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Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis)

The Southern Whiteface is a small, ground-foraging thornbill-like bird of dry open eucalypt and acacia woodlands, shrublands, mallee and inland scrub across mainland Australia south of the Tropic of Capricorn. It is Vulnerable nationally and in several states, so clearing projects must retain open woodland structure, fallen and standing dead timber, hollow-bearing trees, shrubs and ground-layer habitat.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Vulnerable.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Australian Capital Territory, Nature Conservation Act 2014: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The Southern Whiteface is generally resident rather than migratory. Breeding timing varies with rainfall, so field teams should treat June to December as the main period for nest and dependent-young risk, with the highest likelihood usually from July to December.

Use local observations and rainfall conditions to refine the timing. The species is not described as a regular long-distance migrant in the supplied documents.

  • Breeding: Breeding is usually July to December, with June to December also reported. Rainfall influences timing, so breeding may begin or extend outside the usual period.
  • Young: Clutches contain 2 to 5 eggs and incubation is about 20 days. Nestlings and dependent young may therefore be present during the main June to December breeding window, depending on rainfall and laying date.
  • Resident and flocking: The species is generally sedentary and occurs in the ACT region in all seasons. Birds may forage in small groups, with larger congregations of up to 70 reported outside the breeding season.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing is most likely to harm the species from June to December because nests, eggs and dependent young may be present. July to December is the usual breeding period, but rainfall can alter the timing.

Identification

The Southern Whiteface is a compact, subdued-coloured woodland bird. It is most likely to be detected by its repeated calls, small groups moving across bare ground and leaf litter, or nests in hollows and other sheltered structures.

Adults are small and stocky, with grey-brown upperparts, pale grey to white underparts, olive-buff flanks and dark wings. The forehead is white with a black margin, the eye is pale or cream-coloured, and the short bill is dark grey and finch-like.

The tail has a broad black band with white tips. In the south-west subspecies, the flanks may be rufous. Adults of both sexes look alike. Juveniles lack the black band on the face between the eyes.

Length: About 11 cm, with a reported measurement of about 11.5 cm in a recent bioregional assessment.

Weight: About 12 g on average.

Plumage: Grey-brown above, pale below, with a white and black forehead pattern and black tail band with white tips.

Identification: Calls and behaviour

The main call is described as continual rapid twittering on one note. The flight call is a brisk ‘wit, wit-awit’.

Birds may forage in groups of 10 to 15, and can mix with Yellow-rumped Thornbills and other whiteface or woodland birds. Other project and conservation assessments describe usual groups of 2 to 8, with non-breeding congregations of up to 70 birds.

Typical foraging group: 10 to 15 birds in one field account; groups of 2 to 8 are also reported.

Largest reported non-breeding congregation: Up to 70 birds.

  • Listen for repeated, rapid twittering from low woodland, shrubland edges and ground-foraging groups.
  • Watch for short half-hops across bare ground or leaf litter, with birds picking up food as they move.

Identification: Field signs and similar birds

The species does not produce tracks, scats, sloughs or eyeshine that are useful for routine field identification. The most useful signs are the call, repeated ground-foraging activity, mixed-species flocks and untidy domed nests.

Nests may be in hollow limbs, crevices, stumps, fence posts, dense shrub foliage, sheds or nest boxes. A nest alone should not be assigned to Southern Whiteface without supporting observations, because the documents do not provide distinguishing nest features from similar small woodland birds.

The combination of a white forehead edged in black, pale underparts, black tail band with white tips and a short finch-like bill separates adults from many small brown woodland birds. Juveniles are less distinctive because they lack the black facial band.

Distribution: National range

The Southern Whiteface occurs across much of mainland Australia south of the Tropic of Capricorn. It has a very broad extent of occurrence, but available evidence indicates a continuing decline, particularly where open woodland and grassland have been cleared or fragmented.

The species occurs in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Its range covers south-eastern and central Australia, inland areas and the north-eastern edge of the Western Australian wheatbelt, extending in Western Australia towards Carnarvon and across southern inland habitats.

Two subspecies are recognised. The south-east Southern Whiteface occurs through south-eastern and central Australia, including the ACT region. The south-west Southern Whiteface occurs in Western Australia, with a broad hybrid zone in eastern Western Australia.

States and territories recorded in the supplied sources: ACT, NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Broad climatic range: Mainland Australia south of the Tropic of Capricorn, including semi-arid and arid inland areas.

Western Australian range: The north-eastern wheatbelt, southern inland habitats and areas extending towards Carnarvon.

Distribution: Bioregional setting and strongholds

The species is associated with dry woodland and scrub regions rather than a single restricted bioregion. Documented settings include the ACT lowlands and bordering NSW woodlands, the Victorian Riverina and Albury Wodonga locality, and the Yalgoo bioregion, including the Tallering subregion, in Western Australia.

The supplied documents do not identify a nationally recognised stronghold or a confirmed set of discrete subpopulations. Several records occur within the Albury Wodonga locality, and 63 records were available within the broader assessment area around the Karara project, although none occurred within that project's consolidated disturbance footprint.

Karara assessment records: 63 records in the assessed surrounding area; no records within the combined proposal mitigated disturbance footprint.

Albury Wodonga locality: Several Southern Whiteface records occur within the locality.

  • Treat mapped or recorded open woodland and shrubland as potential habitat even where the species was not detected during a project survey.
  • Do not infer absence from a small number of survey records. The species is resident in the ACT region but can occur at low reporting rates.

Distribution: Population and trend

The national population has undergone a substantial decline estimated at 30 to 50 percent over successive ten-year periods since 1999, with no indication in the ACT advice that the decline is slowing. Habitat loss and fragmentation are identified as likely major causes.

The ACT reporting rate declined from a 4 percent peak in 2008 to 0.5 percent in 2018 to 2019. The ACT advice gives approximate totals of 254 birds in 2016 to 2017, 213 in 2017 to 2018 and 204 in 2018 to 2019. These are reporting-based estimates and should not be treated as a national population count.

Estimated national decline: 30 to 50 percent over ten-year periods since 1999, according to the ACT listing advice.

Estimated extent of occurrence: About 461,613,000 ha in a 2024 estimate, compared with 480,000,000 ha in the 2021 Action Plan estimate and 491,000,000 ha in the 2023 Conservation Advice.

Estimated area of occupancy: About 6,286,400 ha in a 2024 estimate, compared with 7,000,000 ha in the 2021 Action Plan estimate and 6,500,000 ha in the 2023 Conservation Advice.

ACT reporting rate: About 0.5 percent in 2018 to 2019, down from a 4 percent peak in 2008.

Habitat: Overall habitat

Southern Whitefaces use dry, open vegetation with a low or moderate tree density, a grassy or shrubby understorey and usable ground litter. Habitat quality depends on both vegetation cover and retained dead timber, hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber.

Preferred habitat includes dry open eucalypt forest and woodland, acacia woodland, inland mallee, mulga, saltbush and other inland scrub. The species is also associated with places where woodland merges with grassland, dry rocky paddocks with scattered shrubs, short grass and dead timber, and open shrublands with grass or shrub understorey.

Habitat critical to survival includes relatively undisturbed open woodland and shrubland, low tree densities, herbaceous understorey litter cover, and living or dead trees with hollows and crevices.

  • Retain open woodland and shrubland patches with a continuous or connected ground layer.
  • Retain both living and standing dead trees, including hollow-bearing trees and trees with crevices.
  • Retain fallen timber, stumps, leaf litter and low shrubs rather than tidying the site before clearing.

Habitat: Vegetation examples

In the Albury Wodonga locality, suitable open woodland habitat was present in the study area, although some stands had moderate to high tree density. In the Karara region, relevant vegetation included Acacia forests and woodlands, Acacia shrublands, eucalypt woodlands, eucalypt open woodlands and mallee open woodlands or sparse mallee shrublands.

The Karara assessment area lies in the Tallering subregion of the Yalgoo bioregion, where about 97 percent of the subregion was estimated to retain native vegetation in varying condition. This regional context does not mean that every native vegetation patch is suitable. Local structure, dead timber, litter and ground access remain important.

Tallering subregion native vegetation: Estimated at about 97 percent of the subregion, in varying condition.

Albury Wodonga potential habitat impact assessed: Up to 1.54 ha of potential Southern Whiteface habitat.

Habitat: Elevation and climate

The species occupies semi-arid and arid inland areas as well as temperate woodland regions. In the ACT region it is more common below about 800 m, but has been recorded through winter up to 1,100 m in frost hollows in the Upper Naas catchment.

Rainfall affects breeding timing and probably affects habitat condition and food availability. Drought, heatwaves, wildfire and extreme weather can reduce the suitability of already fragmented habitat.

Typical ACT elevation: More common below about 800 m.

Upper elevation noted in the ACT advice: Up to about 1,100 m in winter frost hollows in the Upper Naas catchment.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding method

Southern Whitefaces are mainly ground and low-shrub foragers. They need open ground, leaf litter and a sparse enough understorey to move through while retaining nearby shrubs, grasses and timber for food and cover.

The diet consists mainly of insects and spiders. Seeds and leaves are also taken. Birds glean food from bare ground and leaf litter, and forage low in shrubs.

Foraging birds move in small groups using short half-hops, often one foot in front of the other. They may join mixed-species flocks with Yellow-rumped Thornbills and other small woodland birds.

Main prey: Insects and spiders.

Additional food: Seeds and leaves.

Foraging height: Mainly on the ground and low in shrubbery.

  • Inspect bare ground, leaf litter and low shrubs for active feeding groups before clearing.
  • Retain ground litter and fallen timber that support invertebrate prey and provide feeding structure.
  • Avoid broad removal of low shrubs and ground cover where these form part of an open woodland foraging patch.

Foraging habitat: Foraging structure

The preferred foraging habitat has low tree densities and an herbaceous understorey with litter cover. The species also occurs in open woodland and shrubland with grasses or shrubs, including habitat containing fallen timber or standing dead timber.

The supplied documents do not provide a measured foraging-home range or a standard buffer distance. For project planning, assess connected habitat around records and retain enough surrounding woodland, ground layer and shelter to maintain feeding opportunities after clearing.

  • Map open woodland, shrubland, grassland interfaces, leaf litter and dead timber as one connected foraging resource rather than assessing canopy alone.
  • Keep vehicle movements and stockpiling out of retained ground-foraging areas.
  • Use pre-clearing observations at suitable times for detecting small ground-foraging groups, and record call detections as well as visual sightings.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding usually occurs in the cooler and wetter part of the year, but timing varies with rainfall. Nests are small, untidy domes placed in hollows, crevices, stumps, shrubs and some artificial structures.

The species usually breeds from July to December. BirdLife Australia records a broader breeding period from June to December, and the ACT advice notes that rainfall influences timing.

Both adults are similar in appearance. The available documents do not provide an age at first breeding or a reliable lifespan for the species.

Breeding season: Usually July to December; June to December is also reported, with timing influenced by rainfall.

Clutch size: 2 to 5 eggs, usually 3 to 4.

Incubation: About 20 days.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Breeding habitat: Nest sites

Nests are untidy domes made from grass, rootlets and bark. They are preferably built in hollow tree limbs, crevices or stumps, and may also be placed in dense foliage of shrubs or small trees.

Other recorded nest sites include fence posts, sheds and nest boxes. Standing dead timber is described as an ideal and essential nesting resource in the ACT advice.

Nest form: Untidy dome made of grass, rootlets and bark.

Recorded nest locations: Hollow limb, crevice, stump, fence post, dense shrub or small tree foliage, shed and nest box.

  • Before clearing, inspect hollow limbs, standing dead trees, stumps, dense shrubs, fence posts, sheds and nest boxes for domed nests or adult activity.
  • Retain standing dead timber and hollow-bearing trees wherever practicable, including isolated trees within otherwise open areas.
  • If a nest is found, stop work around the nest and obtain project-specific ecological direction before proceeding.

Sheltering habitat: Key shelter features

Shelter and nesting resources are closely linked for this species. Retained dead timber, hollows, crevices, stumps, dense shrubs and connected open woodland provide places for nesting, roosting and protection between feeding bouts.

Living and dead trees with hollows and crevices are identified as essential for roosting and nesting. Standing dead timber is particularly important in the ACT advice.

Stumps, fallen timber, dense shrubs and small trees can also provide cover and nesting structure. The supplied documents do not give minimum hollow diameter, tree diameter, cavity depth or roost dimensions.

Known shelter and nest structures: Hollow limbs, tree crevices, standing dead timber, stumps, dense shrubs, small trees, fence posts, sheds and nest boxes.

Specified structure dimensions: No minimum hollow, cavity, tree or shrub dimensions are provided in the supplied documents.

  • Retain hollow-bearing live trees, standing dead trees, stumps, fallen timber and dense native shrubs.
  • Mark and protect shelter features before vegetation marking and machinery access.
  • Do not remove dead timber or woody cover as a general site-clean-up measure unless a separate ecological assessment has addressed its value.

Sheltering habitat: Connectivity and refuge patches

The species is generally sedentary, but uses groups and can move across gaps. A 30 m gap introduced by a proposed base entry was assessed as crossable and unlikely to fragment a population in the Albury Wodonga project.

Small, isolated remnants can be poor long-term refuges where woodland is heavily fragmented. Large, structurally complex and connected woodland patches are preferred conservation targets, especially in the ACT and bordering NSW.

Gap assessed in Albury Wodonga: A 30 m gap was considered crossable by the species in that project assessment.

  • Avoid creating unnecessary gaps through remnant woodland, even where a single gap may be crossable.
  • Retain links between feeding areas and hollow-bearing or shrub shelter.
  • Prioritise larger connected patches and productive lower parts of the landform where they may provide drought refuge.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main confirmed threat is loss, fragmentation and degradation of open woodland and shrubland habitat. On development sites, the highest risks are clearing hollow-bearing and dead trees, removing ground habitat, breaking connections between remnants and disturbing active nests.

Over-clearing of native vegetation and subsequent fragmentation and degradation of remnant habitat are identified threats. Habitat loss is considered a likely cause of national decline, particularly where open woodland has been completely removed for intensive agriculture.

The Albury Wodonga assessment considered removal of 1.54 ha of potential habitat unlikely to cause a significant impact because large connected areas remained and the loss represented about 0.02 percent of similar dry forest, forest and woodland habitat in the locality. This project-specific conclusion should not be applied to other sites without assessment.

Albury Wodonga assessed habitat loss: Up to 1.54 ha of potential habitat.

Albury Wodonga local proportion: About 0.02 percent of 9,902 ha of similar dry forests, forest and woodlands in the locality.

  • Avoid clearing known or likely open woodland and shrubland habitat, especially patches with hollow-bearing or standing dead trees.
  • Keep the approved disturbance footprint tight and prevent unauthorised vehicle access into retained habitat.
  • Assess fragmentation, edge effects and loss of connectivity, not only the area of vegetation removed.

Threats: Grazing, fire and climate

Over-grazing by livestock, more frequent and longer droughts, wildfire, heatwaves and other extreme events are identified threats. In the ACT, removal of standing dead timber for paddock tidying and firewood collection has also reduced habitat.

The supplied documents do not identify a species-specific fire interval or a prescribed fire regime. Fire planning should therefore protect hollow-bearing and standing dead trees, retain suitable ground structure and avoid treating all dead timber as a fuel hazard without ecological review.

  • Control over-grazing in retained habitat and prevent livestock from damaging the ground layer.
  • Retain dead timber where safe and compatible with fire management requirements.
  • Plan works and rehabilitation to maintain habitat during drought and extreme heat, including connected woodland and shrub refuge.

Threats: Roads, machinery and site disturbance

The supplied documents do not identify a quantified road-kill rate or a species-specific road avoidance distance. Roads and construction can nevertheless remove habitat, create gaps, disturb nesting birds and increase access to retained patches.

Use the pre-clearing process to identify active birds and nests, control vehicle speeds where fauna activity is high, and prevent machinery, lighting, dust, spoil and material storage from entering retained habitat.

  • Complete a qualified pre-clearance inspection of hollow-bearing trees, standing dead timber, stumps, dense shrubs and ground-foraging habitat.
  • Establish no-go areas around active nests and occupied shelter features in accordance with the project fauna management plan.
  • Schedule clearing outside the main breeding period where practicable, particularly July to December, and reassess timing after substantial rainfall because breeding may start earlier or extend later.

Threats: Predators, weeds and disease

The supplied conservation advice identifies habitat loss, grazing, drought and extreme events as the main threats. It does not identify a specific disease as affecting Southern Whiteface, and the Albury Wodonga assessment did not identify invasive species or disease as likely project pathways for this species.

Predator impacts are not quantified in the supplied documents. Keep retained habitat free from avoidable disturbance and rubbish that could attract pest animals, and manage declared weeds without removing native shrubs or shelter that the species may use.

  • Do not describe disease, predator or weed risk as absent solely because it was not recorded during a project survey.
  • Follow the project's weed, waste and pest animal controls around retained habitat.
  • When removing woody weeds, check first whether native birds are using the vegetation and stage replacement plantings where habitat would otherwise be lost.

Survey methodology: 1. Diurnal habitat and bird searches

Survey the Southern Whiteface in suitable open woodland, shrubland and inland scrub, with particular attention to ground foraging areas, fallen timber, standing dead timber, hollows, crevices and stumps. The supplied documents do not specify a prescriptive survey effort, so a qualified ecologist should set effort using the relevant state survey guideline and the size, condition and connectivity of the proposed disturbance area.

Search suitable habitat during daylight, when Southern Whitefaces forage on the ground and in low shrubbery, often in small groups. Walk slowly through open woodland, shrubland, mallee, mulga and saltbush areas, checking bare ground, leaf litter, shrubs, fallen timber and standing dead timber.

Record all sightings, flock size, behaviour, feeding locations, flight direction, roosting or nesting activity and the habitat features being used.

Give additional attention to woodland edges, areas where woodland merges with grassland, dry rocky paddocks with scattered shrubs, short grass and dead timber, and areas with low tree density and herbaceous litter cover.

Typical size: About 11 cm long and 12 g

Foraging behaviour: Ground and low shrubbery foraging, mainly for insects, spiders and seeds

Social behaviour: Usually small groups, with BirdLife Australia reporting groups of 10 to 15 or larger, and the project assessment recording groups of 2 to 8 and occasional non-breeding groups of up to 70

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted breeding and nest searches

Undertake targeted searches for domed nests in hollow limbs, crevices, stumps, fence posts, dense shrub foliage, small trees, sheds and nest boxes.

Schedule breeding searches between July and December where practicable, noting that breeding timing can be influenced by rainfall and may differ in inland areas.

Do not inspect hollows, nests or dense shrubs in a way that causes repeated disturbance, and use a qualified ecologist to determine whether an active nest or dependent young are present.

Breeding period: Usually July to December, with timing influenced by rainfall

Clutch size: 2 to 5 eggs, usually 3 to 4

Nest form: Untidy domed nest made from grass, rootlets and bark

Survey methodology: 3. Habitat feature and activity mapping

Map the proposed disturbance boundary, retained habitat, woodland links, open foraging areas, fallen timber, standing dead timber, hollow-bearing trees, stumps, crevices, dense shrubs and any Southern Whiteface records.

Use repeat observations across suitable habitat rather than relying only on a single point inspection, because the species is generally sedentary but may occur in groups and may move between feeding, roosting and nesting features.

Where access, season or visibility limits detection, document those limitations and use habitat evidence, local records and additional targeted searches to refine the risk assessment.

Habitat critical to survival: Relatively undisturbed open woodland and shrubland with grasses or shrubs, low tree density with herbaceous litter, and living or dead trees with hollows and crevices

Distribution: Most of mainland Australia south of the Tropic of Capricorn, including the ACT, NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the current survey guideline for the relevant state or territory to set the number of visits, transect length, search area, observation period and any repeat survey requirements; no fixed effort is specified in the supplied documents.
  • Time surveys to include the breeding period where works may affect nests, hollow-bearing trees or dense shrub habitat, and repeat surveys when weather, access or dense vegetation is likely to reduce detection.
  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, weather, observers, method, area searched, habitat condition, detection limits, GPS locations, flock size and photographs where appropriate.
  • Submit confirmed records and important negative survey results to the relevant state or territory wildlife database, and retain records for the project environmental file.
  • Use the EPBC species profile and applicable state guidance to determine whether the record, habitat or proposed impact requires further assessment.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Treat suitable Southern Whiteface habitat as a planning constraint before clearing or construction starts. The species has declined with habitat loss and fragmentation, and the documents identify open woodland structure, ground litter, fallen timber, dead timber and hollow-bearing features as important.

  • Avoid clearing relatively undisturbed open woodland and shrubland with a grassy or shrubby understorey wherever practicable.
  • Retain low-density woodland with herbaceous litter, fallen timber, standing dead timber, hollow-bearing trees, stumps, crevices and dense shrubs.
  • Keep clearing at the edge of existing disturbance where possible and retain large, connected areas of habitat rather than creating isolated remnants.
  • Design access tracks, compounds, services and work areas to avoid narrow gaps through retained woodland; the project assessment considered a 30 m gap crossable by the species, but narrower clearing and greater retention remain preferable.
  • Avoid removing dead timber for tidiness or firewood unless it presents a demonstrated safety risk and the removal has been assessed and approved.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and timing

National status: Vulnerable under the EPBC Act, effective from 31 March 2023

State listings supplied: Vulnerable in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia

  • Check whether the action may significantly affect a species listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and refer the action if required.
  • Obtain the relevant state or territory approvals, threatened species permits, wildlife licences and fauna handling authorisations before survey, clearing or relocation work begins.
  • Plan clearing outside July to December where practicable, particularly where hollow-bearing trees, stumps, dense shrubs or other nesting features will be removed; obtain ecological advice where rainfall may extend or shift breeding activity.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies retained habitat, clearance limits, survey methods, spotter catcher responsibilities, stop-work triggers, release sites, injury response and reporting requirements.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

  • Complete a pre-clearance search of all habitat proposed for disturbance, including trees, dead timber, logs, stumps, shrubs, ground litter and structures that could contain a nest.
  • Mark no-go areas, retained trees, habitat links, logs and other features in the field before machinery arrives.
  • Install exclusion fencing or other visible controls around retained habitat where workers or machinery could otherwise enter it.
  • Brief all workers on the species, its appearance, ground-foraging behaviour, habitat features, reporting chain and the requirement to stop when a specified trigger is met.
  • Confirm that the fauna spotter catcher has authority to direct machinery, access to the approved release sites and arrangements with a veterinarian or licensed wildlife carer.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Clear in a controlled sequence under the direction of the fauna spotter catcher. The aim is to prevent injury, retain usable habitat features and stop work before an unexpected bird, nest or occupied feature is damaged.

  • Inspect the work area each day before machinery starts, including the clearing boundary, retained habitat, trees, logs, stumps, shrubs and ground litter.
  • Use a staged, inside-out or other approved clearing sequence that directs mobile fauna towards retained habitat and avoids trapping animals against machinery or fencing.
  • Keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with machine operators and ensure operators stop immediately when directed.
  • Use low-speed, supervised clearing around retained trees, dead timber, dense shrubs, stumps and other features that may contain a nest or sheltering bird.
  • Do not allow workers to chase, handle or release a Southern Whiteface unless they are authorised under the project fauna management plan and applicable wildlife law.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and fauna encounters

  • Check hollow-bearing trees, standing dead trees, stumps, crevices, dense shrubs, logs and rocks before they are removed or moved.
  • Retain suitable logs, dead timber and ground litter in nearby protected habitat where this can be done safely and consistently with the approved design.
  • If a Southern Whiteface is found, stop work in the immediate area, keep people and machinery back, and allow the authorised fauna handler to assess whether it can leave unaided.
  • Do not disturb an active nest or handle eggs or young unless the responsible wildlife authority has approved the action and the authorised person has the required training and licence.
  • Release a healthy captured bird only into nearby suitable retained habitat approved by the project ecologist, with open woodland or shrubland, ground foraging cover and suitable roosting or nesting features.
  • Take an injured, shocked or unfit bird promptly to an appropriately qualified veterinarian or licensed wildlife carer, following the approved fauna handling procedure.

During habitat disturbance: Stop work and records

  • Stop work immediately if a Southern Whiteface is injured, trapped, repeatedly flushed, found nesting in the clearance area, or found in a habitat feature that cannot be safely cleared.
  • Stop work if clearing reaches a marked no-go area, an unapproved habitat feature or a location outside the surveyed disturbance footprint.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and fauna spotter catcher, record the event, reassess the control measures and obtain approval before restarting.
  • Record every sighting, capture, release, injury, mortality, nest, hollow or other occupied feature, including date, time, location, action taken, handler, release site and outcome.
  • Report any death, injury, nest disturbance, permit breach or unexpected impact to the relevant approval holder and regulator within the timeframe required by the approval or permit.

After habitat disturbance: Clearance verification and monitoring

Complete clearance verification before the work area is handed back to construction. Continue checking retained habitat because edge effects, disturbance and loss of connectivity can reduce habitat quality after the vegetation is removed.

  • Undertake a post-clearance inspection of the entire disturbance area for birds, nests, eggs, injured fauna, retained logs, dead timber, hollows and other features missed during active clearing.
  • Confirm that all approved no-go areas, retained trees, habitat links and release areas remain intact and that no unauthorised clearing has occurred.
  • Monitor retained habitat for Southern Whiteface presence, use of ground foraging areas, nesting activity and changes in litter, shrub and dead timber structure.
  • Repeat monitoring during July to December where works occurred near potential nesting features or where the fauna management plan identifies a breeding risk.
  • Use the monitoring results to amend construction controls if birds are repeatedly displaced, exposed to machinery, or losing access to feeding or roosting habitat.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and ongoing controls

  • Provide the environmental approval holder with a clearance report that includes mapped impacts, retained habitat, fauna observations, incidents, relocations, injuries, deaths and corrective actions.
  • Maintain exclusion fencing, no-go markers and access controls until construction risk has ended and the environmental officer authorises their removal.
  • Submit required threatened species records and incident reports to the relevant state or territory database or regulator.
  • Assess whether residual habitat loss, fragmentation or degradation requires an offset, restoration commitment or additional approval under the EPBC Act or state legislation.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore the open woodland or shrubland structure used by Southern Whitefaces for ground foraging, nesting and roosting. Prioritise connection with retained habitat and retain natural dead timber wherever safe.

  • Re-establish locally appropriate native woodland, shrubland and grass understorey communities that provide open ground, herbaceous litter and low shrub cover.
  • Use locally appropriate native species selected for the approved vegetation community and local soil and rainfall conditions; the supplied documents do not nominate a standard planting list for all of Australia.
  • Reinstate suitable fallen timber and standing dead timber where safe, retaining natural hollows, crevices, stumps and rough ground structure.
  • Reconnect retained woodland patches through revegetation and protect productive lower parts of the site that may provide refuge during dry conditions.
  • Do not overplant rehabilitation areas so densely that open ground foraging and predator vigilance are lost.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats and replacement features

  • Control weeds without removing native shrubs or woody features that may provide cover or nest sites, and stage weed treatment where occupied habitat is present.
  • Manage grazing so that regeneration, ground litter and native understorey are maintained and overgrazing does not reduce habitat quality.
  • Use nest boxes only where natural hollows cannot be retained, after an ecologist has confirmed the need, selected a suitable design and established a maintenance and monitoring plan.
  • Plan fire management to avoid repeated loss of ground litter, shrubs, standing dead timber and hollow-bearing trees, while meeting applicable bushfire safety requirements.
  • Control feral predators and other site-specific threats where they are identified through the project risk assessment.

Rehabilitation actions: Success measures and monitoring

  • Monitor rehabilitation for establishment and survival of native plants, retention of open ground, herbaceous litter, shrub cover, fallen timber, dead trees and hollows.
  • Monitor whether Southern Whitefaces return to forage, roost or breed in the rehabilitated area, using the same mapped locations and methods where practicable.
  • Set project-specific success criteria with the approval holder and regulator, because the supplied documents do not prescribe a national rehabilitation target or monitoring duration.
  • Investigate and correct grazing, weed invasion, erosion, fire damage, excessive canopy density or loss of dead timber when monitoring shows that habitat structure is not developing.
  • Submit rehabilitation monitoring results, species records and corrective actions as part of the project compliance and completion reporting.

Sources