies survey methods, exclusion areas, stop-work triggers, authorised handlers, relocation arrangements and reporting responsibilities.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete a targeted pre-clearance survey of all suitable habitat within and beside the work area before machinery enters.

Mark retained gullies, dense undergrowth, leaf-litter areas, known records, nests, active territories and access routes on the site plan and on the ground.

Use exclusion fencing where it can protect retained undergrowth and forest-floor habitat without trapping birds or blocking their movement.

Brief machinery operators on the Pilotbird's ground-dwelling habits, weak flight and tendency to remain within dense cover.

Confirm the location of the nearest authorised wildlife carer, veterinarian and wildlife authority contact before clearing begins.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and spotter coordination

Pilotbirds may remain on or close to the forest floor while machinery is operating. The fauna spotter catcher must keep the work area controlled, maintain direct communication with operators and stop work when the approved controls are not effective.

Inspect exclusion fencing, retained habitat and access routes at the start of each workday and after weather or fire-management activities.

Keep a suitably qualified and authorised fauna spotter catcher in the active clearing area whenever vegetation, litter or ground habitat is being disturbed.

Require the spotter catcher to work ahead of machinery, maintain a clear view of the ground and dense undergrowth, and use a documented stop signal that every operator understands.

Clear in small, controlled stages so the spotter catcher can check each area before disturbance continues.

Keep vehicles, workers and stockpiles out of retained wet gullies, dense undergrowth and unburnt refuge areas.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Avoid disturbing leaf litter, logs, low vegetation and damp ground outside the approved disturbance footprint.

Before moving vegetation or ground material, inspect the area for a Pilotbird, nest, dependent young or other fauna that may be sheltering at ground level.

Do not burn, mulch or stockpile retained undergrowth, logs or leaf litter where these materials form part of an approved refuge or rehabilitation area.

Treat ground-level domed nests as active until an appropriately qualified person and the relevant authority determine otherwise.

Manage hollow-bearing trees, rocks, burrows, wetlands and other fauna features under the project fauna management plan, even though the supplied documents do not identify these as Pilotbird-specific requirements.

During habitat disturbance: Animal encounters and stop-work response

Stop work immediately if a Pilotbird is found in the active work area, if a nest or dependent young is found, or if the spotter catcher loses safe visibility of the ground and undergrowth.

Keep workers, machinery and pets away from the bird and do not chase it through dense cover.

Allow the bird to move into nearby retained habitat where safe, and relocate it only when required by the approved plan and undertaken by an appropriately authorised person.

Do not handle a Pilotbird unless the handler is authorised and trained for the task, because the documents provide no species-specific handling protocol.

Place an injured bird in a quiet, secure container and arrange prompt assessment by a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer.

Resume work only after the environmental officer or other nominated authority confirms that the stop-work condition has been resolved.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

Record every sighting, capture, relocation, injury, nest, stop-work event and escape from an exclusion area.

For each record, document the date, time, coordinates, habitat, activity, bird condition, action taken, handler, destination and person authorising the action.

Notify the project environmental officer and the relevant regulator or wildlife authority when required by approval conditions or threatened species legislation.

Update the daily clearing map so that new records and no-go areas are visible to all operators.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work should confirm that no Pilotbirds or dependent young remain in the disturbed area and that retained habitat continues to function as refuge and breeding habitat.

Complete a final ground and undergrowth inspection after each clearing stage and before the area is released for construction.

Check retained gullies, adjacent unburnt habitat, exclusion fencing and access tracks for displaced, injured or dead birds.

Confirm that no active nest, dependent young or trapped fauna remains within the cleared or fenced area.

Record the cleared area, retained area, survey effort, findings, incidents and corrective actions in the project file.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and controls

Monitor retained habitat and nearby refuge areas using the same locations and recording method used for pre-clearance surveys where practicable.

Continue monitoring through the next relevant breeding period if required by approval conditions or if clearing affected known habitat.

Maintain exclusion fencing and access controls until the environmental officer confirms that they are no longer needed.

Inspect revegetation and retained undergrowth after fire, drought, heavy rain and construction maintenance activities.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and offsets

Provide the regulator with the records, maps, incidents and monitoring results required by the approval or conservation advice.

Submit confirmed species records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.

Assess any residual significant impact under the EPBC Act and applicable state or territory law, and implement approved offsets or other compensatory measures where required.

Record any failure to retain habitat, unauthorised disturbance or mortality as an environmental incident and investigate it before further work in comparable habitat proceeds.

Rehabilitation actions: Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should rebuild the damp, dense forest-floor structure used by Pilotbirds for feeding, nesting and shelter. Recovery may be slow after intense fire, so rehabilitation should protect surviving habitat while new undergrowth develops.

Re-establish dense native understorey in wet gullies and other suitable forest habitat using locally appropriate native species selected by the project ecologist.

Restore damp ground, leaf litter and low vegetation rather than leaving a simplified, open ground surface.

Retain or reinstate suitable logs and woody debris where they do not create an unacceptable bushfire or access hazard.

Protect regenerating undergrowth from vehicles, grazing, trampling, mowing and unnecessary slashing.

Reconnect retained habitat patches where practicable by restoring native understorey between them.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, weeds and predators

Apply a fire management regime that reduces the risk of extensive, intense fires and allows recovery and recolonisation between fires.

Protect known breeding and foraging areas during planned burns, firebreak works, suppression and post-fire operations.

Control weeds that prevent the development of dense native undergrowth, using methods that avoid unnecessary disturbance to damp ground and leaf litter.

Reduce access by feral cats and foxes around recently burnt or rehabilitated habitat where this is practicable and authorised.

Retain unburnt refuge areas beside burnt or recovering habitat and prevent construction activities from isolating them.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor revegetation survival, understorey density, leaf-litter development, ground moisture and weed cover at fixed locations agreed in the rehabilitation plan.

Repeat targeted Pilotbird surveys during and outside the breeding period, using consistent observers, locations, timing and recording methods.

Use successful regeneration of dense forest-floor habitat, continued availability of unburnt refuge and confirmed Pilotbird use as project success measures.

Investigate declining reporting rates, repeated fire damage, predator activity or failure of understorey regeneration and revise management actions.

Share monitoring results with the relevant wildlife database, regulator and land manager where required.

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