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Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta)

The Squatter Pigeon is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling pigeon of open eucalypt woodland, grassy woodland and savanna in Queensland and northern New South Wales. It is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act, and as Vulnerable in Queensland and Critically Endangered in New South Wales, so clearing, infrastructure works and changes to open ground cover near permanent water require careful assessment.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

The species is generally resident or locally dispersive, so it may be present throughout the year. Breeding records are scattered across late summer, autumn, spring and early summer, and survey effort is recommended early in the breeding season.

For clearing and construction planning, treat permanent water, open grassy woodland and nearby scattered trees as occupied potential habitat until field assessment demonstrates otherwise.

  • Breeding: Breeding is probably concentrated in spring and summer, but nests have been recorded in February to May and September to December.
  • Young: Recent Queensland nests contained eggs or young. The supplied documents do not give a fledging or dependency period, so young should be treated as potentially present whenever active nests are found.
  • Local movement and dispersal: Movements are poorly known but appear to involve local dispersal or residency. No long-distance seasonal movement has been recorded.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from February to May and September to December because nests or dependent young have been recorded during these months. Ground searches remain necessary outside these periods because breeding timing is not fully defined.

Identification

The Squatter Pigeon is a heavily built, short-tailed pigeon that spends much of its time walking or running through open ground cover. It is often detected on roads, tracks or near water, but can remain still when approached.

Adults are predominantly grey-brown to brown, paler below, with bold black and white stripes on the face and throat. The upper breast is light grey-brown, grading to blue-grey on the lower breast and centre of the belly. The lower belly and flanks are white, and the underwing is white with a dark leading edge.

The bill is black and the legs and feet are dull purple. The species has a short tail, long legs and a conspicuous facial pattern. Juveniles are duller and have less distinct black and white facial stripes.

Length: 260 to 320 mm in the NSW profile; approximately 30 cm in the national conservation advice.

Weight: 190 to 250 g.

Wingspan: Approximately 450 mm.

Identification: Distinguishing features

The sexes are similar in appearance. The southern subspecies is very similar to the northern subspecies, but is slightly larger and generally has blue-grey skin around the eyes. The northern subspecies has skin around the eyes that is yellowy-orange to orange-red.

The southern and northern subspecies meet in a broad hybridisation zone along the Burdekin-Lynd Divide, so identification to subspecies may require location, size and close attention to the eye skin colour.

  • Look for the black and white facial and throat pattern, grey-brown body, white belly and dark-edged white underwing.
  • Check the eye skin colour and geographic location when distinguishing the southern and northern subspecies.
  • Do not rely on sex as a field character because males and females are similar.

Identification: Field signs and behaviour

The call is described as a soft oop-oop-oop, together with a harsh, abrupt and higher coo. Birds are usually seen singly, in pairs or in small flocks, and may be detected running across vehicle tracks or roads.

Nests are shallow scrapes on the ground, sparsely lined with dry leaves and grass stems. They are commonly placed between grass tufts or among and beneath low vegetation. The supplied sources do not provide diagnostic track, scat, slough or eyeshine descriptions.

  • Search for birds walking or running through short, sparse grass, especially near permanent water.
  • Inspect spaces between grass tufts, short dry grass, low bushes and the banks or beds of seasonal drainage lines for shallow scrapes.
  • Treat any suspected ground nest as active until assessed by a suitably qualified person.

Distribution: Current range

The southern Squatter Pigeon occurs mainly on the inland side of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, with a greatly contracted and very small remnant occurrence in New South Wales. The species has disappeared from the southern half of its historical range.

In Queensland, the current range extends from the Burdekin-Lynd Divide south and west through central Queensland to Longreach and Charleville, east to the coast between Port Curtis and Proserpine, and south into New South Wales north of approximately 29 degrees south.

In Queensland, records are associated with the Brigalow Belt, Desert Uplands, Einasleigh Uplands, Southeast Queensland and Central Queensland Coast, and parts of the New England Tableland bioregions. The species is also described more generally as occurring on the inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range.

  • Queensland: widespread in central and southern parts of the state, with the strongest documented occurrence north of the Carnarvon Ranges.
  • New South Wales: formerly widespread, but now extremely rare and concentrated in the north-western slopes and adjacent inland areas.
  • The northern and southern subspecies meet in a hybridisation zone along the Burdekin-Lynd Divide.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

The subspecies remains common north of the Carnarvon Ranges in central Queensland, where it is considered likely to form one continuous, interbreeding subpopulation. Recent records also occur between Injune and the Carnarvon Ranges.

The southern Queensland and New South Wales portions of the range are much more depleted. Several small colonies formerly present in south-eastern Queensland are no longer found.

  • Central Queensland north of the Carnarvon Ranges is the main documented stronghold.
  • Southern Queensland populations are declining and require targeted survey and monitoring.
  • The New South Wales population has little confirmed recent evidence and no confirmed breeding record in the 50 years covered by the national conservation advice.

Distribution: Population and trend

The population declined substantially during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Decline is continuing in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, but current trends across the whole Queensland range are uncertain because survey coverage is limited.

An older estimate placed the total number of mature individuals at approximately 40,000, but the estimate was considered unreliable and is now out of date. The New South Wales population was estimated at fewer than 100 individuals, with an extent of occurrence of less than 1,000 square kilometres.

Generation time: 5 years.

Older total estimate: Approximately 40,000 mature individuals, with low reliability.

New South Wales estimate: Fewer than 100 individuals, with an estimated extent of occurrence below 1,000 square kilometres.

Confirmed NSW records: Three confirmed reports since 2000 were cited in the national conservation advice.

Habitat: Vegetation and landform

Squatter Pigeons use open, grassy vegetation with access to permanent water. Habitat is often on flat or gently sloping ground and may include remnant, regrowth, partly modified and, in some circumstances, non-remnant vegetation close to scattered trees.

The species inhabits the grassy understorey of open eucalypt woodland and, less often, savanna. It prefers open and short grass that allows movement, often on sandy areas dissected by gravel ridges, but recent Queensland records show use of a wider range of landforms and soils.

Records were strongly associated with alluvial plains, although the species also used clay plains, sandy and loamy plains, ironstone jump-ups, basalt plains, sandstone ranges and hills on metamorphic or granitic rocks. Ninety-five percent of records were on slopes below 3.3 degrees.

Mean slope at records: 1.21 degrees overall, with means of 0.64 to 2.36 degrees across land zones.

Records below 3.3 degrees: 95 percent.

Ground vegetation cover: Approximately 24 to 73 percent in remnant or high-value regrowth communities where birds were recorded.

  • Prioritise eucalypt woodland and open woodland with a grassy ground layer.
  • Give particular attention to alluvial plains, river and creek flats, gentle slopes and low rises.
  • Do not exclude habitat solely because it is partly modified. Thirty-nine percent of Queensland records in the recent habitat study were in non-remnant vegetation, usually close to scattered trees or woodland.

Habitat: Vegetation communities

The species was recorded mainly in eucalypt woodlands, especially communities dominated by Reid River Box or Poplar Box, Narrow-leaved Red Ironbark or Queensland Grey Ironbark, Silver-leaved Ironbark, and River Red Gum or Forest Red Gum.

Other records occurred in communities dominated by Melaleuca, Acacia and Callitris, but these were less frequent. Open grassland can be used where scattered trees or nearby woodland remain.

  • Inspect Poplar Box, Reid River Box, ironbark, River Red Gum and Forest Red Gum woodland.
  • Map nearby scattered trees and woodland within at least 300 m of open grassland or cleared ground.
  • Retain grassy woodland links between feeding areas and permanent water wherever practicable.

Habitat: Water and climate setting

The species is nearly always found near permanent water, including rivers, creeks, waterholes, farm dams and livestock watering points. The supplied sources do not give a reliable elevation limit.

Its distribution is inland and subtropical to temperate, extending from central and coastal Queensland to northern New South Wales. Extreme droughts can reduce habitat suitability and food availability.

Records within 1.7 km of perennial water: 95 percent.

  • Assess permanent water sources and connected woodland or grassy feeding areas together.
  • Include artificial water points in habitat assessments because birds may drink at dams and livestock troughs.
  • Do not assume that dry-season absence means the site is unused.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

Squatter Pigeons forage on the ground, usually in open or short grass beneath woodland or near scattered trees. Regular access to water is an important part of site use.

The diet includes seeds from grasses, legumes, herbs, trees and shrubs, as well as insects. Birds forage among sparse and low grass, in improved pastures, beside railway lines, on tracks and roadsides, and around settlements with domestic fowl.

They commonly feed before or after drinking and may spend considerable time around water points. This means a water source can be associated with both drinking and nearby foraging activity.

  • Search open ground with a grassy understorey, especially where seed-bearing grasses and herbs occur.
  • Inspect the margins of dams, troughs, creeks, rivers and waterholes for feeding birds and tracks of regular use.
  • Include improved pasture and cleared areas in searches where scattered trees or woodland are nearby.

Foraging habitat: Foraging distance and structure

Recent Queensland records averaged 496 m from the nearest perennial water source, and 95 percent were within 1.7 km. In non-remnant areas, 95 percent of records were within 300 m of scattered trees or woodland.

Ground vegetation cover in occupied remnant and high-value regrowth communities varied widely. The broader habitat can therefore appear moderately grassy, while birds may select more open patches within it.

Mean distance to perennial water: 496 plus or minus 554 m.

Maximum distance represented by 95 percent of records: 1.7 km from perennial water.

Non-remnant records near scattered trees or woodland: 95 percent were within 300 m.

  • Assess woodland, open ground and perennial water as one connected foraging unit.
  • Pay particular attention to habitat within 1.7 km of permanent water and to open areas within 300 m of scattered trees or woodland.
  • Record ground cover condition, seed-producing grasses and recent grazing or fire history during habitat inspections.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The Squatter Pigeon nests on the ground in open woodland, grassland or near drainage lines. Nesting sites are generally close to permanent water and may occur in several landform and vegetation types.

The nest is usually a shallow scrape in the soil, sparsely lined with dry leaves and grass stems. Recent Queensland records included nests in eucalypt woodland, open woodland, open grassland near woodland, seasonal drainage channels and a pebbly watercourse bed.

The national survey guideline describes breeding as probably concentrated in spring and summer. Recent nest records occurred in February, March, April, May, September and December, indicating that breeding activity may extend beyond a simple spring and summer window.

Breeding season: Probably mainly spring and summer, with documented nests from February to May and September to December.

Clutch size: Generally two eggs.

Incubation: 15 to 17 days.

Nest type: A shallow ground scrape, sparsely lined with leaves and grass stems.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Generation time: Estimated at 5 years.

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

Eight of 11 recent Queensland nests were on alluvial soils. Other nests were on old sand plains, metamorphic hills and basalt plain soils. Nests were in spaces between grass tufts, including in open ground with sparse vegetation and in areas with denser grass.

Nests averaged 245 m from a perennial water source, with recorded distances from 80 to 780 m. The national conservation advice describes breeding habitat as stony rises on sandy or gravelly soils within 1 km of suitable permanent water, but recent records show that nesting is not restricted to those landforms.

Mean nest distance from perennial water: 245 plus or minus 214 m.

Recorded nest distance from perennial water: 80 to 780 m.

Recent nest sample: 11 nests, each with two eggs or young.

  • Inspect sandy, gravelly, alluvial and pebbly ground within 1 km of permanent water.
  • Search between grass tufts, beneath low vegetation, beside seasonal drainage lines and near the edges of open woodland.
  • Use a slow foot search and avoid driving or walking repeatedly through likely nesting areas during the breeding period.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting and cover

The Squatter Pigeon is primarily a ground-dwelling bird but roosts in low trees at night. Its daytime shelter is provided by low vegetation, grass tussocks, woodland edges and nearby cover.

The species roosts in low trees at night. During the day it uses open woodland, short grass, sparse ground cover and low vegetation that allow it to move and detect predators.

The supplied documents do not give a minimum tree diameter, roost height, hollow size or den dimension. Unlike many hollow-dependent fauna species, the Squatter Pigeon is not described as requiring tree hollows, caves or burrows.

  • Retain low trees and woodland patches close to open feeding areas and permanent water.
  • Retain low grass, shrubs and ground vegetation that provide cover without closing over the open structure used for movement.
  • Avoid unnecessary night works near known roosting trees and nearby water points.

Sheltering habitat: Ground refuges

Likely ground refuges include grass tussocks, low shrubs, woodland edges, tracks and other areas with open but uneven ground cover. Nest scrapes may be placed between grass tufts or beneath vegetation.

Habitat can become unsuitable when the understorey thickens or when grazing removes cover and food plants. Management should maintain a patchy ground layer rather than a uniformly dense or uniformly bare surface.

  • Inspect grass tussocks, low shrubs, drainage-line margins and stony or gravelly rises for nests before clearing.
  • Retain patches of native ground cover and avoid broadscale grading of lightly vegetated ground near permanent water.
  • Control weeds and manage grazing so that ground cover remains open enough for movement but is not completely removed.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main risks on development sites are loss and fragmentation of grassy woodland, disturbance or destruction of ground nests, and changes to the open ground structure around permanent water. The species is also affected by grazing, drought, fire, weeds and introduced predators.

Vegetation clearing for agriculture, mining, roads, pipelines, powerlines, pads and other infrastructure can remove woodland, open ground, feeding areas and nesting habitat. Fragmentation is particularly concerning where clearing separates permanent water from woodland and grassy foraging areas.

Open or partly modified habitat can still be used, so assessments should not dismiss cleared or regrowth areas without checking nearby scattered trees, woodland and water sources.

  • Avoid clearing eucalypt woodland, alluvial flats, grassy open woodland and scattered trees within the species' likely water-use area.
  • Map and protect permanent water, nearby woodland and open grassy habitat as a connected site feature.
  • Use pre-clearing surveys in suitable habitat, particularly within 1 km of permanent water and during documented breeding months.

Threats: Grazing, weeds and ground cover

Overgrazing by livestock and feral herbivores can remove food plants and alter the open ground layer. In New South Wales, overgrazing during drought followed by vegetation clearing was associated with regional and local loss.

Weeds and thickening understorey can reduce access to food and movement space. Improved pasture may provide some food, but replacement of natural vegetation reduces natural food plants and habitat quality.

  • Keep stock away from active nests and manage grazing intensity in key habitat.
  • Control rabbits and other feral herbivores where they degrade ground cover or food resources.
  • Prevent weed establishment on disturbance edges, access tracks, stock areas and rehabilitated ground.

Threats: Fire, drought and hydrology

Inappropriate fire regimes can alter food plants, ground cover and understorey density. Extreme droughts reduce habitat suitability, and the species' dependence on regular drinking makes permanent water an important site feature.

Changes to rivers, creeks, waterholes, farm dams or livestock watering points may reduce access to drinking water and alter nearby foraging habitat. The supplied documents do not quantify a specific hydrological threshold.

  • Maintain permanent or reliably available water sources where they form part of occupied habitat.
  • Plan fire to retain a mosaic of open grassy feeding areas, low cover and woodland shelter.
  • Avoid earthworks, drainage changes and water extraction that remove or isolate water sources used by the species.

Threats: Predation, nests and disturbance

Feral cats and foxes prey on the species. Foxes and cats can take adults, eggs or young, while domestic stock can trample ground nests. Illegal shooting remains a recorded threat.

Roads, tracks and construction areas can increase vehicle strike and disturbance risk, although the supplied documents do not provide a species-specific vehicle mortality rate. Ground nests are especially vulnerable to machinery, vehicles, stock and people working through open grassy areas.

  • Control feral cats and foxes around known populations and breeding habitat.
  • Fence or otherwise exclude stock from active nest areas where practicable.
  • Apply low-speed vehicle controls and avoid repeated vehicle movements through likely nesting habitat.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher or suitably qualified ecologist to inspect suspected nests and direct clearing around them.

Survey methodology: 1. Area searches and transects

Survey the Squatter Pigeon in suitable open woodland, grassy woodland and nearby grassland, with particular attention to permanent water. The southern subspecies is unobtrusive and may be detected by sight, call or flushing, so use more than one method where habitat will be disturbed.

Use early morning area searches or transects in suitable habitat, especially during the early breeding season.

Search eucalypt woodland and open woodland with a short or sparse grassy understorey, stony or gravelly ground and access to permanent water.

Walk or drive tracks and roadsides carefully, because birds may run across vehicle tracks or roads and may be difficult to detect in vegetation.

Search in pairs or small groups of birds and record all sightings, calls, tracks and locations of birds using water points.

Recommended effort: 15 hours over 3 days for area searches or transect surveys in areas smaller than 50 hectares

Detection: Sightings and calls, with birds often seen singly, in pairs or in small flocks

Preferred survey period: Early morning, probably most effective early in the breeding season

  • For areas smaller than 50 hectares, complete at least 15 hours of area searches or transect surveys over 3 days.
  • Give priority to habitat within 1.7 kilometres of perennial water for foraging surveys and within 1 kilometre of perennial water when assessing potential breeding habitat.
  • Plan additional survey effort where vegetation, access, season or weather is likely to reduce detection.

Survey methodology: 2. Flushing surveys

Use flushing surveys in suitable habitat where birds may remain concealed in grass or woodland understorey.

Walk observers through open woodland, grassy areas and likely feeding sites, while recording the direction and distance of each flushed bird.

Avoid repeated flushing at the same location and do not flush birds from an active nest.

Recommended effort: 10 hours over 3 days for flushing surveys in areas smaller than 50 hectares

Detection limitation: Birds may be wary or difficult to detect where they are not accustomed to people

  • For areas smaller than 50 hectares, complete at least 10 hours of flushing surveys over 3 days.
  • Use flushing as a supplementary method rather than relying on it alone where disturbance could affect breeding birds.

Survey methodology: 3. Habitat and nest searches

Map open eucalypt woodland, grassy understorey, alluvial plains, gentle slopes, sandy or gravelly ground and all permanent or likely perennial water sources.

Inspect likely nesting areas without trampling ground vegetation, particularly spaces between grass tufts, seasonal drainage lines, pebbly watercourse beds and sparsely vegetated ground.

Treat ground nests as possible even where the habitat is partly cleared, because records include non-remnant areas close to scattered trees or woodland.

Use the Queensland habitat findings as a guide, not as a substitute for site-specific survey, because the occurrence records were opportunistic.

Study findings: 902 records were analysed in Queensland, including 584 high precision field records and 318 Atlas of Living Australia records

Distance to water: Mean distance was 496 plus or minus 554 metres, and 95 per cent of records were within 1.7 kilometres of perennial water

Nest distance to water: Mean distance was 245 plus or minus 214 metres, with nests 80 to 780 metres from perennial water

Ground slope: 95 per cent of records were on slopes below 3.3 degrees

Ground vegetation: Average cover in occupied remnant or high value regrowth communities ranged from 24 to 73 per cent

  • Search for shallow ground scrapes lined sparsely with dry leaves and grass stems, but do not disturb a suspected nest or eggs.
  • Record the distance from each observation or nest to perennial water and the condition of the surrounding ground layer.
  • Consider habitat suitable where it occurs near perennial water, even if it is not within the narrow habitat classes used in an earlier administrative profile.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

National status: Vulnerable under the EPBC Act

Range: Inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range, from central Queensland to northern New South Wales, with the southern range contracted markedly

  • Confirm whether the record is the southern subspecies, the northern subspecies or a possible hybrid in the broad hybridisation zone near the Burdekin Lynd Divide.
  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, weather, observers, method, effort, tracks searched, habitat condition, water sources and all detection and non-detection results.
  • Map the proposed disturbance footprint, retained habitat, observations, nests, water points and any proposed exclusion areas.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database and to the Atlas of Living Australia where appropriate.
  • Retain photographs, GPS files, call records, nest photographs only where they can be taken without disturbance, and the qualifications and permits of survey personnel.
  • Use the survey results with the project impact assessment; confirming presence alone does not establish that a significant impact will occur.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Avoid clearing occupied habitat first. The species depends on open grassy woodland, regular access to water and suitable ground for feeding and nesting, so design the footprint around those features before a permit to disturb is issued.

Retain connected patches of open eucalypt woodland and grassy understorey around permanent water, seasonal drainage lines and known records.

Avoid clearing alluvial plains and gently sloping ground where practicable, because records and most known nests are associated with these areas.

Retain scattered trees and woodland near cleared grassland, because 95 per cent of records in non-remnant areas were within 300 metres of scattered trees or woodland.

Avoid removing or isolating small southern populations, particularly in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland where the species is rare and continuing decline has been reported.

Common habitat: Open eucalypt woodland or savanna with a grassy understorey, usually near permanent water

Important ground features: Sandy or gravelly areas, low gravel ridges, alluvial plains and open ground that permits movement and seed foraging

  • Locate roads, laydown areas, camps, tracks, powerlines and temporary work areas in already cleared or degraded ground where possible.
  • Keep permanent water, banks of seasonal drainage lines, pebbly watercourse beds and adjacent feeding areas outside the disturbance footprint.
  • Maintain practical movement routes between retained woodland, grassland and water, and avoid creating continuous hard barriers around water points.
  • Use the project footprint and habitat map to identify direct clearing, indirect disturbance, weeds, grazing pressure, altered fire and predation risks.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Approvals and work planning

Check the current EPBC Act listing and refer the action if it may have a significant impact on the listed taxon.

Check the current state and local requirements before works, including wildlife survey, clearing, animal breeding place, threatened species and relocation permits.

Confirm the taxonomic scope of the approval, because the national advice concerns Geophaps scripta scripta and the two subspecies can meet in a hybridisation zone.

Prepare a fauna management plan that covers survey, exclusion areas, nest protection, fauna spotter catcher supervision, incident response, rehabilitation and reporting.

Known nest months: February, March, April, May, September and December in the Queensland study

Generation time: Estimated at 5 years

  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat and permanent water remain available while each work area is assessed and rehabilitated.
  • Schedule the most disruptive works outside periods when active nests are likely, while recognising that breeding records span February to May and September to December and the broader breeding season is not well known.
  • Allow the fauna spotter catcher to stop or alter the work when a bird, nest or suitable breeding area is found.
  • Set clear responsibilities for the project environmental officer, fauna spotter catcher, supervisor and machinery operators before mobilisation.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance preparation

Complete a pre-clearance survey of every work area shortly before disturbance, using the approved survey methods and checking permanent water, ground nests and feeding habitat.

Mark the approved clearing boundary and retain habitat with visible exclusion fencing, bunting or other durable markers where this will prevent accidental entry.

Map and mark active nests, recently used nests, birds sheltering in the footprint, permanent water, seasonal drainage lines, retained woodland and any required no-go areas.

Brief all operators on the species identification, ground-nesting risk, exclusion areas, stop-work process and incident reporting.

  • Use a fauna spotter catcher where required by the approval or fauna management plan, and ensure the person holds the relevant state authorisation for capture, handling and relocation.
  • Inspect the work area for hazards that could trap or injure ground birds, including open trenches, pits, temporary fencing and vehicle movements.
  • Provide a nearby retained release area with suitable cover and access to water before any authorised relocation is attempted.
  • Do not mark a nest by entering or trampling the nest area; mark a wider exclusion zone from outside the immediate nest site.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Daily controls and machinery supervision

Use slow, supervised clearing. The Squatter Pigeon nests on the ground, moves through open habitat and may be injured by vehicles, machinery, stock or uncontrolled clearing even where tree hollows are not involved.

Inspect the approved work area each day before machinery starts, especially after rain, a work stoppage or a change in the clearing footprint.

Keep machinery within the marked boundary and retain the agreed woodland, scattered trees, grassy patches, water points and drainage lines.

Use a fauna spotter catcher where required, with the person able to direct machinery, temporarily halt work and inspect the area ahead of clearing.

Clear progressively in small stages so birds can move towards retained habitat rather than being surrounded by active works.

  • Drive slowly around water points, grassy woodland edges, tracks and known records, and prohibit unnecessary vehicle movement through retained habitat.
  • Keep trenches, pits and other excavations covered, ramped or checked at least daily so that ground fauna cannot become trapped.
  • Control dust, weeds, sediment and runoff so that retained feeding and drinking areas are not degraded.
  • Prevent domestic stock and feral herbivores from entering retained habitat where the project controls access.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Nests and habitat features

Treat every suspected ground nest as occupied until it has been assessed by an authorised and suitably experienced person.

Stop work around a suspected nest, eggs, young or incubating bird and establish a site-specific exclusion area under the fauna management plan or regulator direction.

Do not move a nest, eggs or young unless the responsible wildlife authority and the authorised fauna spotter catcher approve the action and relocation is necessary to prevent harm.

Retain low grass, scattered trees, woodland edges, seasonal drainage lines and natural ground cover around nests and feeding areas.

  • Do not assume that a cleared paddock has no value, because nests have been recorded in non-remnant vegetation close to woodland.
  • Inspect rocks, logs and dense ground cover before moving them, because they can shelter ground birds and other fauna even though they are not documented as Squatter Pigeon nesting structures.
  • Retain hollow-bearing trees where they occur for other fauna, but do not treat hollows as a Squatter Pigeon breeding requirement.
  • Keep permanent water and the surrounding approach routes open and free of spoil, fencing and stored materials.

During habitat disturbance: 3. If a bird is found

Stop nearby machinery if the bird is at risk and allow it to leave towards retained habitat without chasing it.

Do not capture, handle or translocate the bird unless the person is authorised under the relevant state approval and the action is necessary to prevent harm.

Use a fauna spotter catcher to assess whether the bird is injured, nesting, dependent on young or able to move without assistance.

If relocation is authorised, release the bird into nearby retained habitat with suitable open ground, cover and access to perennial water, following the permit and wildlife authority instructions.

  • Do not relocate a healthy bird simply because it is near a work area if it can move safely into retained habitat.
  • Place an injured bird in a quiet, secure container only under authorised direction and transfer it promptly to a veterinarian or approved wildlife carer.
  • Record the exact location, time, condition, action taken, release location, person responsible and permit details for every capture, relocation, injury or death.
  • Stop work and notify the project environmental officer if a nest, dependent young, repeated bird use of the footprint or an unexpected concentration of birds is found.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Stop-work and incident records

  • Stop work when clearing enters a marked exclusion area, when a nest or dependent young is found, when the fauna spotter catcher is not present as required, or when an injured or dead bird is detected.
  • Review the footprint and controls before restarting, and obtain environmental officer or regulator approval where the approval conditions require it.
  • Maintain a fauna incident register with coordinates, clearing method, safeguards, spotter catcher qualifications and permit number, species, outcome and corrective actions.
  • Include all observations, nest checks, relocations, injuries, deaths, near misses and breaches of exclusion fencing in the daily environmental record.
  • Report any suspected offence, unauthorised take or significant impact through the approval and state wildlife reporting channels.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

The environmental officer remains responsible after machinery leaves. Check that no birds, nests or trapped fauna remain, confirm that controls were effective and keep retained habitat protected during follow-up works.

Inspect the cleared area, access tracks, pits, trenches and temporary fencing after each clearing stage and before the area is handed to construction.

Check retained woodland edges, water points and adjacent grassland for displaced, injured or dead birds.

Confirm that all active nest exclusions remain intact and that no spoil, equipment, fencing or traffic has entered retained habitat.

Remove temporary hazards or provide escape measures for any excavation that remains open.

  • Complete a fauna spotter catcher post-clearance inspection where required by the approval or fauna management plan.
  • Reinspect after heavy rain, flooding, fire, a major change in works or a prolonged shutdown.
  • Record the area cleared, habitat retained, survey results, incidents, corrective actions and the date controls were removed.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor selected retained or rehabilitated sites for use by Squatter Pigeons, with priority given to sites supporting records, nests, water access or southern populations.

Repeat area searches or transects using consistent routes, effort, timing and weather records so that changes in detection can be interpreted.

Monitor whether perennial water remains available and whether grazing, weeds, understorey thickening, fire or predators are reducing habitat quality.

Report monitoring outcomes to the approval authority and relevant state wildlife database where required.

Recommended monitoring focus: Population change, habitat condition, water access, breeding success and impacts of mining or other development

  • Submit the post-clearing species management report within the time required by the approval or fauna permit.
  • Include maps of cleared and retained areas, nest and bird records, relocations, injuries, deaths, rehabilitation progress and any failure of controls.
  • Review the fauna management plan after each incident and implement additional measures before the next clearing stage.
  • Do not claim absence from a site solely because one survey found no birds.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Ongoing protection and offsets

Maintain exclusion fencing, retained habitat buffers, water access and weed, erosion, grazing and predator controls for the period specified in the approval.

Protect retained habitat from later construction, storage, vehicle access and unauthorised clearing through site inductions and permit to disturb controls.

Apply any offset, conservation agreement, covenant or reserve requirement imposed by the approval or state authority.

Use offsets only after avoidance, minimisation and rehabilitation measures have been applied and document the residual impact assessment.

  • Check whether the action has affected a high priority subpopulation, particularly in the southern part of the species range.
  • Keep records of management actions and monitoring results for the full approval and reporting period.
  • Coordinate controls across adjoining landholders where foxes, feral herbivores, weeds, fire or stock movement affect retained habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore usable open woodland and grassy feeding areas, retain access to permanent water and prevent the site from becoming dense, weedy or isolated. Set objectives that can be measured against the pre-clearing habitat assessment.

Re-establish locally appropriate eucalypt woodland or open woodland with a grassy ground layer on cleared areas that formerly supported this habitat.

Use local native provenance where practicable and select species that match the existing regional ecosystem, such as box, ironbark, river red gum or forest red gum communities where those communities occur at the site.

Restore gentle, open ground and patchy low vegetation rather than creating dense understorey across the whole rehabilitation area.

Retain or reinstate scattered trees and woodland within 300 metres of open grassland where the surrounding habitat supports the species.

Observed occupied communities: Mostly eucalypt woodlands, with records also in open woodland, tussock grassland and some non-remnant areas

Ground cover in occupied remnant or high value regrowth communities: 24 to 73 per cent on average, with local variation

  • Protect regenerating ground cover from overgrazing and trampling until it is established.
  • Avoid planting dense shrubs or allowing weed thickets to close the grassy understorey used for movement and seed foraging.
  • Do not use tree hollows or nest boxes as a substitute for Squatter Pigeon habitat, because the species nests on the ground.
  • Retain natural logs, rocks and low ground cover where they do not obstruct safe movement or create a fire or safety hazard.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Water, weeds, predators and fire

Protect or restore perennial water sources and keep access routes from retained woodland and feeding areas free of barriers.

Stabilise drainage lines and banks with suitable native vegetation without creating dense cover that blocks movement to water.

Control weeds in rehabilitation areas and prevent vehicles, soil movement and stock from spreading weed seed.

Implement fox, feral cat and feral herbivore controls where they are identified as project threats and where control is authorised.

  • Manage grazing so that livestock do not remove the grassy understorey during dry periods or trample ground nests.
  • Develop fire management with the relevant land manager, avoiding regimes that cause excessive understorey thickening or remove nesting and feeding cover at sensitive times.
  • Use the project fire plan to protect retained woodland, rehabilitation areas and known breeding sites from unplanned fire.
  • Base any prescribed fire timing and intensity on site monitoring and advice from the relevant fire and conservation authorities, because the species responses to fire and grazing require further study.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Success measures and adaptive management

Measure survival and cover of planted and naturally regenerating trees, the condition of the grassy understorey, weed cover, erosion, water availability and access to retained habitat.

Monitor whether rehabilitation supports Squatter Pigeon records, feeding activity, repeated use of water points or breeding activity, using consistent area searches or transects.

Compare rehabilitation results with the pre-disturbance habitat map and reference sites rather than relying only on plant survival.

Investigate and correct poor results where ground cover becomes too dense, weeds spread, water access is lost, predators increase or woodland connectivity declines.

Recommended research need: Preferred food plants, responses to fire and grazing, dispersal or residency, reproductive success and impacts of development

  • Set site-specific targets in the rehabilitation plan for native vegetation establishment, weed control, erosion control, water retention and protection from stock.
  • Continue monitoring until the approval authority accepts that the rehabilitation objectives have been met.
  • Submit monitoring data and photographs with the rehabilitation and post-clearance reports, including locations and dates.
  • Share verified Squatter Pigeon records with the relevant state wildlife database and other approved biodiversity repositories.

Sources