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Western Bristlebird (Dasyornis longirostris)

The Western Bristlebird is a small, sedentary, ground-dwelling bird endemic to coastal south-western Western Australia. It depends on dense heath and shrubland, has restricted dispersal ability and is highly sensitive to clearing, fire, predators, weeds, introduced herbivores and Phytophthora dieback on development sites.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Breeding season

The species is present year round and is generally sedentary. Calling increases from May to October, while breeding is recorded from July to October.

Seasonal timing may vary between sites. Fire history and habitat condition affect when birds occupy or reoccupy heath, so surveys and nest checks remain necessary outside the peak period.

  • Breeding: Breeding is recorded from July to October, with laying probably concentrated in August and September.
  • Young: The species lays two eggs in a low domed nest. The supplied sources do not provide confirmed incubation or fledging dates, so the late winter to spring period should be treated as the likely nest and dependent-young period.
  • Movement and dispersal: The species is sedentary with restricted dispersal. Short local movements and recolonisation of suitable post-fire habitat can occur, but no regular seasonal migration is described.
  • Calling and detection: Calling is reported more often from May to October, with strongest detection generally in the early morning and increased activity during the breeding period.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and ground disturbance are most likely to harm the species from July to October because breeding, nesting and dependent young may occur in dense vegetation close to the ground. Clearing at any time can remove fixed home ranges, foraging cover and refuge habitat.

Identification

Western Bristlebirds are shy, elusive birds that usually remain inside dense heath. They are more often detected by their calls than by direct observation.

The species is a small, sturdy bird with short, rounded wings, a broad graduated tail and a strong, slightly down-curved bill. Several stiff bristles at the base of the bill give bristlebirds their common name.

Adults are mainly dark brown above, with paler grey-brown mottling or scalloping on the head and back. The wings, rump and tail are rufous. The underparts are off-white to brown-grey with fine dark scalloping, and the eye is reddish. The legs and feet are grey or dirty pink.

Size: About 17 cm long

Weight: 26 to 39 g

Sexual dimorphism: Sexes are alike in plumage

Identification: Distinguishing features

The Western Bristlebird may be confused with the Noisy Scrub-bird, which uses some of the same coastal heath and dense cover. A bristlebird is identified by its rufous wings, rump and tail, graduated tail, sturdy slightly decurved bill and fine scalloping on the underparts.

It is mainly terrestrial and usually moves by running or hopping through cover. If flushed, it flies weakly and close to the vegetation, normally for only 10 to 20 m.

  • Look for a small brown and rufous bird with a long graduated tail and a horizontal tail carriage while feeding.
  • Do not rely on a brief visual observation alone where Noisy Scrub-birds are present. Confirm the call, body shape and habitat together.
  • Treat dense coastal heath with suitable structure as potential habitat even when no birds are seen.

Identification: Calls and field signs

The species has a distinctive high-pitched, melodious song. Calling is most frequent from May to October, especially during the first two hours after sunrise and, to a lesser extent, before sunset. Birds are rarely seen, so call detection is important during site inspections.

The species forages on or close to the ground, probing leaf litter and sweeping aside fallen leaves. A domed nest made from loosely woven sedges, rushes and sticks is built close to the ground. Tracks and scats are not described in the supplied sources and are not reliable identification features for this species.

  • Conduct listening searches at dawn and, where needed, before sunset.
  • Inspect dense sedge, rush and shrub bases carefully for a low domed nest before vegetation removal.
  • Record calls, location, habitat structure and the direction of movement rather than pursuing a bird through dense cover.

Distribution: Range and bioregions

The Western Bristlebird is endemic to south-western Western Australia. Its current distribution is highly restricted and divided into two main subpopulations, with no confirmed population between them.

The species occurs in Western Australia, in the Esperance Plains and Jarrah Forest bioregions. Current records are from coastal areas east of Albany.

The main known locations are the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Betty's Beach, the Mount Manypeaks to Bluff Creek area, and Fitzgerald River National Park. Historic records indicate a formerly broader coastal range, extending west towards Perth and Augusta and east towards Fitzgerald River National Park.

Australian state: Western Australia

Bioregions: Esperance Plains and Jarrah Forest

Current confirmed areas: Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks area, and Fitzgerald River National Park area

  • Treat suitable coastal heath between known records as potential habitat, even where recent records are absent.
  • Do not assume that apparently suitable habitat is occupied. No birds have been located across the approximately 120 km gap between the two main subpopulations despite extensive suitable habitat.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

The western subpopulation occupies the Two Peoples Bay, Waychinicup and Mount Manypeaks area. The eastern subpopulation occurs in or near Fitzgerald River National Park.

A small translocated population near Walpole, west of Albany, was established from birds moved from Two Peoples Bay but is considered probably extinct.

Main subpopulations: Two main subpopulations, separated by about 120 km without confirmed records

Former translocation near Walpole: Probably extinct

Estimated population: No more than about 230 pairs, or 460 adults, in 2015

Population concentration: About two-thirds of the estimated 2015 population was in the western Two Peoples Bay, Waychinicup and Mount Manypeaks area

Distribution: Population trend

The population declined by approximately 48 per cent between 2001 and 2010, largely following a series of wildfires. In 2015, fire affected approximately 90 per cent of occupied habitat at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve and caused an estimated 45 per cent decline in that important subpopulation.

The total population was estimated to have declined by at least 63 per cent between 2001 and 2015. These figures show why small areas of suitable heath can be significant during impact assessment.

Decline from 2001 to 2010: Approximately 48 per cent

Two Peoples Bay habitat burnt in 2015: Approximately 90 per cent of occupied habitat

Estimated Two Peoples Bay subpopulation decline after the 2015 fire: Approximately 45 per cent

Estimated total decline from 2001 to 2015: At least 63 per cent

Habitat: Vegetation and structure

Western Bristlebirds depend on dense, low coastal heath with a well-developed shrub and ground layer. Habitat suitability is strongly affected by fire history and the retention of unburnt cover.

Typical habitat is floristically diverse, closed coastal heath 0.5 to 1.5 m high. Common structural elements include dense shrubs from the Proteaceae and Myrtaceae, including banksias, melaleucas, hakeas and tea-trees, abundant sedges, rushes and sword-sedges, and occasional thickets of stunted eucalypts or mallee 2 to 4 m tall.

Eastern birds near Fitzgerald River National Park use closed heath about 0.5 to 1.0 m high among scattered mallee. More open habitat may be used where enough dense shrub patches remain.

Typical heath height: 0.5 to 1.5 m

Eastern habitat height: About 0.5 to 1.0 m

Associated low eucalypts or mallee: Usually 2 to 4 m tall

Shrub cover at recorded sites: About 40 to 80 per cent

  • Map and retain continuous dense shrub cover, sedges and low thickets.
  • Assess vegetation condition and fire age across the whole habitat patch, not only at the proposed clearing footprint.
  • Include dense heath, grass-tree flats and shrub patches beside tracks or infrastructure in habitat inspections where the structure is suitable.

Habitat: Fire age and climate

The species uses habitat that has remained unburnt for some years, although the time taken to return after fire varies with habitat type. Moist heath at Two Peoples Bay was reoccupied after 2 to 3 years, while drier heath was reoccupied after 11 to 14 years at Waychinicup River and after 14 to 28 years in Fitzgerald River National Park.

The supplied documents describe the species as occupying the temperate coastal zone of south-western Australia. They do not provide a defined elevation limit.

Reoccupation at moist Two Peoples Bay heath: 2 to 3 years after fire

Reoccupation at drier Waychinicup River heath: 11 to 14 years after fire

Reoccupation at Fitzgerald River National Park heath: 14 to 28 years after fire

  • Record recent fire history and identify unburnt refuge patches before clearing or fire management works.
  • Avoid assuming that recently burnt vegetation is unused. Birds may remain in surviving cover and may return as dense structure develops.
  • Use site-specific fire history and vegetation structure when assessing habitat, because recovery differs between moist and dry heath.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding method

The Western Bristlebird feeds mainly on the ground or close to it, within dense heath, leaf litter and low vegetation. It usually forages alone or in pairs.

The diet includes invertebrates such as worms, snails, insects and insect larvae, together with seeds. Birds forage among leaf litter and open ground, probe beneath litter, sweep fallen leaves aside with the bill and sometimes glean prey from low foliage.

The sources do not identify particular food plant species or provide a measured foraging distance. The species is sedentary and uses fixed or partly overlapping home ranges.

Main food: Worms, snails, insects, larvae and seeds

Foraging position: On or close to the ground, in leaf litter, open ground and low foliage

Social foraging: Usually alone or in pairs

Known home range estimate: About 6 to 8 ha for a pair, with larger individual ranges also recorded

  • Retain leaf litter, low shrubs, sedges and undisturbed ground within heath patches.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of ground cover, slash windrows, spoil placement or repeated vehicle movement through feeding habitat.
  • Keep noisy or high-use work areas away from dense heath where practicable, particularly during dawn and late afternoon activity periods.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in dense heath with low ground cover suitable for a domed nest. The breeding biology is incompletely known, so nest searches and habitat protection should be precautionary.

The female lays two eggs in a large domed nest made from loosely woven sedges, rushes and sticks. The nest is usually built close to the ground. The eggs are dull white and minutely spotted.

The supplied documents do not provide confirmed incubation, fledging or parental-care periods. They also do not provide a confirmed age at first breeding or a directly measured lifespan. A generation time of 5.2 years has been extrapolated from the related Eastern Bristlebird.

Breeding season: July to October

Likely main laying period: August to September

Clutch size: Two eggs

Nest: Large domed structure of sedges, rushes and sticks, close to the ground

Incubation: Not reported in the supplied sources

Age at maturity: Not reported for this species

Lifespan: Not reported directly; generation time is estimated at 5.2 years

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding habitat is likely to be within dense, low heath containing sedges, rushes, litter and low shrubs that can conceal a nest close to the ground. Patches of unburnt vegetation are important because the species has limited flight and dispersal ability.

A breeding bird may remain hidden during clearing. The absence of visible birds does not demonstrate that a patch is unoccupied.

  • Search dense heath systematically before clearing, focusing on sedge clumps, rushes, shrub bases and litter-rich ground.
  • Where a nest or breeding bird is found, stop work around the location and obtain direction from the relevant environmental authority or approved fauna management plan.
  • Plan vegetation removal outside the July to October breeding period where practicable, while still checking for birds and nests because timing can vary.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and refuge

The species shelters and moves through dense heath, sedges, rushes, litter and low shrub thickets. It does not use tree hollows, burrows or caves according to the supplied sources.

Western Bristlebirds are mainly terrestrial and remain concealed in dense vegetation. Suitable shelter includes low, closed heath, sedge and rush clumps, dense shrub patches, leaf litter and thickets of stunted eucalypts or mallee.

Unburnt swampy areas dominated by sedges and thickets may provide important refuges during and after fire. Birds can survive low-intensity fire by moving into nearby vegetation, and may settle near the edge of burnt areas where suitable cover remains.

Typical shelter height: Dense shrubs and heath generally 0.5 to 1.5 m high

Important refuge type: Unburnt swampy areas with sedges and thickets

Flight response: Low, weak flight over about 10 to 20 m

Other shelter structures: No tree hollows, burrows or caves are described for this species

  • Retain unburnt islands and connected dense cover within or beside work areas.
  • Do not use firebreak construction, slashing or machinery access to isolate small refuge patches.
  • Keep spoil, mulch and cleared vegetation out of retained heath and sedge cover.

Sheltering habitat: Home ranges and movement

The species is sedentary, with fixed or partly overlapping home ranges. A pair's home range has been estimated at about 6 to 8 ha, although radio tracking recorded individual ranges of 6 ha and 21 ha.

Restricted dispersal and weak flight make fragmentation and the removal of connecting cover important considerations. Birds may recolonise burnt areas, but the time required varies substantially between sites.

Pair home range estimate: About 6 to 8 ha

Radio-tracked individual ranges: 6 ha and 21 ha

Dispersal: Restricted, with only short local movements generally described

  • Assess retained vegetation as part of a connected home range rather than as an isolated strip or remnant.
  • Maintain movement cover between dense heath patches wherever practicable.
  • Record any bird movement, calling territory or occupied cover that extends beyond the immediate clearing footprint.

Threats: Clearing, fragmentation and fire

The main development risks are direct loss of dense heath, fragmentation of occupied habitat, fire and disturbance to low ground cover. Disease hygiene and predator management are also relevant where works occur near known habitat.

Historical habitat loss resulted from clearing, draining and unsuitable fire regimes. Current populations remain in discontinuous subpopulations, and the species has poor dispersal ability.

Large or frequent fires can remove several key sites in one event. Fire also removes the dense structure needed for shelter and foraging, while post-fire exposure may increase predation. Climate change may increase fire risk.

Major historical pressures: Clearing, draining and unsuitable fire regimes

Fire sensitivity: A single large fire can affect several key sites

Post-fire recovery: Reoccupation has ranged from 2 to 3 years in moist heath to 14 to 28 years in some drier heath

  • Avoid clearing dense coastal heath, sedge flats and shrub thickets, including temporary construction areas and access tracks.
  • Retain habitat links and avoid creating isolated remnants between occupied or potentially occupied patches.
  • Keep fire management operations from damaging retained habitat and maintain unburnt refuge areas.
  • Do not burn, slash or mechanically disturb suitable heath without checking fire history, habitat value and required approvals.

Threats: Predators and habitat degradation

Foxes and feral cats are identified threats. Removal of dense cover by fire or clearing may increase exposure to predation. Introduced herbivores can degrade vegetation, and weeds can alter the shrub and ground layer.

Phytophthora cinnamomi can cause vegetation dieback in susceptible south-western habitats. The species is listed among threatened fauna that may be affected by Phytophthora dieback.

Named predators: Foxes and feral cats

Disease of concern: Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback

Other habitat threats: Weed invasion and introduced herbivores

  • Apply approved vehicle, soil, plant and equipment hygiene measures to prevent the spread of Phytophthora.
  • Prevent soil movement from infected or risk areas into retained heath and drainage lines.
  • Control weeds and introduced herbivores without damaging dense native cover.
  • Use predator control measures where required by the relevant recovery programme or site management plan.

Threats: Survey and compliance implications

The species is difficult to detect visually and is usually detected by vocalisation. The Australian survey guideline recommends area searches or transects in suitable habitat during the early morning or at dusk, with playback surveys where density is low.

For areas smaller than 50 ha, the guideline gives a survey effort of 8 hours over 4 days for area searches or transects, and 6 hours over 3 days for broadcast surveys. Surveys are most effective at dawn during the breeding season.

Area searches or transects: 8 hours over 4 days for areas smaller than 50 ha

Broadcast surveys: 6 hours over 3 days for areas smaller than 50 ha

Best detection period: Early morning, especially during the breeding season; dusk can also be useful

  • Use experienced observers who can distinguish Western Bristlebird calls from those of the Noisy Scrub-bird.
  • Survey suitable habitat before clearing and repeat surveys where detection conditions, fire history or seasonal timing reduce confidence.
  • Treat a failure to detect birds as insufficient evidence of absence unless the survey design and habitat assessment support that conclusion.
  • Refer proposed actions that may significantly affect this EPBC listed species in accordance with current Commonwealth and Western Australian requirements.

Survey methodology: 1. Confirm habitat and survey scope

Survey the Western Bristlebird in suitable coastal heath before any clearing or construction. It is shy, ground dwelling and usually detected by its calls rather than by sight, so survey timing, weather and observer skill strongly affect results.

Map low, dense, floristically diverse coastal heath before selecting survey points or transects.

Prioritise heath 0.5 to 1.5 metres high, with banksias, melaleucas, hakeas, tea-trees, sedges and dense patches of low shrubs or stunted mallees.

Include unburnt or long-unburnt swampy heath, sedge areas and dense thickets that may provide refuge after fire.

Treat apparently suitable habitat as occupied until an appropriately timed survey has been completed, because the species is difficult to detect and has restricted dispersal ability.

Known range: South-western Western Australia, mainly coastal areas east of Albany, with current populations at Two Peoples Bay and Mount Manypeaks, and in or near Fitzgerald River National Park.

Typical habitat height: Dense coastal heath, generally 0.5 to 1.5 metres high.

Typical home range: About 6 to 8 hectares for a pair in one study, with a core area of about 1 to 3 hectares.

Survey methodology: 2. Area searches and transects

Use area searches or transect surveys through suitable habitat in the early morning or at dusk.

Listen for unsolicited calls while moving slowly enough to detect birds in dense cover, and record the location, time, call direction and habitat condition for each detection.

Conduct the main survey during the breeding season, from July to October, when calling is more frequent and most intense at dawn.

For areas smaller than 50 hectares, apply the guideline effort of 8 hours over 4 days.

Repeat searches across representative habitat patches, including dense heath, sedge flats, swampy refuges and habitat adjoining proposed clearing.

Recommended effort: Area searches or transect surveys, 8 hours over 4 days, in areas smaller than 50 hectares.

Best timing: Early morning or dusk, with the highest detection probability at dawn during the breeding season.

Breeding season: July to October, with laying probably concentrated in August and September.

Survey methodology: 3. Broadcast surveys

Use call playback in suitable habitat where density is low or area searches and transects produce no detections.

Conduct broadcast surveys early in the morning and listen for solicited responses after each playback sequence.

Use playback only where it will not interfere with breeding birds or other threatened fauna, and follow the relevant project, state and Commonwealth conditions.

For areas smaller than 50 hectares, apply the guideline effort of 6 hours over 3 days, preferably during the early breeding season.

Recommended effort: Broadcast surveys, 6 hours over 3 days, in areas smaller than 50 hectares.

Detection note: The species is usually heard rather than seen and can be confused with the Noisy Scrub-bird if viewed briefly.

Survey methodology: 4. Detection, conditions and survey limits

Survey in conditions that allow observers to hear calls, and record wind, rain, temperature, visibility and any loud background noise.

Do not rely on a single visit or a visual search to conclude that the species is absent.

Record birds heard, birds seen, paired or repeated calls, and any sign of recent fire or habitat degradation.

Use experienced observers familiar with the Western Bristlebird and the similar Noisy Scrub-bird, particularly where playback is used.

Do not use spotlighting, trapping or nest searching as the primary methods because the supplied survey guideline recommends call-based area searches, transects and broadcast surveys for this species.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Complete the guideline effort of 8 hours over 4 days using area searches or transects, and add 6 hours over 3 days of broadcast surveys where density is low or initial searches are negative.
  • Survey at dawn or dusk during July to October, with early breeding season visits preferred.
  • Document the survey area, habitat, dates, start and finish times, weather, observers, methods, playback use, effort and all detections.
  • Map each detection and the areas searched, including unburnt refuge habitat, dense heath, sedge areas and connected habitat.
  • Report a confirmed record or suspected injured bird promptly to the relevant Western Australian wildlife authority and submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database.
  • Provide survey results and spatial data to the project environmental officer so that the design, referral and fauna management plan can be updated.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Avoid clearing Western Bristlebird habitat wherever practicable. The species occurs in a small, fragmented range, moves poorly and can be affected by one fire or clearing event that removes dense cover across a site.

Retain low, dense coastal heath, especially floristically diverse heath 0.5 to 1.5 metres high with sedges, thickets and stunted mallees.

Retain unburnt swampy heath and dense sedge or thicket areas that may provide refuge during and after fire.

Keep connected patches of dense vegetation between retained areas, because the species is sedentary, flies weakly and usually moves only short distances.

Avoid placing access tracks, stockpiles, compounds, drainage works or firebreaks through occupied or apparently suitable heath.

Keep machinery and personnel within defined work areas to prevent trampling of ground cover and fragmentation of retained habitat.

Current distribution: Three main areas are identified in the supplied material: Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Mount Manypeaks Nature Reserve and Fitzgerald River National Park, with a former translocated population near Walpole probably extinct.

Dispersal: Restricted; flight is low and weak, generally over only 10 to 20 metres.

Post-fire reoccupation: Suitable moist habitat has been reoccupied 2 to 3 years after fire, while drier heath may take 11 to 14 years or 14 to 28 years.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and project controls

Treat the species as nationally listed under the EPBC Act and check whether the proposed action requires referral or approval before works begin.

Confirm the current Western Australian threatened fauna listing, permit requirements and clearing controls with the relevant state authority, because the supplied documents contain older state classifications.

Obtain any required authority to take, disturb, handle, possess or relocate native fauna before appointing a fauna spotter catcher.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies retained habitat, survey effort, exclusion zones, stop-work triggers, handling arrangements, veterinary contacts and reporting responsibilities.

Include fire, Phytophthora dieback, weeds, feral predators and introduced herbivores in the project risk assessment.

Before habitat disturbance: Timing and site preparation

Schedule clearing outside the July to October breeding season where practicable, while still completing surveys at the times when the species is most detectable.

Stage works so that large areas of dense heath are not removed in one operation.

Complete a pre-clearance survey using the recommended call-based methods before finalising the clearing boundary.

Mark retained heath, sedge refuges, swampy areas, habitat corridors and no-go areas on plans and on the ground.

Install exclusion fencing where it can prevent machinery and personnel entering retained habitat, and inspect the fencing before each work shift.

Use clean-down and hygiene procedures for vehicles, plant and footwear to reduce the risk of spreading Phytophthora dieback.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and spotter supervision

The Western Bristlebird is a cryptic, ground-dwelling bird that may remain concealed while machinery is operating nearby. Use active supervision, maintain exclusion areas and stop work when a bird or suitable refuge is at risk.

Hold a daily pre-start briefing covering the species, mapped habitat, exclusion zones, access routes, stop-work triggers and emergency contacts.

Inspect exclusion fencing, signage and retained vegetation before work starts and after storms, vehicle movements or unauthorised access.

Keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with the operator and position the spotter where the active work face and escape routes can be seen.

Clear vegetation progressively in small sections, moving machinery towards retained habitat only where the fauna management plan permits this direction and a safe escape route remains.

Do not burn, mulch, slash or stockpile vegetation in retained heath, sedge refuges, dense thickets or connected habitat.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and fauna handling

Give particular protection to dense ground cover, sedges, low shrubs, leaf litter and swampy thickets, because these are the species' nesting, feeding and refuge features.

Do not assume that hollow-bearing trees, logs, rocks or burrows are the main habitat feature for this species, although they must be managed if they occur within dense heath or provide cover for an individual.

Do not chase a bird through dense vegetation or force it into open ground.

Only an appropriately authorised person may capture, handle or relocate the bird, and handling must follow the permit and fauna management plan.

If relocation is approved, move the bird only to nearby retained habitat with suitable dense cover and a safe connection to the occupied area, rather than releasing it into open or recently burnt ground.

During habitat disturbance: Finds, injury and stop-work triggers

Stop the relevant work immediately if a Western Bristlebird is seen, heard repeatedly within the work area, trapped, injured or unable to move away safely.

Keep workers, vehicles and machinery back while the fauna spotter catcher confirms the species and assesses its location.

Contact the project ecologist or wildlife authority if identification is uncertain, especially where a Noisy Scrub-bird may be present.

Take an injured bird to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian through the approved project procedure, and do not provide food or water unless directed by the treating professional.

Resume work only after the fauna spotter catcher or authorised ecologist confirms that the bird has left the risk area or has been safely managed under the approved plan.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

Record the date, time, exact location, work activity, machinery, habitat condition, bird behaviour, photographs if safe, personnel involved and action taken for every fauna interaction.

Record all stop-work events, attempted captures, relocations, injuries, deaths, escapes and breaches of exclusion fencing.

Notify the project environmental officer and relevant authority of any death, injury, unauthorised take or unexpected occupied habitat according to approval conditions.

Update the site map after each detection so that repeated use of a work area is recognised before the next shift or stage.

After habitat disturbance: Close-out checks

Post-work checks should confirm that no birds remain trapped in the work area and that retained heath has not been damaged. Monitoring should focus on persistence of dense cover, fire and disease risks, and continued use of retained habitat.

Complete a post-clearance inspection of the work area, access routes, exclusion fencing and retained habitat before demobilisation.

Check for birds, injured fauna, damaged dense heath, soil disturbance, weed introduction, Phytophthora hygiene failures and unapproved vegetation removal.

Remove temporary materials, waste, spoil and machinery from retained habitat and keep drainage or runoff from entering swampy refuge areas.

Repair exclusion fencing and replace damaged signs until the environmental officer confirms that the site no longer presents a work-related risk.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained habitat and any occupied or potentially occupied patch during and after construction using the same call-based approach where practical.

Repeat dawn area searches or transects during July to October if works removed habitat near a known record, affected a connected patch or created a new edge beside retained heath.

Use the guideline effort of 8 hours over 4 days for area searches or transects in areas smaller than 50 hectares, and add 6 hours over 3 days of broadcast surveys where low density or non-detection is a concern.

Compare detections, habitat structure, fire history and disturbance against the pre-work baseline.

Submit monitoring results, confirmed records and spatial data to the relevant state wildlife database and provide reports required by EPBC Act and Western Australian approval conditions.

After habitat disturbance: Maintain controls and offsets

Maintain weed, feral predator, introduced herbivore, dieback and fire controls for the period specified in the approval or fauna management plan.

Prevent new tracks, informal access, fuel accumulation and activities that could increase the chance of a fire burning all retained habitat in one event.

Where residual impacts cannot be avoided or mitigated, obtain advice on any required offset, conservation payment or approved compensatory action before finalising the project.

Do not treat an offset as a substitute for retaining occupied habitat and connected dense heath on the project site.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore heath structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the dense, low coastal heath structure used by Western Bristlebirds for shelter, nesting and foraging. Recovery is not immediate, and some dry heath sites may take more than a decade to become suitable again after fire or major disturbance.

Use local provenance native plants suited to the site, including the local banksias, melaleucas, hakeas, tea-trees, sedges and other shrubs that form dense heath.

Design planting to produce continuous low cover from about 0.5 to 1.5 metres, with dense patches rather than widely spaced ornamental plantings.

Reinstate swampy sedge areas and low thickets where these were part of the former habitat.

Retain and protect natural regeneration wherever it can provide dense cover sooner than planting.

Keep rehabilitation areas connected to retained heath and avoid creating broad open gaps that the species is unlikely to cross.

Habitat target: Low, dense, floristically diverse coastal heath, generally 0.5 to 1.5 metres high, with sedges and shrub thickets.

Recovery period after fire: Moist habitat has been reoccupied after 2 to 3 years, while drier heath has taken 11 to 14 years or 14 to 28 years at some sites.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage fire, weeds, disease and predators

Use an adaptive fire plan that protects high-value habitat and unburnt refuge areas, and avoids a single fire affecting all retained and rehabilitated patches.

Do not apply planned fire to rehabilitated heath unless it is supported by the approved species management plan and current ecological advice.

Control blackberry, gorse, lantana, willows, bridal creeper and other weeds that alter dense heath structure or increase fuel and access problems.

Apply Phytophthora hygiene protocols to vehicles, machinery, footwear, soil and rehabilitation materials.

Control foxes and feral cats, and manage introduced herbivores where they damage dense cover or degrade habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor success

Monitor plant survival, shrub density, sedge cover, weed cover, dieback symptoms, fire history and grazing or browsing damage at fixed photo points or mapped plots.

Use dawn call surveys during July to October to check whether Western Bristlebirds use the rehabilitated area once vegetation has developed suitable cover.

Apply the survey guideline effort of 8 hours over 4 days for area searches or transects in areas smaller than 50 hectares, with broadcast surveys added where density is low.

Treat successful rehabilitation as establishment and persistence of dense native heath connected to occupied or suitable habitat, not simply survival of planted seedlings.

Record and report new detections to the relevant state wildlife database and review fire, weed, predator and access controls if the habitat does not develop as planned.

Rehabilitation actions: Nest boxes and artificial features

Do not install nest boxes as a standard Western Bristlebird measure because the supplied documents describe ground-level domed nests made from sedges, rushes and sticks rather than tree hollows.

Retain natural leaf litter, sedges, rushes, sticks and dense low vegetation needed for ground foraging and nesting.

Reinstate logs, rocks and other natural ground cover only where they formed part of the original habitat, and place them so they do not obstruct movement or create fire hazards.

Sources