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Short-tailed Grasswren (Amytornis merrotsyi)

The Short-tailed Grasswren is a small to medium-sized, ground-foraging grasswren restricted to scattered rocky spinifex habitats in South Australia's Flinders Ranges. Clearing, habitat fragmentation, frequent or intense fire, grazing and introduced predators can remove the spinifex cover and rocky refuges it needs, so habitat checks are important before works commence.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

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

Breeding season

The seasonal pattern below is based on the recorded September to October egg period and the reported breeding behaviour of the subspecies. The timing of fledging, post-fledging dependence and seasonal movement is not well documented.

Months are January to December. A value of 2 indicates the strongest documented seasonal concentration, 1 indicates occurrence or possible activity, and 0 indicates that the activity is not typically recorded or is not documented for that month.

  • Breeding, laying and nesting: Eggs have been recorded in nests during September and October. Nests are placed in spinifex clumps.
  • Young: Young are likely to be associated with nesting territories during the recorded egg period, but the duration of nestling and dependent periods is not reported.
  • Territory use and movement: Breeding territories are dispersed and may disband outside the breeding season. The extent and timing of movement or dispersal are not known.
  • Highest clearing risk: September and October carry the clearest documented risk because eggs have been recorded in nests during these months and nests occur in spinifex clumps. Clearing at other times can still remove habitat and shelter.

Identification

This grasswren is an elusive, slim-bodied bird that usually moves through spinifex close to the ground. It is more often detected by movement or its high-pitched contact call than by prolonged views.

Short-tailed Grasswrens are medium-sized and slim-bodied, with a short tail. The upperparts range from grey-brown to dark rufous or dark red-brown, with fine black and white streaking and dusky streaking on the breast.

Body size: Medium-sized, slim-bodied grasswren with a short tail. No body length or weight is given in the available sources.

Call: A high-pitched contact call. The alarm call has been described as a squeak.

Identification: Sexes and similar species

Adult females can be distinguished from males by a small rufous patch on the rear flanks. The species has a significantly shorter tail and slightly heavier bill than the Striated Grasswren, and is smaller, slimmer, finer-billed and brighter rufous above than the Western Grasswren.

The Flinders Ranges subspecies is lighter than the Gawler Ranges subspecies, with less coarse streaking on the chin, throat and breast and a paler buff belly and flanks.

Identification: Field signs

Nests are built in clumps of spinifex. They range from oval to domed, are loosely made from dry spinifex grass and may contain rabbit fur as a liner. Eggs are pearl white, with reddish-brown spots and blotches concentrated towards the larger end.

The available sources do not provide reliable descriptions of tracks, scats, feathers, roosts or eyeshine. The high-pitched contact call, squeaking alarm call and movement through spinifex are the most useful reported field detection cues.

  • Search quietly along rocky ridges, hilltops and steep gullies with suitable spinifex cover.
  • Record the location and direction of calling birds, and avoid approaching or flushing birds repeatedly.
  • Treat a spinifex clump containing a nest as occupied until the breeding period has ended and an appropriately qualified ecologist has assessed the risk.

Distribution: Range and strongholds

This subspecies is endemic to South Australia and has a scattered, disjunct distribution in the Flinders Ranges. The available documents do not identify a more specific IBRA bioregion or confirmed occurrence outside South Australia.

The recorded range extends from approximately Mt Neil in the north to Nelshaby in the south. The subspecies occurs at approximately 10 sites, although it may no longer occur at Telowie Gorge near Nelshaby, where it was last recorded in 1981.

The four main subpopulations are north of Quorn between Dutchman's Stern and Buckaringa, and formerly the Ragless Range; in and adjacent to the south-east corner of Flinders Ranges National Park; between Black Range and Belton; and in the Gammon Ranges and north of Arkaroola.

The largest reported population is in the south-east corner of Flinders Ranges National Park. New reports were made from the Horseshoe Range east of Quorn and near Saltia, south-west of Quorn, but population sizes at those sites were not known in the source material.

Australian states recorded: South Australia only

Approximate extent of occurrence: 9,300 square kilometres

Approximate area of occupancy: 1,000 square kilometres

Known sites: Approximately 10 scattered sites

Main subpopulations: Four

Largest reported subpopulation: Around Stokes Hill, estimated at 1,000 to 2,000 individuals

Distribution: Population and trend

The estimated population is approximately 5,000 mature individuals spread across four subpopulations. The advice suspected an ongoing decline, but considered that past, current or future declines were unlikely to exceed 30 percent in any three-generation period.

The inferred decline was linked to reduced area and quality of habitat, reduced area of occupancy and a decline in mature individuals, particularly in response to frequent fire and grazing.

  • Do not assume that an apparently suitable patch is occupied or unoccupied from a single visit, because the birds are elusive and populations are scattered.
  • Check historical records, nearby occupied sites and recent fire history when assessing a project footprint.

Habitat: Habitat types

Short-tailed Grasswrens use rocky, structurally complex ground habitat with established spinifex and scattered shrubs. Habitat quality depends on both the rock structure and the age and continuity of the spinifex cover.

The subspecies inhabits rocky quartzitic hillsides and hilltops, steep-sided gullies, stony rises and ridge crests. It occurs less often in foothills.

Important vegetation is Triodia tussock grassland, usually with scattered low shrubs. Recorded associated plants include Acacia species, Daviesia genistifolia, Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata and Cassia species. Some sites have an open overstorey of Callitris or mallee Eucalyptus.

Key landforms: Quartzite hillsides and hilltops, steep-sided gullies, stony rises, ridge crests and, less often, foothills

Ground vegetation: Triodia tussock grassland with scattered low shrubs

Associated shrubs and trees: Acacia species, Daviesia genistifolia, Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata, Cassia species, Callitris and Eucalyptus

Habitat: Structure and fire age

The subspecies appears to reach peak densities where spinifex has regenerated for 10 to 30 years after fire. Birds have recolonised some habitat patches 5 to 7 years after fire, but only where spinifex regeneration was good and predator numbers were low.

Large areas have not been recolonised where spinifex regeneration after fire has been sparse.

Reported recolonisation period after fire: 5 to 7 years where spinifex regeneration is good and predator numbers are low

Reported peak density after fire: 10 to 30 years

  • Retain continuous Triodia cover, rocky ground structure and scattered shrubs within and around the work area.
  • Map recently burnt areas separately from established spinifex habitat.
  • Avoid treating recently regenerated or partially burnt habitat as low-value without checking for cover, connectivity and recent records.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Short-tailed Grasswren forages mostly on the ground through spinifex and associated rocky vegetation. Detailed feeding behaviour and foraging distances are not available in the source material.

The reported diet includes seeds, fruits, insects and other invertebrates. No single plant species is identified as a confirmed food source for this subspecies.

Foraging is mainly terrestrial, so removal of ground cover, soil disturbance and loss of rocky inter-tussock areas can reduce feeding habitat even where shrubs or trees remain.

Main food categories: Seeds, fruits, insects and other invertebrates

Foraging position: Mostly on the ground

Foraging range: Not reported in the available documents

Foraging habitat: Project considerations

Suitable foraging habitat is most likely where Triodia tussocks, scattered shrubs and rocky ground occur together on hillsides, ridges, gullies and stony rises. The species' low, ground-based feeding habit makes it susceptible to direct disturbance from machinery, earthworks and intensive pedestrian activity.

  • Inspect rocky spinifex habitat before clearing, including adjoining habitat that may be used when birds move between cover patches.
  • Keep spoil, laydown areas, access tracks and vehicle parking out of intact Triodia cover wherever practicable.
  • Limit machinery movement through occupied or potentially occupied spinifex habitat, particularly during the September and October nesting period.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding information is limited. Nests are placed in spinifex clumps, and the available evidence indicates breeding in spring, with eggs recorded during September and October.

Breeding is thought to occur in dispersed territories. These territories may disband outside the breeding season. Nests are oval to domed and loosely constructed from dry spinifex grass, sometimes with rabbit fur as a liner.

The available documents do not provide a confirmed clutch size, incubation period, fledging period or age at first breeding for this subspecies. The reported generation time is based on extrapolations from fairy-wrens, rather than direct demographic measurements for the Short-tailed Grasswren.

Breeding season: Eggs have been recorded in nests during September and October

Nest site: Clumps of spinifex

Nest form: Oval to domed, loosely constructed

Egg description: Pearl white with reddish-brown spots and blotches concentrated at the larger end

Clutch size: Not reported

Incubation period: Not reported

Age at first breeding: 2.3 years, extrapolated from fairy-wrens

Longevity: 17 years, extrapolated from fairy-wrens

Generation time: 9.7 years

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding habitat comprises spinifex clumps on rocky hillsides, hilltops, steep-sided gullies, stony rises and ridge crests, usually with scattered low shrubs. Retaining mature, connected tussock cover is important because nests are located within the ground vegetation.

Fire, grazing and works that break up or remove spinifex can expose nests and reduce the cover available to breeding birds.

  • Search suitable spinifex clumps for nests before clearing during September and October.
  • Establish no-go areas around confirmed nests in accordance with the approved fauna management procedure and any relevant permit conditions.
  • Avoid burning, slashing, grading or driving through suitable spinifex breeding habitat during the recorded egg period.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and refuges

The subspecies uses spinifex and rocky terrain for cover and refuge. The advice does not describe dens, hollows, burrows or roost structures used by this bird.

Spinifex tussocks provide refuge during and after fire, as well as cover for movement and nesting. Rocky hillsides, ridges, gullies, stony rises and associated shrubs add structural cover.

Intense fires can remove many of the spinifex refuges used during fire events and may eliminate an entire subpopulation in a single event.

Reported shelter type: Spinifex tussocks and associated rocky terrain

Dens, hollows or burrows: Not reported for this species in the available documents

Roost sites: Not reported

  • Retain intact Triodia tussocks and rocky refuges within work areas and along habitat edges.
  • Avoid piling cleared vegetation or placing materials over spinifex and rocky crevices that may provide cover.
  • Inspect habitat edges for birds moving into remaining cover before machinery enters the site.

Sheltering habitat: Fire refuges and recovery

Spinifex refuges can be lost through intense or frequent fire. Recolonisation has been reported 5 to 7 years after fire in some patches, but recovery is dependent on good spinifex regeneration and low predator numbers.

  • Protect unburnt and well-regenerated spinifex patches during fire planning and construction.
  • Use recent fire mapping to identify remaining refuges and avoid concentrating clearing on the only intact cover in a local patch.

Threats: Fire

The main documented threats are frequent or intense fire, grazing and predation by introduced foxes, with possible additional effects from cats. Project activities can add direct habitat loss, fragmentation, disturbance and ignition risk.

Frequent or intense natural and human-mediated fire can remove spinifex refuges, reduce habitat quality and prevent recolonisation. Intense fires may eliminate an entire subpopulation in one event.

The subspecies has been identified as likely to be exposed to increased fire frequency and intensity associated with climate change.

  • Prepare a site-specific ignition and bushfire control procedure for works in or near Triodia habitat.
  • Avoid unnecessary burning and prevent hot works, vehicles and machinery from igniting spinifex.
  • Retain a mosaic of unburnt and mature spinifex habitat rather than clearing or burning large continuous areas.

Threats: Grazing and introduced predators

Feral goats and sheep degrade habitat. Dorper sheep are reported to be more destructive browsers than Merino sheep and more likely to venture onto hilltops. Fox predation may be significant, possibly in combination with fire, and predation by cats requires investigation.

Low predator numbers are associated with successful recolonisation of habitat after fire.

  • Prevent stock access to spinifex regeneration areas where practicable.
  • Inspect fences, gates and temporary access arrangements so that project works do not increase grazing pressure in retained habitat.
  • Record fox and cat activity during fauna surveys and apply approved control measures where required.

Threats: Clearing, fragmentation and disturbance

The advice identifies continuing decline in the area, extent and quality of habitat, area of occupancy and mature individuals. Clearing rocky spinifex habitat can remove feeding, nesting and sheltering sites and fragment movement between subpopulations.

Roads, tracks, service corridors, camps and laydown areas may create additional edge disturbance and ignition points. The available documents do not provide species-specific studies of road mortality or road avoidance.

  • Avoid clearing rocky Triodia habitat, especially on ridges, hilltops, steep gullies and stony rises.
  • Keep temporary works within already disturbed areas where practicable and rehabilitate unused work areas with locally appropriate native vegetation.
  • Use pre-clearance surveys and fauna spotter catcher protocols before removing spinifex or disturbing rocky cover.
  • Treat all occupied populations as high conservation value during impact assessment.

Threats: Other pressures

The available documents do not identify disease or hydrology change as specific threats to this subspecies. They also do not provide evidence for a species-specific road mortality rate.

Any project that changes drainage, causes erosion or alters fire access should be assessed for effects on rocky spinifex habitat and post-fire regeneration.

  • Do not infer that disease, road mortality or hydrology change is absent solely because it is not documented.
  • Record and report sick or dead birds through the project fauna incident procedure and seek advice from the relevant South Australian wildlife authority.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and daytime searches

Survey the Short-tailed Grasswren where rocky terrain supports spinifex tussock grassland and scattered shrubs. The available conservation advice does not prescribe a standard survey effort, so the ecologist should set and justify effort against the area of suitable habitat, proposed disturbance and detection conditions.

Map rocky hillsides, hilltops, steep gullies, stony rises, ridge crests and foothills that support Triodia tussocks and scattered low shrubs.

Search on foot through suitable habitat for birds, pairs, family groups, nests, feathers, calls and fresh sign, especially where spinifex has regenerated for 10 to 30 years after fire.

Record the condition, continuity and recent fire history of each habitat patch, including areas with sparse spinifex regeneration.

Known distribution: Flinders Ranges, South Australia, from about Mt Neil to Nelshaby

Known subpopulations: Four main subpopulations, with about 10 sites across the range

Peak density after fire: 10 to 30 years

  • Walk all suitable habitat within the disturbance footprint and inspect connected retained habitat that could receive displaced birds.
  • Record observations with coordinates, date, time, observers, weather, habitat type, fire age, grazing condition and behaviour.

Survey methodology: 2. Call and observation surveys

Undertake quiet observation during the early morning, when grasswrens are generally more active and vocal, and listen for the high pitched contact call.

Give priority to surveys after suitable rain, when grasswrens may become more vocal and breeding activity may increase.

Use call playback only where it is lawful and approved, and only in short, limited bursts. Do not use playback in a national park or other protected area unless the managing authority permits it.

Breeding records: Eggs have been recorded in September and October

Typical habitat recolonisation after fire: 5 to 7 years, where spinifex regeneration is good and predator numbers are low

  • Use a fixed route or set of observation points that covers each habitat patch and its edges, and repeat the route when initial conditions are poor.
  • Stop or defer the survey if wind, rain, heat, fire danger or other conditions are likely to suppress calling or make rocky terrain unsafe.
  • Treat a non-detection as inconclusive where spinifex is dense, birds are quiet, the patch has recently burned, or grazing has degraded cover.

Survey methodology: 3. Targeted habitat and nest checks

Inspect clumps of spinifex for nests during the breeding period, taking care not to trample tussocks or repeatedly flush birds.

Check rocky gullies, ridge crests and dense spinifex refuges for concealed birds before machinery enters the area.

Where clearing is proposed, survey the full impact area and any access tracks, laydown areas, stockpile areas and firebreaks that could remove or fragment habitat.

  • Use an experienced ornithologist or fauna spotter catcher familiar with cryptic ground-foraging grasswrens for targeted searches.
  • Do not disturb or handle eggs, nests or dependent young unless authorised under the relevant wildlife permit and fauna management plan.
  • Record all occupied habitat, probable breeding areas and patches used as refuge during or after fire.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Prepare a written survey design before fieldwork that states the area searched, number and duration of visits, routes, observers, weather, fire age and reasons for any limitations.
  • Repeat surveys when access, weather or detection conditions were inadequate, rather than treating one failed search as evidence of absence.
  • Submit confirmed records, including non-breeding observations and accurate coordinates, to the relevant South Australian wildlife database and any project database required by the approval.
  • Report the survey method, effort, detection conditions, habitat condition, fire history, grazing pressure and all records in the project environmental report.
  • Check the current taxonomic name and legal listing before finalising the survey and approval advice, because the supplied 2014 Commonwealth material records the Flinders Ranges subspecies as Vulnerable.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoid clearing the rocky spinifex habitat used by the subspecies. The highest risk is removal or fragmentation of cover, frequent or intense fire, grazing damage and associated predation.

Important habitat: Rocky hillsides and hilltops, steep-sided gullies, stony rises, ridge crests and some foothills with Triodia tussock grassland

Main threats: Frequent or intense fire, sheep and feral goat grazing, and fox predation

  • Avoid rocky hillsides, hilltops, steep gullies, stony rises and ridge crests that support Triodia tussocks and scattered Acacia, Daviesia, Xanthorrhoea or Cassia shrubs.
  • Retain connected patches of spinifex habitat and avoid creating isolated remnants between the work area and surrounding occupied habitat.
  • Avoid clearing habitat that is 10 to 30 years post-fire, because this period is associated with peak densities.
  • Keep construction traffic, compounds, stockpiles and temporary access routes out of retained spinifex and rocky refuge areas.
  • Prevent deliberate burning for grazing and design fire controls to reduce the extent and frequency of high intensity fires.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and project planning

  • Check the current EPBC Act status of the subspecies and refer the action if the proposed disturbance may have a significant impact on the nationally listed taxon.
  • Confirm South Australian threatened species requirements, fauna permits, survey licences, capture and relocation authorities, and any National Parks or reserve approvals before work starts.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat exclusion areas, survey methods, spotter catcher authority, stop-work triggers, handling limits, relocation sites and reporting requirements.
  • Stage works so that the smallest practicable area is open at any one time and retained habitat remains connected until disturbance is complete.
  • Avoid works during the September to October breeding period where occupied habitat or nests are present, unless the relevant authority approves the timing and controls.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

  • Complete a pre-clearance survey immediately before disturbance, with particular attention to dense spinifex, rocky refuges and any known occupied sites.
  • Mark no-go areas, retained spinifex, rocky refuges, nest locations and fauna movement routes on plans and on the ground.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it can protect retained habitat from machinery, vehicles, workers, sheep and goats, and inspect the fencing each day.
  • Control access, prevent unauthorised firewood collection and keep construction materials out of retained habitat.
  • Brief all workers that a cryptic grasswren may run through cover rather than fly, and that chasing the bird can increase disturbance and reduce detection.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls

Use a fauna spotter catcher to control the interface between machinery and retained habitat. Work should stop when an animal, nest or occupied refuge cannot be protected under the approved controls.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, no-go markers, access routes and retained habitat before work begins each day.
  • Keep machinery within approved limits and prevent operators from pushing spoil, slash or debris into retained spinifex or rocky refuges.
  • Maintain fire prevention controls, including hot-work restrictions, equipment checks and immediate response arrangements, because intense fires can remove entire subpopulations.
  • Keep sheep, feral goats, domestic animals and unnecessary people out of retained habitat.
  • Record the date, work area, machinery, spotter catcher, weather, habitat condition, fauna observations and any control failures.

During habitat disturbance: Spotter catcher and machinery interface

  • The fauna spotter catcher should inspect the next work area before machinery enters it and remain able to direct the operator to stop or change the work sequence.
  • Clear progressively in short sections, allowing the spotter catcher to check spinifex clumps, rocky cover and ground refuges before each section is disturbed.
  • Do not allow workers to chase a bird through spinifex, block its escape route or flush it repeatedly for observation.
  • Use only personnel authorised under the relevant South Australian wildlife permissions to capture, handle or relocate the bird.

During habitat disturbance: Animal, nest and refuge response

Known refuge conditions: Dense spinifex and rocky habitat are used for cover, and recolonisation is more likely where predator numbers are low

Foraging: Mostly on the ground, taking seeds, fruits, insects and other invertebrates

  • Stop work if a Short-tailed Grasswren, nest, eggs, dependent young or occupied refuge is found within the disturbance area.
  • Keep people and machinery back and allow the bird to leave naturally where this can be done without further disturbance.
  • Do not handle the bird unless handling is authorised, necessary for its welfare or required by the approved fauna management plan.
  • If relocation is authorised and necessary, place the bird in nearby retained habitat with suitable rocky cover and spinifex, using the shortest practical movement and recording the release location.
  • Take an injured bird promptly to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian and record the incident and chain of custody.
  • Stop work and obtain ecological or regulatory direction if the animal cannot be located, a nest is found, fire enters retained habitat, exclusion fencing fails, or the approved controls cannot be followed.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Complete fauna checks before the site is handed back to the construction team. Monitor retained habitat because short-tailed grasswrens can take several years to recolonise after fire or disturbance.

  • Inspect the cleared area, retained habitat edges, access routes and exclusion fencing for trapped, injured or displaced fauna before each work area is closed.
  • Remove temporary materials, waste and barriers that could obstruct movement between retained habitat patches, unless they are required for an approved control.
  • Confirm that no spoil, sediment, weeds or construction debris has entered retained spinifex, rocky gullies or drainage lines.
  • Document all animals found, including non-target fauna, with coordinates, outcome, photographs where appropriate and the name of the authorised handler.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Recovery after fire: Birds have recolonised some patches within 5 to 7 years, but not where spinifex regeneration was sparse

Monitoring need: Population trends should be investigated at regularly monitored sites

  • Monitor retained and rehabilitated habitat for Short-tailed Grasswren presence, calling activity, habitat condition, fire effects, grazing and fox or cat activity.
  • Use repeat observations at the same sites and record survey effort so changes in detection can be separated from changes in abundance.
  • Report any mortality, nest disturbance, fire, unauthorised clearing, failed exclusion control or relocation to the project environmental manager and the relevant regulator where required.
  • Maintain legal records, fauna handling forms, wildlife carer or veterinary records, photographs, coordinates and database submissions for the life of the approval.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and residual impacts

  • Reassess residual impacts after avoidance, habitat retention and rehabilitation measures are applied.
  • Do not treat an offset as a substitute for retaining occupied rocky spinifex habitat or preventing high intensity fire.
  • Where an approval requires an offset, ensure it protects and manages equivalent Short-tailed Grasswren habitat and addresses the relevant fire, grazing and predator threats.

Rehabilitation actions: Rebuild habitat structure

Rehabilitation should rebuild rocky spinifex habitat and reduce the threats identified for the subspecies. Recovery will depend on spinifex regeneration, fire management, grazing control and predator management.

Preferred vegetation: Triodia tussock grassland with scattered low shrubs, especially Acacia, Daviesia genistifolia, Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata and Cassia

Habitat development target: Manage for spinifex habitat that can mature through the 10 to 30 year post-fire period

  • Reinstate natural rocky ground form, ridge and gully contours where earthworks have altered them.
  • Allow or encourage Triodia tussock regeneration across disturbed areas and retain or replant locally appropriate Acacia, Daviesia genistifolia, Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata and Cassia species where suitable.
  • Retain existing rocks and place salvaged rocks back in natural groups to restore cover, while avoiding new barriers to movement.
  • Do not over-clear regenerating spinifex during maintenance, because dense tussocks provide refuge and foraging cover.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, grazing and predators

  • Prepare a site fire plan that reduces the extent and frequency of fire and avoids high intensity burns through occupied or regenerating habitat.
  • Do not use fire to promote green pick in retained or rehabilitated Short-tailed Grasswren habitat.
  • Exclude sheep from areas where spinifex is regenerating and control feral goats where they degrade hilltops, ridges and gullies.
  • Assess and, where appropriate, implement fox and cat control in accordance with land manager and regulator requirements.
  • Coordinate fire and grazing management across connected habitat rather than treating the construction footprint in isolation.

Rehabilitation actions: Success measures and adaptive management

  • Set photo points and fixed monitoring routes in retained and rehabilitated habitat and inspect them regularly through wet and dry conditions.
  • Measure spinifex cover, shrub recruitment, erosion, grazing damage, fire occurrence, predator activity and Short-tailed Grasswren detections against the approved baseline.
  • Investigate failures where spinifex regeneration is sparse, habitat becomes fragmented, grazing returns or predators increase, and change management accordingly.
  • Use the five to seven year recolonisation period as a minimum planning context after fire or major habitat disturbance, while recognising that recolonisation depends on good spinifex regeneration and low predator numbers.
  • Report rehabilitation results and update the management plan when monitoring shows that habitat condition or grasswren use is declining.

Sources