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Southern Scrub Robin (Drymodes brunneopygia)

The Southern Scrub Robin is a ground-foraging insectivorous bird of dense, semi-arid shrublands in southern Australia. It is relevant on development sites because clearing, grazing, cropping and fragmentation can remove year-round territories and breeding cover, with documented declines in several parts of its range, including the South Australian Murray Mallee.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Timing varies across the range. The broad account places breeding from July to December, while the detailed Bakara study recorded breeding from late September or early October for about one month.

Use local observations to refine timing because breeding has been reported from July to December across the range, while the detailed South Australian study recorded a later peak.

  • Breeding: Spring and summer breeding is reported as July to December. At Bakara, breeding started in late September or early October and lasted about one month.
  • Egg and nestling period: The female lays one egg and incubates it for about 16 days. Both parents feed the young for 9 to 12 days.
  • Dependent young and territory use: Young may remain associated with the natal territory. Juvenile survival was positively correlated with time spent in the natal territory at Bakara.
  • Dispersal and recruitment: The species generally occupies year-round territories. The supplied documents report juvenile survival to more than one year but do not define a fixed dispersal season.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing is most likely to harm the species during the breeding period, especially late September and October at Bakara, when eggs, nestlings or dependent young may be present in ground or near-ground nests.

Identification

The Southern Scrub Robin is a relatively large Australian robin with a long tail and a strongly terrestrial lifestyle. It is usually detected in dense shrub cover rather than in the canopy.

Adults are 21 to 23 cm long. The upperparts are dark brown, the belly is white to buff, and the tail has white tips. The undersides of the wings are light greyish brown.

The species weighs about 30 g for females and 37 g for males. A separate account gives a general species weight of 36 to 38 g.

Length: 21 to 23 cm

Weight: Female about 30 g; male about 37 g

Plumage: Dark brown wings, white to buff belly, and white-tipped tail

Identification: How to separate it in the field

The combination of a long tail, brown upperparts, pale underparts and persistent ground foraging helps separate the Southern Scrub Robin from the smaller, more arboreal Australian robins.

Unlike most Australian robins, scrub robins forage and nest on or near the ground. They are shy and may remain concealed in dense shrub layers, so a brief view of a brown bird moving through litter should not be dismissed.

Identification: Field signs and calls

The reported calls are a soft "pee, pee" and a more musical "chip, chip, par-ee". Birds are territorial and may call from dense shrub cover.

Search for adults, pairs, juveniles and ground-level cup nests in dense shrub habitat. The nest is reported to be on or near the ground. No diagnostic tracks, scats, roost signs or eyeshine are described in the supplied documents.

Calls: Soft "pee, pee" or musical "chip, chip, par-ee"

Nest: Cup-shaped nest on or near the ground

Other field signs: No diagnostic tracks, scats, roost signs or eyeshine are described

Distribution: National range

The Southern Scrub Robin is endemic to southern Australia. The supplied sources record it from four states and identify particularly reduced or isolated populations in the Murray Mallee and Great Victoria Desert.

The species occurs across Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The broad range extends from extreme south-western Australia along the south-central coast into Victoria and south-western New South Wales.

Recorded habitat is concentrated in low-rainfall shrublands, including mallee and other dense shrub communities. The supplied documents do not provide a complete list of IBRA bioregions or an elevation range.

States recorded: Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales

Bioregional settings identified: Murray Mallee, Great Victoria Desert, south-western shrublands and mallee regions

Elevation limit: Not reported in the supplied documents

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

In the South Australian Murray Mallee, the regional population has been greatly reduced and is largely confined to four isolated habitat patches near Bakara. The study site was a 2,100 ha private farm.

An isolated population is also documented in the Great Victoria Desert. The sources describe the species as occurring in separate local populations or patches of adjoining or closely spaced territories.

Bakara study site: 2,100 ha farm in the South Australian Murray Mallee

Bakara local concentration: Four isolated habitat patches

Murray Mallee extent: About 500,000 ha, with about 90% of native vegetation cleared in the area described

Population size: No national population estimate is provided

Distribution: Trend and site assessment

The species has declined across its range. In the Murray Mallee, it is described as having suffered dramatic declines and being of critical conservation concern.

At Bakara, 105 birds were mist-netted and colour-banded during the study. This is a study sample, not a population estimate.

Study sample: 105 birds colour-banded at Bakara

Documented trend: Declines across the range, with dramatic decline in the South Australian Murray Mallee

NSW listing supplied with the profile: Vulnerable under NSW listings; EPBC Act not listed

Habitat: Habitat types

Southern Scrub Robins occupy dense, structurally complex shrublands in low-rainfall parts of southern Australia. Retaining the shrub layer, leaf litter and connected native vegetation is important because territories are used throughout the year.

The species occurs in semi-arid scrub, mallee, broombush and dense shrublands. It may also use tea-tree thickets, eucalyptus groves and acacia scrub where the understorey is sufficiently dense.

The species is associated with low-rainfall areas and shrublands on loamy sands. In the Murray Mallee, optimal habitat has been targeted for cereal cropping.

Main habitat: Dense shrublands and semi-arid scrub

Vegetation settings: Mallee, broombush, tea-tree thickets, eucalyptus and acacia scrub

Soil setting noted: Shrubby, loamy sands

Climate setting: Low-rainfall areas of southern Australia

Habitat: Structural features

Important habitat has a complex shrub layer with enough cover for territorial adults, ground foraging and nests near the ground.

At Bakara, survival was positively associated with higher shrub cover, particularly Green Tea-tree and Hard-leaf Wattle. Retain dense patches, lower shrub layers, litter and fallen material during site planning and clearing.

Shrub species associated with better survival at Bakara: Green Tea-tree, Leptospermum coriaceum, and Hard-leaf Wattle, Acacia sclerophylla

Territory arrangement: Territories may adjoin one another or occur very close together

  • Map dense shrub patches and their connections before clearing.
  • Avoid removing the understorey while retaining only scattered overstorey trees.
  • Treat isolated shrub patches as potential territories, even where no bird is detected during a single visit.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding method

The Southern Scrub Robin is a ground-foraging insectivore. It searches through leaf litter and low shrub cover rather than relying mainly on aerial feeding.

The diet consists mainly of insects, especially beetles, termites and ants. Occasional fruit from low bushes is also reported.

Birds forage on the ground through leaf litter. Dense shrubs provide cover around feeding areas and may support the invertebrate prey used by adults and young.

Main prey: Beetles, termites and ants

Other food: Occasional fruit from low bushes

Foraging position: On the ground, through leaf litter

  • Inspect leaf litter, low shrubs and dense ground cover when assessing potential foraging habitat.
  • Retain native shrub cover and avoid unnecessary removal of litter and fallen material.
  • Use repeated searches in suitable shrub patches because shy birds may remain concealed.

Foraging habitat: Foraging area

Pairs defend year-round, all-purpose territories and use the territory for feeding, shelter and breeding. The supplied documents do not give a typical territory area or foraging radius for this species.

Foraging range: No numerical range is reported

Territory use: Year-round, all-purpose territories defended by individuals or breeding pairs

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in dense shrub habitat, with the nest placed on or near the ground. Pairs may occupy the same territory throughout the year, so breeding habitat and non-breeding habitat overlap.

Most pairs in the Bakara study bred. Breeding there began in late September or early October and lasted about one month. A broader account gives spring and summer, July to December, as the breeding period across the species range.

The female builds a cup-shaped nest on or near the ground. The male may distract a predator by calling and moving away from the nest when eggs or young are threatened.

Breeding season: Usually spring and summer; July to December is reported, with breeding at Bakara beginning in late September or early October

Clutch size: One pale green egg, blotched with black and brown

Incubation: About 16 days

Nestling or dependent period: Both parents feed young for 9 to 12 days

Age at first recorded breeding: Three birds in the Bakara study bred at 2 years of age

Lifespan: Not reported in the supplied documents

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding territories contain dense, complex shrub layers and ground or near-ground nest sites. Higher shrub cover, particularly Green Tea-tree and Hard-leaf Wattle, was associated with better survival at Bakara.

Breeding pairs may occur close together, with territories adjoining one another. Clearing one patch can therefore affect more than one pair or remove habitat needed by recently fledged young.

Nest position: On or near the ground

Territory spacing: Territories may adjoin or be very close together

Habitat linked with survival: Higher shrub cover, especially Green Tea-tree and Hard-leaf Wattle

  • Search dense shrubs and ground cover carefully before clearing during the breeding period.
  • Keep a buffer around active nests and retain connected shrub cover for adults and dependent young.
  • Check for breeding activity again after a short interval where clearing is delayed, because the species may nest low in vegetation and remain difficult to detect.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and refuge

Shelter is provided by dense shrub layers and ground cover. The species does not use hollows, burrows or tree roosts in the supplied accounts.

Adults occur individually or in breeding pairs, often with one juvenile, in habitat with complex shrub layers. Dense shrubs provide concealment for this shy, territorial species.

The species nests on or near the ground, so ground cover and low vegetation are likely to be affected directly by clearing, slashing, vehicle movement and soil disturbance.

Primary shelter: Dense, complex shrub layers

Ground cover: Leaf litter and low vegetation used within the foraging and nesting environment

Hollows, burrows and dens: Not reported for this species

  • Retain dense shrub patches and low vegetation around known or potential territories.
  • Avoid driving through shrub cover and leaf litter where birds, nests or dependent young may be present.
  • Inspect the ground and lower shrub layer during pre-clearance searches.

Sheltering habitat: Nest refuge

The nest is a cup-shaped structure placed on or near the ground. No nest dimensions, roost dimensions or minimum shrub patch size are provided in the supplied documents.

Nest height: On or near the ground

Nest dimensions: Not reported

Known refuge size thresholds: Not reported

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The strongest documented threats are clearing, conversion to cropping or grazing, fragmentation and loss of dense shrub cover. The species is also exposed to the general risks of disturbance and nest predation associated with ground nesting in fragmented vegetation.

Extensive clearing for agriculture has reduced the species across its range. In the South Australian Murray Mallee, about 90% of native vegetation in the area described has been cleared, and the remaining vegetation is highly fragmented and degraded.

Conversion of shrubby, loamy sands to cereal cropping has removed habitat considered optimal for the species. Fragmentation can isolate patches and restrict movement between territories.

Murray Mallee clearing: About 90% of native vegetation cleared in the area described

Main land uses linked with habitat loss: Cereal cropping, grazing and associated vegetation clearance

Local population pattern: Four isolated habitat patches near Bakara

  • Avoid clearing dense shrub patches where practicable, especially where several territories occur close together.
  • Retain links between shrub patches and avoid creating isolated remnants.
  • Treat proposed access tracks, compounds and easements as potential habitat loss, not only the main construction footprint.

Threats: Shrub degradation and grazing

Lower shrub cover and habitat degradation reduce the quality of territory habitat. At Bakara, survival was positively associated with higher shrub cover and with Green Tea-tree or Hard-leaf Wattle cover.

Grazing and removal of fallen timber are identified in the supplied research as factors that can reduce habitat quality for woodland birds, including species occupying similar mallee settings.

  • Prevent stock access to retained shrub patches where grazing would reduce the lower shrub layer.
  • Do not remove fallen timber or litter unless it is required for a documented safety or construction reason.
  • Rehabilitate with locally appropriate native shrub species and aim to restore dense lower vegetation, not only scattered trees.

Threats: Fire, roads, predators and other risks

The supplied documents do not provide species-specific thresholds for fire, road mortality, disease or hydrology change. Ground nesting and fragmentation can increase exposure to nest predators, and the species has declined in heavily modified agricultural settings.

Construction traffic, temporary access, night works, noise and repeated disturbance should be managed around occupied shrub patches, active nests and dependent young.

Fire evidence: No species-specific fire response is provided in the supplied documents

Disease evidence: No species-specific disease threat is provided

Hydrology evidence: No species-specific hydrology impact is provided

Predation evidence: Ground nesting and fragmentation are relevant because nest predation is identified as a risk for birds in fragmented agricultural habitats

  • Use pre-clearance surveys and staged clearing to reduce the chance of destroying low nests or flightless young.
  • Keep vehicles on defined routes and limit access through retained shrub habitat.
  • Record sightings, calls, nests and occupied territories so that avoidance areas can be marked before works start.
  • Escalate any proposed burning, drainage change or removal of dense shrub cover for site-specific ecological assessment.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and targeted searches

Survey for Southern Scrub-robins should focus on dense, low shrub habitat and ground-level detection. The species is shy, territorial and often detected by calls or by observing birds foraging through leaf litter, so surveys should combine habitat assessment, quiet searches and repeat visits.

Map dense shrublands, Mallee, tea-tree thickets, broombush, eucalyptus groves and acacia scrub before selecting survey points.

Prioritise shrub habitat with complex understorey, because Southern Scrub-robins occupy year-round territories in dense shrub layers and forage on the ground.

Search leaf litter, low shrubs and the edges of retained vegetation for birds feeding on beetles, termites, ants and other insects.

Typical habitat: Dense shrublands of low-rainfall southern Australia, including Mallee, tea-tree thickets, eucalyptus groves and acacia scrub.

Foraging height: Ground level, especially through leaf litter.

  • Walk slowly through suitable habitat and record all visual and acoustic detections, including the location, time, behaviour, number of birds and apparent territory boundaries.
  • Avoid relying only on open-canopy bird counts, because this species is associated with dense understorey vegetation and ground foraging.

Survey methodology: 2. Dawn call and observation surveys

Conduct quiet searches from first light, when the species is most vocal and easier to locate by call.

Listen for the reported soft "pee, pee" call and the more musical "chip, chip, par-ee" call, while also recording unidentified calls for later review.

Use repeated visits because birds can occur individually, in breeding pairs or with one juvenile, and may remain concealed in dense shrubs.

Documented survey behaviour: Field tracking used visual searches, listening for calls and binocular observations within 2 hours of dawn.

Documented site effort: At Bakara, all territories were visited fortnightly and searched for 1 to 3 hours during the study period.

  • Search each suitable habitat patch on foot using fixed transects or defined search areas, and record the area covered and start and finish times.
  • Pause regularly at vantage points to listen and scan the ground and lower shrub layer.
  • Do not treat one negative visit as evidence that the species is absent.

Survey methodology: 3. Breeding-season and repeat surveys

Schedule repeat surveys across the period when breeding activity may occur, rather than relying on a single pre-clearance visit.

Treat late September and early October as a particularly important period for detecting breeding activity, because breeding at Bakara started then and lasted about one month.

Also consider the broader July to December breeding period reported for the species when planning works and survey coverage.

Breeding period reported in species account: July to December.

Breeding period recorded at Bakara: Breeding started in late September or early October and lasted about one month.

Clutch size: One egg.

  • Record territorial behaviour, repeated calling, courtship, nest material, adults carrying food, fledglings and defensive distraction behaviour.
  • Do not approach or disturb a suspected nest, because the female builds a cup-shaped nest on or near the ground and the male may draw predators away if the nest is threatened.
  • If breeding activity is detected, notify the project ecologist and review the work boundary, timing and controls before disturbance continues.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a documented habitat search and repeat dawn search program for every suitable habitat patch that may be disturbed.
  • Record survey dates, weather, start and finish times, observers, transect or search-area boundaries, effort, calls, sightings, breeding evidence and habitat condition.
  • Use the Bakara study effort of searches within 2 hours of dawn and 1 to 3 hours per territory visit as a useful reference point, but set final effort according to the size, fragmentation and accessibility of the project area.
  • Have a suitably experienced ornithologist or project ecologist review negative results where suitable habitat is present.
  • Submit confirmed records and relevant negative survey information to the relevant state wildlife database, and retain coordinates and supporting photographs in the project file.
  • Check the current state survey, threatened-species and fauna-handling requirements before fieldwork starts.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoid clearing Southern Scrub-robin habitat wherever practicable. The species has declined where dense shrub habitat has been cleared and fragmented, and the remaining population in the South Australian Murray Mallee study area was confined largely to four isolated patches.

Redesign the work footprint to retain dense shrub patches, connected understorey and known or suspected territories.

Retain large continuous areas of suitable shrub habitat rather than leaving only narrow strips or isolated clumps.

Avoid clearing shrublands with complex understorey, especially Mallee, tea-tree, broombush and acacia habitat.

Protect leaf litter, fallen timber and ground cover within retained habitat because the species forages on the ground.

Documented clearance context: About 90% of native vegetation had been cleared in the South Australian Murray Mallee study area, mostly for grazing and cereal cropping.

Documented study population: The species was largely confined to four isolated habitat patches on one 2100 hectare farm at Bakara.

  • Mark all retained shrub patches and no-go areas before machinery arrives.
  • Keep access tracks, laydown areas and spoil sites out of retained shrub habitat.
  • Maintain links between retained patches wherever practicable, because the species occurs in isolated patches after extensive clearing.
  • Use existing cleared areas for compounds and access wherever practicable.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Confirm the current Commonwealth and state conservation status before finalising the work method, because the supplied project information identifies the species as Vulnerable in New South Wales and not listed under the EPBC Act.

Obtain any required state survey, scientific, fauna-handling, relocation and wildlife rehabilitation approvals before work begins.

Use the project environmental assessment to determine whether an EPBC referral is required, even though the supplied listing identifies the species as not listed under the EPBC Act.

Plan high-impact clearing outside the species breeding period where practicable, and obtain project ecologist advice if this cannot be achieved.

  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies suitable habitat, known records, clearing limits, pre-clearance checks, fauna handling, stop-work triggers, reporting and rehabilitation.
  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat remains available while each work area is checked and cleared.
  • Brief machinery operators, supervisors and fauna spotter catchers on the mapped exclusion areas and the species' ground-foraging behaviour.
  • Include a process for updating controls if new birds, nests or occupied habitat are found.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete a pre-clearance survey shortly before disturbance, with particular attention to dense shrubs, leaf litter and the ground layer.

Mark known territories, recent sightings, suspected nests and retained habitat on construction plans and in the field.

Install exclusion fencing around retained shrub patches and any area where fauna handling or ecological advice requires a no-entry buffer.

Inspect the work area for birds sheltering in low shrubs and for nests on or near the ground before each clearing stage.

  • Do not use broad-scale slashing or grading as the first clearing action in suitable habitat.
  • Remove temporary materials, waste and machinery from retained habitat before fauna inspections.
  • Ensure the fauna spotter catcher has safe access and enough time to inspect the ground and lower shrub layer before machinery enters.

During habitat disturbance: Daily clearing controls

Use staged, supervised clearing. Southern Scrub-robins can remain concealed in dense shrubs and forage on the ground, so machinery must not work ahead of the fauna spotter catcher or outside the approved clearing boundary.

Hold a daily pre-start briefing covering the approved clearing boundary, exclusion zones, recent sightings, weather, rescue equipment and stop-work procedures.

Inspect the active work area before machinery starts, focusing on dense shrubs, leaf litter, low branches and the ground surface.

Use a fauna spotter catcher who is authorised for the required work and state jurisdiction to walk ahead of machinery and maintain direct communication with the operator.

Clear in small stages towards retained habitat where the site layout allows, giving birds an opportunity to move into approved retained vegetation.

  • Keep machinery at walking speed during the initial vegetation removal and inspection phase.
  • Stop machinery immediately when the spotter catcher signals, when visibility is lost or when an animal, nest or suspected breeding response is detected.
  • Keep workers, vehicles and stockpiles out of retained shrub patches and marked exclusion zones.
  • Recheck the active area after vegetation removal and before grading, trenching or vehicle access.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna handling and relocation

Do not catch or move a Southern Scrub-robin unless the handler is authorised and the action is permitted under the relevant state approval.

Allow an uninjured bird to move naturally into nearby retained habitat where it can do so safely and where the habitat is approved for use.

If capture is necessary, minimise handling time, noise, heat and visual stress, and use equipment and procedures approved for the jurisdiction.

Relocate a bird only to nearby suitable retained habitat identified in the fauna management plan, unless the relevant authority directs otherwise.

Nest location reported for the species: On or near the ground.

Reported adult response to nest threat: The male may whistle and draw predators away from the nest or young.

  • Do not release a bird into open ground, cleared crop land or habitat lacking dense shrub cover.
  • Place an injured bird in a suitable ventilated container and transfer it promptly to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian.
  • Record the bird's location, condition, action taken, handler, release or transfer location and outcome.
  • Do not disturb a suspected nest or attempt to move it without specific approval and advice from the project ecologist and relevant authority.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

Stop work in the affected area if a Southern Scrub-robin is found within the clearing zone, if a nest or fledgling is detected, or if the approved clearing boundary cannot be maintained.

Stop work if an injured animal is found, if machinery damages a retained habitat patch, or if the fauna spotter catcher cannot safely inspect the area.

Obtain advice from the project ecologist before restarting where breeding activity, repeated territorial behaviour or an occupied territory is detected.

  • Record all sightings, captures, injuries, deaths, relocations, nests, fledglings, habitat damage and stop-work events on the same day.
  • Record the machinery used, clearing date and time, weather, observers, location and photographs for each fauna event.
  • Report any threatened-species incident or unauthorised impact through the project's approval and regulator reporting process.
  • Review the clearing method after every stop-work event and update the daily briefing.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work should confirm that no fauna remains in the disturbed area and that retained shrub habitat is protected. Follow-up is especially important where clearing has reduced habitat to small or isolated patches.

Complete a systematic inspection of the cleared area after each clearing stage and before earthworks, trenching or spoil placement.

Search remaining shrubs, leaf litter, fallen timber and the edge of retained habitat for birds, nests, fledglings and injured fauna.

Check that exclusion fencing and no-go markers remain intact and that machinery has not entered retained habitat.

  • Record the area inspected, time, observers, weather, habitat remaining and all fauna observations.
  • Repeat checks if clearing is interrupted, if the site is left overnight with open trenches or if new habitat disturbance occurs.
  • Close, cover or fauna-proof trenches and pits at the end of each work period where practicable, and inspect them before work resumes.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained shrub patches and any known territories during construction where the project risk assessment identifies ongoing noise, access or edge impacts.

Use repeat dawn observations and call listening to check whether birds continue to use retained habitat after clearing.

Compare post-work records with the pre-clearance habitat map, not just with the number of birds seen on one visit.

Documented monitoring approach: The Bakara study tracked colour-banded adults over 3 years, from 2008 to 2011, and visited territories fortnightly.

  • Report project records to the relevant state wildlife database where required by approval or agency guidance.
  • Provide the regulator and land manager with maps of cleared and retained habitat, fauna incidents, rehabilitation actions and monitoring results.
  • Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval, fauna management plan or offset condition.
  • Escalate declining detections, habitat degradation or repeated fauna incidents to the project ecologist and approval authority.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

Maintain exclusion fencing, weed control, access restrictions and retained shrub buffers until construction risks have ended.

Apply any approved offset or biodiversity credit requirement based on the current approval, state policy and verified impact area.

Do not treat planting in a distant or unsuitable location as a substitute for retaining occupied dense shrub habitat where avoidance is practicable.

  • Check offset sites for suitable dense shrub structure, ground cover and connectivity before relying on them as habitat for this species.
  • Document the area, condition and management actions for each offset or conservation site.
  • Review offset performance against the species' habitat requirements and recorded use, rather than planting numbers alone.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should rebuild dense, connected shrub habitat with a functional ground layer. The strongest available evidence links Southern Scrub-robin survival with rainfall and higher shrub cover, particularly Green Tea-tree and Hard-leaf Wattle at the Bakara study site.

Re-establish dense shrub cover using locally appropriate native species from the pre-clearing community.

Include Green Tea-tree, Leptospermum coriaceum, and Hard-leaf Wattle, Acacia sclerophylla, where they are suitable for the local site and approved seed provenance.

Restore a continuous understorey and retain leaf litter and natural ground cover for ground-foraging birds.

Reconnect retained shrub patches where practicable rather than creating isolated planting islands.

Habitat features associated with higher survival at Bakara: Higher shrub cover, particularly Green Tea-tree and Hard-leaf Wattle.

Foraging substrate: Leaf litter and ground layer.

  • Use local reference vegetation to set planting density and structure because the supplied documents do not provide a species-specific planting density.
  • Keep rehabilitation areas free from unnecessary vehicle access and grazing while shrubs establish.
  • Do not over-clear regrowth or remove fallen timber unless required for safety or an approved ecological reason.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats during recovery

Control weeds that suppress native shrub regeneration or reduce leaf litter and ground cover.

Manage grazing, soil disturbance and vehicle access so that establishing shrubs are not damaged.

Use fire planning that protects dense shrub habitat and avoids unnecessary loss of the understorey, with advice from the relevant land manager and fire authority.

Retain natural fallen timber and ground debris where it does not create a safety or operational hazard.

  • Inspect rehabilitation areas after fire, drought, flood, grazing or major construction activity.
  • Repair damaged fencing and exclude stock where grazing threatens shrub establishment.
  • Control introduced predators only where this is supported by the approved ecological management plan and relevant authority advice.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a default action, because the supplied documents describe a ground or near-ground nest and do not identify nest boxes as a management requirement.

Rehabilitation actions: Measure success

Set success measures for native shrub cover, understorey continuity, ground cover, weed cover and protection from grazing and vehicle access.

Use repeat dawn searches and call listening to check for Southern Scrub-robin use once habitat has re-established sufficiently for the project ecologist to judge it suitable.

Compare rehabilitation sites with nearby retained reference habitat and record rainfall or other relevant weather conditions when interpreting detections.

Documented juvenile survival result: Thirty-two percent of 22 monitored juveniles survived to more than 1 year at Bakara.

Documented rainfall relationship: Juvenile survival was higher in the wetter year, 2010, and overall survival appeared positively correlated with increased rainfall and higher shrub cover.

  • Record planted and naturally regenerating species, survival, shrub cover, weed treatment, grazing damage, fire history and maintenance actions.
  • Map any Southern Scrub-robin detections, territorial behaviour, breeding evidence and movement between retained and rehabilitated patches.
  • Continue monitoring for the period set by the approval or rehabilitation plan, and revise planting or threat controls if habitat structure is not developing.
  • Report monitoring results to the land manager, approval authority and relevant state wildlife database where required.

Sources