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Western Ground Parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris)

The Western Ground Parrot, also called Kyloring or Kyloriny, is a cryptic, ground dwelling parrot of low coastal heathland in south coast Western Australia. It can be overlooked during daytime site inspections, but clearing, fire, feral predators and habitat degradation can affect one of Australia's most threatened birds. The taxon is listed as Critically Endangered under the Commonwealth EPBC Act and in Western Australia.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Critically endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

The Western Ground Parrot breeds in southern Western Australia, mainly from July to December. Timing is poorly known and may vary between Fitzgerald River, Cape Arid and Nuytsland areas, and between years.

Breeding mode: Ground nesting in dense, low heathland vegetation. The nest may be a hollow in the ground lined with dry grass or other vegetation.

Breeding season: Usually July to December, with records of breeding beginning in July and eggs recorded in October and November.

Clutch size: One to three eggs is reported in conservation guidance. Other guidance reports three or more eggs.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Fledging and weaning: Not recorded. Young birds have been recorded in October.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: One clutch per year is reported for south coast threatened bird taxa.

Breeding records are sparse, so survey timing should be adjusted for local observations, recent fire history and conditions in each occupied or potentially suitable heathland patch.

  • Ground nesting and breeding: Breeding activity is reported from July to December, with the main documented period from August to November.
  • Eggs and nestlings: Eggs have been recorded in October and November, and young birds have been caught in October.
  • Dependent young and family groups: Family groups may occur during the breeding season, but the duration of parental dependence is not recorded.
  • Daytime foraging and ground activity: Birds forage, rest and shelter in dense low heathland throughout the year, mainly on or near the ground.
  • Dawn and dusk flights between feeding and roosting areas: Flights and calling are most likely shortly before sunrise and shortly after sunset, when birds move between foraging and roosting areas.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and construction are most likely to harm ground nests, eggs and dependent young from July to December, but occupied heathland remains sensitive in every month.

Identification: Appearance

The Western Ground Parrot is a slim, long tailed parrot that spends most of its time walking, feeding and resting in dense heath. It is rarely seen, so a quiet pre dawn or post sunset call survey is often more useful than a daytime search.

Adults are bright or rich green, with strong black and yellow mottling, bars and streaks. The belly is yellow, and a red or orange red band crosses the forehead above the beak.

The bill is brown grey to dark grey. The eyes are pale yellow or light brown. The legs and feet are pale cream to flesh pink or brownish grey. The tail is long and strongly graduated.

Length: About 30 cm

Weight: 84 to 110 g

Wing length: 135 to 145 mm

  • Medium sized and slender.
  • Mottled green back.
  • Yellow and black barring on the back, underbody and tail.
  • No blue body feathers.
  • Usually seen on the ground or low in dense vegetation.

Identification: Calls and flight behaviour

The call is a distinctive series of high pitched whistling notes. A buzzing call has also been recorded in western birds.

Calling is most likely from about 20 to 60 minutes after sunset and 20 to 60 minutes before sunrise. When flushed, the bird flies low over the vegetation and usually lands in low ground cover.

Most useful detection: Distinctive calls and low flight at dawn or dusk

Daytime behaviour: Mostly concealed in dense heath and rarely seen before flushing

  • Listen before sunrise and after sunset.
  • Use fixed listening points where several observers can cover suitable heath.
  • Do not assume that silence means the species is absent. Calling can be less frequent when birds occur at very low density.
  • Playback may assist detection, particularly before and during the breeding season, but responses are unpredictable.

Identification: Similar species

Rock Parrots and Elegant Parrots can occur in similar coastal habitats. They usually have a plain olive green back, blue on the forehead or wing and a shorter, unbarred tail.

Female Western Rosellas have a mottled green back but show red and green underparts, some blue on the wings and a red head. Twenty Eight Parrots are darker, with a blackish head, yellow collar and some blue on the wings.

Likely group size: Usually alone, or in pairs. Groups of more than four should be treated cautiously.

  • Western Ground Parrot: red forehead band, yellow and black body markings, long barred tail, low flight.
  • Rock Parrot or Elegant Parrot: blue markings, plain back, shorter tail, often flies higher when flushed.
  • Western Rosella: usually flies up to a tree and has some blue on the wings.
  • Twenty Eight Parrot: stronger flight, darker head and yellow collar.

Identification: Field signs

A bird flushed from low vegetation is the most useful daytime field sign. It will usually fly low over the heath and settle back into ground cover rather than perch in a tree.

The species nests on the ground in dense vegetation. Avoid searching by trampling or parting likely nesting cover, particularly during the breeding season.

Handling a possible record: Stop or redirect the activity, record the location and time, and contact the relevant threatened species or park authority for advice.

  • Characteristic dawn or dusk calls.
  • Low, rapid flight over heath after disturbance.
  • A short flight followed by disappearance into dense ground cover.
  • Ground nests hidden in low vegetation, although nests are rarely found.
  • Droppings and other ground signs are unlikely to provide a reliable stand alone identification.

Distribution: Current and recent range

The Western Ground Parrot has a highly restricted range in southern Western Australia. Small, isolated populations and its cryptic behaviour make local records difficult to interpret without targeted survey and expert review.

Known and recently occupied areas include Fitzgerald River National Park, Cape Arid National Park and nearby parts of Nuytsland Nature Reserve. More recent conservation information identifies the confirmed wild population as concentrated in Cape Arid National Park and adjacent Nuytsland Nature Reserve.

A population formerly occurred around Mount Manypeaks and Waychinicup. It was not recorded in surveys from 2004 to 2006, although translocation work has since been undertaken in the broader area east of Albany.

Estimated area of occupancy in 2000: 12 km²

Estimated extent of occurrence in 2000: 1,000 km²

Wild population: Approximately 100 to 150 birds in recent public conservation accounts, with estimates difficult because of low density and cryptic behaviour.

  • South coast Western Australia.
  • Esperance Plains Bioregion.
  • South Coast Natural Resource Management Region.
  • Rangelands Natural Resource Management Region.

Distribution: State and territory context

The known wild range described for this taxon is in Western Australia. The project mapping identifies Western Australia and Tasmania, but a confirmed wild Tasmanian occurrence is not established in the species information used for this profile.

Treat any Tasmanian record, unusual observation or database point as requiring verification before clearing or construction decisions are made.

Commonwealth status: Critically Endangered

Western Australian status: Critically Endangered

  • Western Australia: confirmed range on the south coast.
  • Tasmania: mapped in the project context, but no confirmed wild locality is described here.
  • No overseas range is recognised.

Distribution: Site records and movement

The species is generally sedentary, but it can move between suitable habitat patches separated by woodland. Juveniles may disperse up to tens of kilometres from breeding sites.

A record outside a currently occupied patch should not be dismissed as a vagrant. It may indicate a movement route, a remnant population or suitable habitat requiring targeted follow up.

Typical movement between resources: Flights between foraging and roosting areas may cover several hundred metres.

  • Check recent records across the whole project footprint, not only the proposed clearing area.
  • Map low heath, regenerating heath and long unburnt patches as potential habitat.
  • Give particular weight to records made at dawn or dusk, including calls heard without a visual sighting.
  • Seek specialist advice before disturbing habitat near a verified or credible record.

Habitat: Vegetation structure

Look for low, dense and floristically diverse coastal heath, especially where the vegetation has remained unburnt for several years. Habitat can appear suitable even when no birds are visible, so vegetation structure, fire history and connectivity should be recorded during site assessment.

Preferred habitat is usually low heath less than 0.5 m high, although it can reach about 1 m. Cover is often greater than 50 per cent, with sedges commonly abundant.

Suitable heath is often floristically diverse, with 60 to more than 70 vascular plant species recorded within 100 m² in one habitat description.

Typical rainfall zone: About 400 to 500 mm

Preferred cover: Dense, low vegetation with more than 50 per cent cover

  • Dry, stunted banksia heath.
  • Hakea, Allocasuarina and mallee heath.
  • Sedge rich heath, including areas with Mesomelaena.
  • Sandplains with scattered, stunted emergent mallees.
  • Low heath with low open mallee or swamp features.

Habitat: Fire age and habitat condition

Long unburnt heath is important for shelter, roosting and breeding. Public descriptions refer to suitable patches that may be 5 to 40 or more years post fire, and some conservation material describes long unburnt patches as 40 years or more since fire.

Birds may feed in habitat regenerating two to three years after fire when older cover is nearby. Recently burnt areas should therefore be assessed together with adjoining mature heath, rather than considered in isolation.

Post fire use: Feeding may occur in habitat about 2 to 3 years after fire, with older cover nearby.

  • Record the date, extent and severity of the last fire.
  • Retain unburnt and partially burnt vegetation where practicable.
  • Avoid creating isolated strips of habitat between cleared areas.
  • Assess regenerating heath as potential feeding habitat and movement habitat.

Habitat: Site features to map

Map continuous heath, narrow connections between heath patches and areas where woodland separates otherwise suitable vegetation. The species can cross intervening woodland, but its small population and restricted range make fragmentation a concern.

Also record dieback symptoms, weeds, hard hoof impacts, drainage changes, altered water tables and salinity. These factors can reduce the quality and recovery of heathland.

Breeding and shelter value: Highest where dense, mature ground cover is continuous and protected from fire and disturbance.

  • Low heath on coastal sandplains and near coastal flats.
  • Sedge rich depressions and swamp margins.
  • Open mallee within heath.
  • Unburnt refuge patches within or beside a fire area.
  • Tracks, firebreaks and cleared edges that pass through otherwise suitable heath.

Foraging habitat: Foraging places

The Western Ground Parrot feeds mostly by day on or near the ground, within dense heath and low shrubs. Food plants are varied, so retain the full vegetation structure rather than focusing on a single plant species.

Look for feeding habitat in low, dense heath with abundant sedges and a diverse mix of shrubs. Birds may also forage in recently regenerating heath, particularly where mature heath is close by.

Foraging and roosting areas can be separated by several hundred metres. A proposal that avoids a known roost but clears nearby heath may still affect daily movements.

Foraging height: On the ground or in low shrubs

Activity period: Mainly daytime, with flights between areas around dawn and dusk

  • Low coastal heath.
  • Dry banksia, Hakea, Allocasuarina and mallee heath.
  • Sedge rich ground cover.
  • Regenerating heath two to three years after fire, where older cover remains nearby.
  • Vegetated links between feeding and roosting areas.

Foraging habitat: Food resources

The diet includes seeds, fruits, flowers, nuts, flower buds and other plant material. The species has little dietary specialisation, although it avoids large seeds in woody fruits.

Because the precise diet at a site can vary, retain diverse native vegetation and avoid simplifying heath to a single age class or plant community.

Known diet: Plant material, including seeds, fruits, flowers, nuts and flower buds

  • Retain native seed producing shrubs.
  • Protect flowering and fruiting plants within the project footprint.
  • Avoid weed introduction and soil disturbance that changes plant composition.
  • Prevent unnecessary fire in mature feeding habitat.

Foraging habitat: Construction planning

Assess the whole habitat mosaic before deciding that a work area has low value. A narrow access route, laydown area or temporary compound can remove feeding cover and interrupt low movements between habitat patches.

Where clearing cannot be avoided, use existing disturbed routes, keep machinery within marked limits and rehabilitate temporary disturbance with suitable local heath species.

Survey implication: Absence of visible birds during daytime foraging checks does not demonstrate absence from the habitat.

  • Mark no go areas before machinery enters the site.
  • Keep vehicles and personnel on formed tracks where possible.
  • Do not stockpile soil, mulch or materials in dense heath.
  • Control weeds and clean machinery before entering dieback sensitive vegetation.

Breeding habitat: Breeding season

Breeding is poorly known, but the Western Ground Parrot nests on or near the ground in dense low vegetation. Ground nesting makes eggs, chicks and adults vulnerable to clearing, fire, trampling, vehicles and loose domestic or feral animals.

Breeding has been reported from late winter to spring. Accounts give a broader period of July to December, with historical egg records from October and November and young birds recorded in October.

Use the full July to December period as a precautionary breeding window for planning inspections and disturbance.

Breeding period: Generally July to December, with timing poorly known

Clutch information: One to three eggs are reported in conservation guidance. Other public accounts report three or more eggs.

  • Increase listening effort before sunrise and after sunset during the breeding period.
  • Treat repeated calls, low flights or adults carrying food as signs requiring follow up.
  • Do not conduct unnecessary searches by walking through dense ground cover.
  • Obtain species specific advice before works near a credible breeding record.

Breeding habitat: Nest location

Nests are hidden in low vegetation on the ground or in a hollow in the ground, lined with dry grass or other vegetation. The species is one of the few parrots that does not rely on a tree hollow.

A nest is unlikely to be found through casual inspection. Ground searches can damage the nest and surrounding cover, so they should only be undertaken by appropriately experienced personnel under an approved plan.

Nest type: Concealed ground nest or hollow in the ground

Colony structure: Generally solitary and not known to form breeding colonies

  • Dense, mature heath with continuous ground cover.
  • Low vegetation away from open ground.
  • Long unburnt coastal heath suitable for concealment.
  • Ground depressions or sheltered places within heath, without assuming that every depression contains a nest.

Breeding habitat: Works near potential breeding habitat

Keep disturbance outside dense heath wherever practicable during the breeding period. Avoid slashing, grading, vehicle access, spoil placement, burning and night lighting through suitable nesting cover.

If a bird is flushed repeatedly from the same small area, stop work nearby and record the location. Do not chase the bird or repeatedly flush the vegetation.

Breeding survey approach: Prioritise call detection and behavioural observations over intrusive nest searching.

  • Fence or flag sensitive habitat before clearing.
  • Use an ecologist or trained fauna spotter catcher for any approved inspection.
  • Keep machinery, personnel and domestic animals out of marked habitat.
  • Maintain nearby mature cover when managing fire or clearing regenerating vegetation.

Sheltering habitat: Day shelter

The species rests and roosts within dense heath and is usually concealed during the day. Roosting areas may be separate from feeding areas, so both habitat types and the connections between them need to be considered.

Day shelter is provided by low, dense vegetation where birds can walk, feed and remain hidden. When disturbed, a bird usually lands again in low ground cover rather than moving into trees.

Look for mature heath with continuous cover, especially in long unburnt patches and around sheltered low vegetation.

Shelter behaviour: Mostly concealed on or near the ground during daylight

  • Low coastal heath with more than 50 per cent cover.
  • Dense sedges and low shrubs.
  • Long unburnt heath with intact ground structure.
  • Unburnt vegetation beside recently burnt areas.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting areas

Birds fly between feeding and overnight roosting areas around first and last light. Roosts are usually in relatively long unburnt vegetation and may be several hundred metres from feeding areas.

The exact roost structure is not predictable from a single vegetation feature. Protect the broader mature heath patch and its links to feeding habitat.

Roost separation: Foraging and roosting areas are often separated by several hundred metres.

  • Map long unburnt heath separately from recently burnt heath.
  • Retain continuous vegetation between likely feeding and roosting areas.
  • Avoid locating temporary lighting, compounds or noisy plant beside intact heath.
  • Schedule unavoidable work near habitat for daylight, while recognising that daytime work can still disturb concealed birds.

Sheltering habitat: Disturbance controls

Ground disturbance can remove shelter even when no nest is found. Keep access, pedestrian movement and equipment within defined work limits, and avoid driving across heath to retrieve machinery or materials.

Where temporary disturbance is approved, retain surface vegetation where possible and plan rehabilitation with local provenance heath species.

Visual detection: A low flight followed by landing in ground cover is more typical than tree perching.

  • Use existing tracks and firebreaks rather than creating new routes.
  • Keep stockpiles and parked vehicles out of intact heath.
  • Prevent dogs and other animals from entering the work area.
  • Stop and reassess if birds are repeatedly flushed from the same patch.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The Western Ground Parrot has a very small, restricted population, so local disturbance can have consequences beyond the immediate work footprint. On development sites, the main risks are loss of mature heath, fire, predators, disease and changes to habitat condition.

Historical clearing reduced the species' range. Current clearing of coastal heath can remove feeding, sheltering and breeding habitat, and can break links between habitat patches.

Avoid clearing intact heath wherever possible. Use previously disturbed areas for access, compounds and infrastructure, and retain continuous vegetation around any confirmed or credible record.

Development concern: A small cleared area can remove ground cover and interrupt movement between feeding and roosting habitat.

  • Do not clear long unburnt heath without a site specific ecological assessment.
  • Include temporary works, access tracks and laydown areas in the impact assessment.
  • Keep machinery within marked limits.
  • Rehabilitate temporary disturbance promptly with suitable local native vegetation.

Threats: Fire and fire management

Extensive or frequent fire is one of the most significant threats to persistence. Large fires can remove mature shelter and food resources across a substantial part of the remaining range.

Fire planning should retain long unburnt refuge patches and avoid treating all heath as having the same fire response. Firebreaks and prescribed burns can also damage habitat if they are widened or placed through intact heath.

Fire response: Feeding may occur in heath two to three years after fire, but mature unburnt cover remains important for shelter and breeding.

  • Map fire history before finalising the works footprint.
  • Prevent ignition from hot machinery, welding, vehicles and power equipment.
  • Maintain cleared and inspected work zones where required, without extending them into intact heath unnecessarily.
  • Coordinate prescribed burning with threatened species managers.

Threats: Predators and introduced animals

Feral cats and foxes prey on the species. Predation risk can increase after fire when cover is scarce and birds are more exposed.

Construction compounds, food waste and poorly managed access can attract predators and other animals. Keep sites clean and follow approved predator control programs.

Predator concern: Feral cat and fox predation is a direct threat, especially where vegetation cover has been reduced.

  • Secure food, waste and animal feed.
  • Do not allow domestic dogs to enter suitable heath.
  • Report feral cat or fox activity near occupied habitat.
  • Increase predator management after fire in consultation with land managers.

Threats: Dieback, weeds and altered habitat condition

Phytophthora cinnamomi can cause dieback in heathland and may reduce the quality of occupied habitat. Weeds, hard hoofed animals, trampling, altered drainage, water tables and salinity can also change vegetation structure and food resources.

Construction vehicles can spread soil borne pathogens between heath patches. Apply the relevant Western Australian dieback hygiene procedures before entering or leaving susceptible vegetation.

Additional pressure: Climate change may increase drought, heatwaves, low rainfall and fire impacts.

  • Clean vehicles, plant and footwear before entering dieback sensitive areas.
  • Keep soil and drainage disturbance to the approved footprint.
  • Prevent weed seed movement in soil, mulch and machinery.
  • Record dieback symptoms and changes in hydrology during site inspections.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Western Ground Parrots are cryptic, ground dwelling and easiest to detect by their calls at low light. Surveys should be planned around suitable heathland, recent fire history and the species’ very low density.

Map low, dense coastal heathland, especially floristically diverse heath with more than 50 per cent cover and abundant sedges.

Identify long-unburnt patches, recent burns, potential movement routes and links between feeding and roosting areas.

Check records from the site and surrounding reserves, including Fitzgerald River National Park, Cape Arid National Park and Nuytsland Nature Reserve.

Review fire history, dieback mapping, proposed clearing, access tracks, predator control and any translocation or captive management activity nearby.

Known Australian range: South-western coastal Western Australia

Activity period: Usually the hour before sunrise and the hour after sunset

Breeding period: Late winter and spring, with records from July to December

  • Treat any suitable habitat as potentially occupied until targeted surveys and agency consultation are complete.
  • Give particular attention to heath that is at least five years post-fire, with older unburnt cover nearby.
  • Do not rely on the absence of database records to clear a site.

Survey methodology: 2. Call and visual surveys

Use fixed point surveys in suitable heath before sunrise and after sunset. Listen for the distinctive high-pitched whistle series and occasional buzzing call.

With multiple observers, space fixed listening points about 400 m apart. With one observer, use transect points rather than relying on calls heard while walking through dense heath.

Record flushed birds, low flights, calls, direction of travel, feeding areas and likely roost movements. Birds often fly low over the vegetation and land back in ground cover.

Most effective detection: Calls and flying birds before sunrise and after sunset

Point survey effort: 12 hours over four days

Broadcast survey effort: Six hours over three days

  • Complete point surveys for 12 hours over four days in areas less than 50 ha.
  • Use broadcast surveys for six hours over three days where playback is appropriate.
  • Conduct surveys in calm conditions where possible, and include overcast conditions for playback work.
  • Do not treat playback as a guaranteed detection method. Responses are unpredictable and may be reduced at very low density.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey timing and interpretation

Target the period 20 to 60 minutes after sunset and 20 to 60 minutes before sunrise. The species may also be detected during the wider hour before sunrise and hour after sunset.

Survey before and during the breeding season where possible, because calling and family activity may improve detection. Breeding is poorly known, but the main period is late winter and spring.

Allow for repeated surveys. A quiet survey does not demonstrate absence, particularly where vegetation is dense, populations are sparse or fire has reduced cover.

  • Record start and finish times, weather, wind, cloud, visibility, observer positions and survey area.
  • Record fire age, vegetation height and cover, dominant heath structure, sedge abundance and evidence of dieback.
  • Map every detection, flight path, call direction, flushed bird and likely feeding or roosting area.
  • Stop playback if a bird shows signs of distress or moves repeatedly towards the speaker.

Survey methodology: 4. What to record and report

Use photographs, audio recordings and GPS locations where this can be done without approaching or flushing a bird repeatedly.

Record whether the observation was visual, acoustic, a response to playback or an incidental detection. Note the number of birds and whether they were alone, paired or in a family group.

Report suspected records promptly to the relevant conservation agency and project ecologist. Keep precise locations confidential.

  • Include survey maps, effort, conditions, observers, equipment and detection distances in the report.
  • Describe suitable habitat inside and outside the proposed disturbance footprint.
  • Flag any record near a proposed clearing area before works proceed.
  • Treat an uncertain record as a potential Western Ground Parrot record until checked by a suitably experienced ornithologist.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and permits

Avoidance is the preferred control for this critically endangered species. Plan the work from the outside of the habitat inward, and obtain advice and approvals before any clearing, access or fire management begins.

Check whether the action may affect the Western Ground Parrot or its habitat under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Refer the action if an approval decision is required.

Obtain all relevant Western Australian approvals, licences and fauna permits before clearing or handling animals. Confirm requirements with the responsible conservation agency.

If a project is proposed in Queensland, check whether a species management program is required for protected wildlife or for tampering with a breeding place. The Western Ground Parrot is currently associated with coastal Western Australia, so confirm the species identification and jurisdiction before relying on a Queensland pathway.

Check Tasmanian requirements if the project concerns a listed ground parrot taxon or a record attributed to the species. Do not assume that a listing for one subspecies applies to another.

  • Keep approval conditions, permits and contact details in the site environmental plan.
  • Nominate a qualified fauna ecologist and an authorised fauna spotter catcher before mobilisation.
  • Do not begin clearing while a referral, permit or agency direction remains unresolved.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoid and protect habitat

Redesign the footprint to retain long-unburnt coastal heath, dense ground cover and links between suitable patches. Retain habitat on both sides of likely movement routes where practicable.

Use existing cleared areas, roads and firebreaks for access and laydown. Prevent indirect damage from vehicle access, soil disturbance, altered drainage, weeds and dieback.

There is no general species-specific buffer stated for this species. Set a site-specific exclusion zone around occupied habitat, detections, nests, roosting areas and flight routes in consultation with the project ecologist and conservation agency.

  • Fence and sign exclusion areas before plant arrives.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, fuels and washdown areas outside retained heath.
  • Use dieback hygiene procedures for vehicles, footwear and equipment.
  • Do not burn retained habitat or conduct broad hazard reduction burning without a species-specific fire plan.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Complete pre-clearance checks

Repeat targeted call surveys close to the start of works if the site contains suitable heath or if fire, weather or the work footprint has changed.

Inspect the clearing footprint during the day for ground nests, chicks, feathers, tracks, feeding signs and dense cover that may conceal a bird. Ground nests are difficult to find, so daytime inspection does not replace dawn and dusk surveys.

Have the fauna spotter catcher and ecologist walk the final footprint, access route and stockpile areas immediately before clearing.

  • Mark all retained habitat and any suspected nest or shelter area on the ground and in the construction plan.
  • Search adjoining low vegetation before machinery enters the site.
  • Do not clear during the breeding period where avoidance is practicable. If timing cannot be changed, obtain written ecological and agency advice and increase supervision.
  • Assume breeding may be occurring during late winter and spring, including July to December.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induct the crew

Explain that the bird is small, green, ground dwelling, elusive and likely to flush low over vegetation. Show workers the red band above the beak, barred tail and yellow and black markings.

Tell all workers to stop, move away slowly and contact the spotter catcher if a bird is seen, heard repeatedly, flushed from cover or found injured.

Include the no-go areas, stop-work procedure, contact chain, hygiene controls and reporting requirements in the site induction.

  • Prohibit unauthorised handling, chasing, photography at close range and repeated flushing.
  • Require workers to report any low flight, unusual call, nest, chick or dead bird immediately.
  • Place the stop-work contact number in plant cabs and site offices.
  • Brief machine operators before each shift where clearing is staged.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear progressively

Clear in small, controlled stages and keep an experienced fauna spotter catcher at the active edge. The spotter catcher must have authority to stop work whenever a bird, nest or suitable shelter requires assessment.

Start with the least suitable or already disturbed part of the footprint and work towards retained habitat only when the ecologist confirms that the next stage is clear.

Use a slow, sequential clearing method that allows animals to move into retained habitat. Keep escape routes open and avoid surrounding a patch of dense heath with machinery.

Maintain low noise and lighting near retained habitat during dawn and dusk periods. Avoid unnecessary vehicle movements through heath.

  • Clear small areas in stages rather than opening the whole footprint at once.
  • Inspect each stage before the next stage begins.
  • Do not clear habitat outside the approved footprint.
  • Keep cleared vegetation on site only where it will not obstruct escape routes or damage retained habitat.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Apply stop-work authority

Stop work immediately if a Western Ground Parrot is seen, heard repeatedly close to the clearing edge, flushed from vegetation, found injured or suspected to be nesting in the footprint.

The spotter catcher must secure the area, withdraw workers and machinery, and contact the project ecologist. Do not resume until the animal and habitat have been assessed and the required action is documented.

If a nest, chick or active breeding place is found, establish an exclusion area and obtain advice from the relevant authority. Do not move the nest or alter the site without specific authorisation.

  • Use the same stop-work process for a suspected record where identification is uncertain.
  • Keep people and machinery outside the exclusion area.
  • Prevent dogs, vehicles and unnecessary observers from entering the area.
  • Review the work method, timing and exclusion distance before restarting.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handle animals lawfully

Only an appropriately authorised and experienced person may capture, handle, contain or relocate a bird. The preferred response is to allow a healthy bird to move into safe retained habitat without pursuit.

Do not chase a bird through dense heath or attempt to catch it because it is difficult to see. Record the direction of movement and check the immediate work area before restarting.

Use an approved wildlife veterinarian or wildlife carer for an injured bird. Keep the bird quiet, shaded and secure, and minimise handling until transport advice is received.

  • Do not feed or give water unless directed by a wildlife veterinarian or authorised carer.
  • Use a suitable ventilated container only when capture is authorised and necessary.
  • Record who handled the bird, the time, location, condition and destination.
  • Notify the conservation agency when a listed animal is injured, killed, captured or relocated under approval conditions.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Manage nests, roosts and groups

Western Ground Parrots are generally solitary and do not form known colonies. They nest on the ground in dense vegetation, and breeding places may be concealed.

If an active breeding place is found, stop work and protect the nest, eggs, chicks and surrounding cover. Obtain species-specific advice before any disturbance or relocation.

If a roost or repeated movement route is identified, retain the habitat and avoid night lighting, loud work and access through the area.

  • Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes or tree hollows for this species during active works. Its known nest is on or in the ground, not in a tree cavity.
  • Do not relocate an active nest unless the relevant authority has approved the action and a qualified specialist has prepared the method.
  • Record nest status, bird behaviour, cover, fire age and the boundaries of the exclusion area.
  • Monitor the exclusion area until the ecologist confirms that breeding activity has ended or the approved action is complete.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Keep field records

Maintain a daily fauna log for all inspections, detections, stop-work events, injuries, deaths, captures and relocations.

Record the weather, time, exact location, habitat condition, fire age, work stage, machinery involved and action taken.

Photograph signs and habitat from outside exclusion areas. Store recordings and coordinates with the project environmental records.

  • Report any unexpected impact to the project manager and environmental representative on the same shift.
  • Complete statutory or approval-condition notifications within the required timeframe.
  • Retain records for post-clearance monitoring and incident review.
  • Update the site map whenever an exclusion area or habitat boundary changes.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Complete post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no bird, nest or injured animal remains in the work area and that retained habitat has not been damaged. Monitoring should focus on survival, habitat condition, fire effects and the success of any approved relocation.

Walk the completed footprint, retained edges, access routes and stockpile areas with the fauna spotter catcher and ecologist.

Check dense ground cover, vegetation piles, drainage edges and disturbed soil for birds, chicks, nests, feathers, carcasses and trapped animals.

Inspect after each clearing stage and again at the end of the clearing program. Extend checks if a bird was detected near the work area.

  • Remove hazards such as open trenches, uncovered pits, temporary fencing entanglements and waste materials.
  • Close or cover excavations when unattended and inspect them before backfilling.
  • Confirm that exclusion fencing remains intact around retained habitat.
  • Record a nil result as well as positive detections.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Report outcomes

Prepare a completion report that compares the approved footprint with the area actually disturbed. Include all fauna records, stop-work events, injuries, deaths, handling, relocations and habitat damage.

Map retained long-unburnt heath, recently disturbed areas, dieback controls and any new access routes.

Provide records to the relevant approval holder, land manager and conservation agency where required.

  • Report any death, injury, unauthorised clearing or damage to a breeding place under the applicable approval and permit conditions.
  • Include photographs, GPS data, survey effort, dates, observers and corrective actions.
  • Keep the species’ precise locations confidential in public documents.
  • Record whether the work occurred during late winter or spring breeding conditions.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitor relocated birds

Use relocation only where it is authorised and supported by a species-specific plan. Record the release site, habitat condition, release method, bird condition and any identification details.

Monitor the release area using dawn and dusk call surveys and, where approved, passive acoustic or other low-disturbance methods.

Check whether the bird remains in suitable cover, moves between feeding and roosting areas, or shows signs of injury or stress.

  • Do not assume that a released bird has survived because it is not detected.
  • Use the same observer positions and effort between monitoring rounds where practicable.
  • Coordinate monitoring with any established translocation or captive management program.
  • Report mortality, disappearance, repeated distress or movement into unsafe habitat promptly.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Review incidents and controls

Hold an incident review after any bird detection, nest discovery, injury, death, unauthorised handling or escape from an exclusion area.

Identify whether the issue arose from survey timing, poor habitat mapping, inadequate induction, equipment failure, lighting, fire, access or supervision.

Update the clearing method and environmental management plan before the next stage.

  • Retrain the crew where a procedure was not followed.
  • Increase survey effort if detection conditions were poor or the bird was detected after clearance checks.
  • Repair fencing and improve signage immediately after any exclusion breach.
  • Share lessons with the land manager and fauna team.

After habitat disturbance: 5. Continue site monitoring

Monitor retained habitat after construction for weed invasion, dieback, altered drainage, trampling, fire damage and loss of dense cover.

Use targeted dawn and dusk surveys where the project is adjacent to occupied or potentially occupied habitat. The frequency should reflect the approval conditions, habitat risk and any detections.

Compare vegetation recovery with the habitat structure used by the species, including low dense heath and areas of long-unburnt cover.

  • Inspect after major fires, flooding, drainage changes and significant construction incidents.
  • Keep vehicles and maintenance crews out of retained heath unless access is approved and dieback controls are in place.
  • Escalate declining habitat condition or repeated predator activity to the land manager and conservation agency.
  • Link monitoring results to future fire, predator and restoration planning.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore suitable heath

Rehabilitation should rebuild dense, floristically diverse coastal heath and retain a mosaic of older cover and recovering feeding habitat. Ground nesting and cryptic behaviour mean that habitat structure, fire planning and weed control matter more than artificial nest structures.

Use local provenance seed and plant material where available, and restore low coastal heath rather than planting trees or creating open lawns.

Aim for dense ground and shrub cover, diverse native plants and abundant sedges. Restore links between retained patches, feeding areas and likely roosting habitat.

Reinstate natural soil profiles and drainage. Prevent compaction, erosion, altered water tables and salinity changes.

Typical habitat structure: Low heath generally less than 0.5 m high, sometimes up to 1 m, with more than 50 per cent cover

Post-fire use: Feeding may occur in habitat two to three years after fire when older cover is nearby

Long-unburnt use: Shelter, breeding and roosting are associated with long-unburnt heath

  • Keep rehabilitation areas free of vehicles once earthworks are complete.
  • Use staged revegetation where this reduces erosion and supports natural regrowth.
  • Retain unburnt refuge habitat beside areas that are recovering after fire.
  • Do not count recently planted vegetation as suitable habitat until cover and food resources have developed.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Do not install unsuitable structures

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, tree hollows, artificial cavities or elevated roost structures as a substitute for Western Ground Parrot habitat. The species nests on or in the ground in dense vegetation.

If an artificial nest site or ground shelter is proposed for a research or translocation program, obtain approval from the relevant conservation agency and have the design prepared by a specialist familiar with the species.

Protect natural ground cover from trampling, mowing, slashing and repeated vehicle access.

  • Keep rehabilitation free of artificial structures that attract predators or alter movement through the heath.
  • Use temporary protection fencing while planted areas establish.
  • Do not place mulch, logs or debris where they block movement or create cat and fox ambush cover.
  • Treat any proposed experimental structure as research, not routine mitigation.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Control weeds and dieback

Implement a weed inspection and control program before weeds set seed. Prioritise weeds that alter heath structure, increase fuel loads or reduce native food plants.

Apply dieback hygiene to all vehicles, machinery, footwear and soil movement. Keep infected material out of clean rehabilitation areas.

Use low-impact control methods that avoid disturbing ground nests and dense cover.

  • Map weed and dieback boundaries before treatment.
  • Clean down equipment before entering retained or rehabilitated heath and after leaving affected areas.
  • Avoid moving soil from infested areas into uninfested habitat.
  • Reinspect treated areas and infill failed plantings with local native species.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage fire and predators

Prepare a fire plan with the land manager and conservation agency. Avoid large-scale or frequent fire across occupied habitat, and retain long-unburnt refuge areas.

Use fire mosaics only where they are supported by site-specific ecological advice. Keep older cover beside recovering areas that provide post-fire feeding opportunities.

Control feral cats and foxes, with increased attention after fire when cover is scarce. Use methods approved for the reserve or project area.

  • Record fire boundaries, intensity, date and habitat recovery after every burn.
  • Do not burn a rehabilitation area simply to reduce maintenance costs.
  • Inspect for predator activity, tracks and carcasses during monitoring visits.
  • Coordinate fire and predator actions across the whole habitat patch, not only the construction footprint.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Maintain water, light and long-term monitoring

Keep natural drainage, water-table conditions and salinity within the pre-disturbance pattern. Do not create permanent wet areas, channels or barriers through heath without ecological advice.

Use shielded, low-spill lighting and switch off temporary lights when they are not required. Keep lighting away from retained habitat and likely movement routes.

Monitor rehabilitation until vegetation is established and the site supports suitable cover and food resources. Continue longer-term monitoring where the project affects occupied habitat or a translocation area.

  • Use dawn and dusk call surveys at consistent points to check for continuing use.
  • Track vegetation height, cover, sedge abundance, weed load, dieback, fire age and predator activity.
  • Inspect after drought, heat waves, major fires and construction drainage changes.
  • Adapt planting, access, fire and predator controls when monitoring shows loss of cover or reduced habitat use.

Sources