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White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis)

The White-eared Honeyeater, Nesoptilotis leucotis, is a medium-sized Australian honeyeater of dry eucalypt forests, woodlands, mallee, heath and scrub. It may occur on development sites where mature or regenerating native vegetation remains, particularly where connected tree cover supports feeding, nesting and movement. The supplied project brief lists the species as EPBC Act Endangered, but the cited species sources describe it as Least Concern and one survey source records it as not listed, so the current legal status should be checked before works begin.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Breeding season

The species is generally sedentary but may make local movements and altitudinal movements in the Southern Alps. Breeding can occur in most months, so nest checks are required across the year.

Seasonal timing varies across the species' broad range. Confirm local breeding activity through pre-clearing surveys rather than relying only on the Sydney timing.

  • Breeding: Breeding is reported in most months of the year. In Sydney, August to October is the documented breeding period.
  • Young: Young are fed by both parents, but the duration of nest dependence and fledgling dependence is not stated. Dependent young may therefore be present during any month in which breeding occurs.
  • Local and altitudinal movement: The species is sedentary, with some local migration and altitudinal migration in the Southern Alps. No peak movement months are provided.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing risk applies throughout the year because breeding can occur in most months. August to October is marked as the highest risk period because it is the documented Sydney breeding period, but active nests may occur outside these months elsewhere.

Identification

The White-eared Honeyeater is a medium-sized, strong-billed honeyeater. It is generally conspicuous because it calls frequently and often occurs in pairs or small family groups.

Adults are olive-green above and lighter green below. The grey cap, black face and black bib contrast with a distinctive white ear patch. The sexes are similar in plumage, although males are larger. Young birds are duller and browner.

Body length: 20 to 21 cm.

Weight: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Identification: Similar species

The Australian Museum identifies Lewin's Honeyeater as a similar species. The White-eared Honeyeater can be separated by its black face and bib, grey cap and sharply contrasting white ear patch.

  • Check the ear patch, rather than relying on overall green plumage alone.
  • Use the strong bill, black bib and noisy pair or family-group behaviour as supporting features.

Identification: Field signs and calls

The call is described as deep and slightly metallic, including a loud 'chew chew chew' and a repeated two-note 'tch-tchew, tch-tchew'. Nests are deep, thick-walled, open cups lined with mammal fur or hair, and may be found close to the ground in shrubs or low trees.

  • Search low shrubs and low trees for a deep, thick-walled open cup nest.
  • Listen for repeated 'chew chew chew' or 'tch-tchew, tch-tchew' calls during vegetation inspections.
  • Do not rely on tracks, scats, sloughs or eyeshine for this species, as these signs are not described in the supplied documents.

Distribution: National range

The species occurs across much of eastern and southern Australia, with both coastal and inland populations. Its distribution includes several geographically distinct subspecies and some disjunct records in inland Queensland.

The nominate subspecies occurs in coastal Australian forests from south-eastern Queensland southwards through New South Wales and Victoria to south-eastern South Australia. The species is also recorded in southern Western Australia.

The species occurs mainly in mainland eastern and southern Australia, from south-eastern Queensland, mainly east of the Great Dividing Range, to eastern South Australia, with populations in southern Western Australia. It is widespread in the Sydney sandstone region.

  • Queensland: south-eastern Queensland and a disjunct occurrence through the Desert Uplands, including Gidgee woodland at Edgbaston Reserve.
  • New South Wales: coastal and inland areas, including the Sydney sandstone region.
  • Victoria: eastern and southern forests and woodlands.
  • South Australia: eastern and south-eastern areas, Kangaroo Island, Eyre Peninsula, the Gawler Ranges and the Yellabinna region.
  • Western Australia: southern Western Australia, including mallee and semiarid eucalypt woodland.

Distribution: Subspecies and strongholds

The supplied distribution account recognises five subspecies. Relevant areas include coastal forests of south-eastern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia, inland mallee east of the Great Dividing Range, Kangaroo Island, the Eyre Peninsula, Gawler Ranges, Yellabinna region and southern Western Australian mallee.

  • Nesoptilotis leucotis leucotis: coastal forests from south-eastern Queensland to Victoria and south-eastern South Australia.
  • Nesoptilotis leucotis depauperata: inland mallee woodland east of the Great Dividing Range.
  • Nesoptilotis leucotis thomasi: Kangaroo Island.
  • Nesoptilotis leucotis novaenorciae: Eyre Peninsula, Gawler Ranges and Yellabinna region.
  • Nesoptilotis leucotis schoddei: mallee and semiarid eucalypt woodland of southern Western Australia.

Distribution: Population information

A national population estimate, local density, generation length and quantified population trend are not provided in the supplied documents. The Australian Museum reports decline in the Western Australian wheat belt and lower abundance in regenerating forests after logging and bushfires.

National population size: Not stated.

Population trend: A decline is reported for the Western Australian wheat belt; lower abundance is reported in regenerating forests after logging and bushfires.

Legal status in cited sources: Least Concern in the Australian Museum and Birds of the World accounts; not listed in the Brogo Vine Forest survey table.

Habitat: Habitat types

White-eared Honeyeaters use structurally varied native vegetation from coastal forests to inland mallee and semiarid woodland. They are most associated with eucalypt vegetation that retains understorey and connected tree cover.

The species occurs mainly in dry eucalypt forests and woodlands with a well-developed understorey. It also uses heath, shrubland and scrub, gardens, orchards and vineyards in rural areas, and mangroves in Sydney.

  • Dry eucalypt forest and woodland.
  • Mallee and semiarid eucalypt woodland.
  • Heath, shrubland and scrub with sufficient cover.
  • Gidgee and other inland woodland in disjunct parts of the range.
  • Mangroves in the Sydney area.

Habitat: Vegetation structure

A well-developed understorey is a recurring habitat feature. The species also avoids crossing large open areas and prefers corridors with tree cover, making retained vegetation links important where clearing is proposed.

  • Retain connected tree cover between larger vegetation remnants.
  • Retain dense shrubs and low trees that may provide nesting sites.
  • Inspect remnant edges, regrowth and narrow vegetation corridors, not only intact forest interiors.
  • Treat mature and regenerating eucalypt woodland as potential habitat where food-bearing bark, trunks and flowering plants are present.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The species occurs from coastal areas to the tree line in the Southern Alps and is rarely found in the tropical zone. The supplied documents do not provide a numerical elevation limit.

Elevation range: Coast to the tree line in the Southern Alps; numerical limits are not stated.

Tropical occurrence: Rarely found in the tropical zone.

Foraging habitat: Food

The White-eared Honeyeater searches trunks, bark and crevices for animal prey and supplements this diet with plant and insect products. Feeding habitat is therefore associated with live eucalypts, rough bark, tree wounds, flowering vegetation and connected woodland cover.

The diet consists mainly of insects. Other recorded foods include nectar, fruit, manna, lerp and honeydew, which are insect by-products.

  • Retain flowering native plants and eucalypts that provide nectar.
  • Retain trees with rough bark, crevices and trunk wounds that support insect feeding.
  • Avoid removing mature trees solely because the species may also use shrubs and low vegetation.

Foraging habitat: Foraging method and location

The species forages under strips of bark and in crevices, mainly on eucalypts. It also feeds at wounds on tree trunks. The supplied documents do not give a measured foraging range, territory size or feeding height.

Foraging range: Not quantified in the supplied documents.

  • Inspect bark-bearing eucalypts and trees with trunk wounds during habitat assessment.
  • Search the canopy, trunks, lower branches and understorey rather than surveying only open ground.
  • Maintain tree-lined movement corridors because the species does not readily fly across open spaces.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

White-eared Honeyeaters breed in shrubs and low trees, often close to the ground. Both parents feed the young, while the female incubates the eggs.

The species can breed during most months of the year. In Sydney, breeding is reported from August to October. Nests may be parasitised by Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Pallid Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo and Shining Bronze-cuckoo.

Breeding season: Most months of the year; August to October in Sydney.

Nest: Deep, thick-walled, open cup, lined with mammal fur or hair.

Nest location: Usually close to the ground in shrubs or low trees.

Clutch size: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Incubation period: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not stated in the supplied documents.

  • Treat low shrubs and low trees as potential breeding habitat during all months.
  • Before clearing, inspect dense shrubs and low tree branches for open-cup nests.
  • If an active nest is found, establish an exclusion area and follow the project fauna management procedure.

Breeding habitat: Breeding-site features

Breeding habitat comprises shrubs or low trees that can support a low, open-cup nest, together with nearby woodland that provides food for adults and dependent young. The species may collect human hair and other mammal fur for nest lining.

  • Retain dense low vegetation beneath or beside eucalypt woodland.
  • Inspect vegetation scheduled for removal immediately before clearing because breeding can occur in most months.
  • Retain nearby feeding trees and connected cover around any nest site.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and roosting habitat

The supplied documents provide information mainly on nesting cover and vegetation used for feeding and movement. They do not describe specific roost trees, tree hollow dimensions, burrows or refuge distances.

Dense understorey, shrubs, low trees and connected eucalypt vegetation provide the main documented cover features. The species prefers tree-covered corridors and is less likely to cross open areas.

  • Retain shrub layers and low tree cover within woodland remnants.
  • Retain connected vegetation between cleared areas where practicable.
  • Inspect vegetation corridors, remnant edges and regrowth for birds moving between feeding and nesting sites.

Sheltering habitat: Nest and shelter details

The nest is an open cup placed close to the ground in a shrub or low tree. No measurements are provided for nest height, nest diameter, roost size or hollow requirements.

Nest type: Deep, thick-walled, open cup.

Nest placement: Close to the ground in shrubs or low trees.

Hollow, burrow or den use: Not described in the supplied documents.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main documented risks are vegetation clearing, fragmentation, loss of tree corridors, logging, bushfire and decline in the condition of remnant vegetation. These risks are relevant to road, utility, subdivision and construction projects that remove or isolate eucalypt woodland and understorey.

The species does not like to fly over open spaces and prefers corridors with tree cover. Clearing can therefore remove feeding and nesting habitat and interrupt movement between remnants.

  • Minimise the width of clearing through woodland and retain continuous tree cover where possible.
  • Protect low shrubs and low trees, not only mature canopy trees.
  • Avoid leaving isolated narrow remnants without links to nearby native vegetation.
  • Use pre-clearing inspections to locate active nests in shrubs and low trees.

Threats: Logging, fire and vegetation condition

The species is less common in regenerating forests after logging and bushfires. More broadly, woodland bird communities are affected by clearing, decline in remnant condition, altered fire regimes and changes in vegetation structure.

  • Avoid unnecessary removal of mature eucalypts and dense understorey during construction.
  • Protect retained vegetation from machinery damage, soil compaction and accidental fire.
  • Plan rehabilitation to restore layered native vegetation and tree-connected corridors.
  • Consider the time needed for logged or burnt vegetation to regain suitable structure before relying on rehabilitation as a habitat substitute.

Threats: Other pressures

The supplied documents do not identify a species-specific disease, road mortality rate, hydrology threat or predator impact. In woodland remnants, Noisy Miner dominance is identified as a broader pressure on small-bodied birds, and project assessments should consider whether clearing or edge effects may increase this pressure.

  • Record and manage Noisy Miner abundance where it is associated with degraded or fragmented woodland.
  • Assess road and traffic effects where clearing creates gaps between vegetation remnants, even though species-specific road mortality data are not provided.
  • Check for hydrology changes where works affect mangroves, riparian vegetation or other wet habitats used in the local area.

Survey methodology: 1. Diurnal habitat and bird searches

Survey effort should reflect the White-eared Honeyeater’s use of dry eucalypt forest and woodland with a developed understorey, heath, shrubland and scrub. The supplied sources do not provide a species-specific Australian survey guideline or minimum effort, so the methods below are practical project controls rather than prescribed effort.

Search retained and potentially occupied habitat during the day, when this species is usually conspicuous, noisy and seen in pairs or small family groups.

Prioritise dry eucalypt forest and woodland with a developed understorey, as well as heath, shrubland, scrub, tree-lined corridors and flowering eucalypts.

Walk systematic transects through all habitat proposed for clearing and along edges, recording birds, calls, feeding trees, nests and movement corridors.

Inspect eucalypt trunks and branches for foraging activity because the species searches under bark and in crevices and feeds at tree wounds.

Adult size: 20 to 21 cm

Typical social unit: Pairs or small family groups

Main activity period: Daytime

  • Repeat searches in suitable weather with low wind and no heavy rain, because wind and rain reduce detection of calls and movement.
  • Record the start and finish time, observers, weather, transect route, habitat type, number of birds, behaviour and GPS locations.
  • Treat a single call, visual detection or reliable identification as a species record, and retain photographs or sound recordings where practicable.

Survey methodology: 2. Nest and breeding checks

Search shrubs and low trees for deep, thick-walled, open-cup nests, including nests lined with mammal fur or hair.

Inspect vegetation close to the ground, particularly dense understorey and low trees within the proposed clearing footprint and access routes.

Schedule repeat checks because breeding has been recorded in most months of the year, with August to October identified as the breeding period in Sydney.

Reported breeding season: Most months of the year; August to October in Sydney

Nest location: Close to the ground in shrubs or low trees

Nest form: Deep, thick-walled, open cup

  • Use an experienced ecologist to distinguish White-eared Honeyeater nests from other open-cup nests and to assess whether adults are incubating or feeding young.
  • Do not approach an active nest closely enough to cause repeated flushing, and do not remove vegetation containing an active nest unless the relevant approval expressly allows it.
  • Record nest position, height, substrate, activity, adult behaviour and the proposed protection area.

Survey methodology: 3. Call and dusk checks

Include quiet listening periods at dawn and, where site conditions require it, dusk checks along retained tree corridors and woodland edges.

Listen for the reported deep, slightly metallic voice, including the repeated ‘chew chew chew’ and two-note ‘tch-tchew, tch-tchew’ calls.

Use call playback only under an approved project method and sparingly, because unnecessary playback can disturb territorial or breeding birds.

  • Record the direction and estimated location of calling birds, then confirm the record visually where practicable.
  • Do not rely on spotlighting as the primary method because the species is a daytime honeyeater and the supplied sources provide no evidence that night searches improve detection.
  • Extend listening and observation along connected tree cover because the species avoids crossing open areas and uses corridors with trees.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • There is no species-specific number of transects, survey hours, nights, trap nights, area or seasonal visits in the supplied documents, so set effort in the fauna survey plan according to the area of suitable habitat, disturbance footprint, habitat condition and proposed clearing method.
  • Survey all suitable habitat within the disturbance footprint and inspect adjoining retained vegetation where birds could move, forage or nest during works.
  • Undertake additional surveys if the initial search occurs in poor weather, visibility is low, vegetation is dense, or a reliable call is heard without visual confirmation.
  • Record negative results as well as detections, including the area searched, observer names, dates, times, weather, methods and limitations.
  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and the Atlas of Living Australia where appropriate.
  • Check the current EPBC Act and state or territory status before works because the supplied project brief identifies the species as Endangered, while the supplied government survey table lists it as not listed and the Australian Museum and Birds of the World sources report Least Concern.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat dry eucalypt woodland, forest and connected shrub cover as potential White-eared Honeyeater habitat. The species also uses heath, scrub, gardens, orchards and vineyards, but is less common in agricultural areas and avoids crossing open ground.

Retain mature and mid-storey eucalypts, dense understorey, low shrubs, tree-lined corridors and groups of flowering trees within and beside the work area.

Keep connected tree cover between retained patches because the species prefers corridors with trees and does not readily fly over open spaces.

Avoid clearing habitat during active breeding whenever practicable, noting that breeding can occur in most months and that August to October is a reported breeding period in Sydney.

Avoid unnecessary removal of trees with loose bark, crevices or trunk wounds because these are reported foraging sites.

  • Use the smallest practicable clearing footprint and place access tracks, stockpiles and laydown areas in already cleared or unsuitable ground.
  • Retain a continuous understorey beneath and between trees where it provides cover for feeding and nesting.
  • Define no-go areas around retained vegetation and include them on construction drawings and site environmental maps.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Confirm the current conservation status in the EPBC Act Protected Matters Search Tool and relevant state or territory legislation before finalising the approval pathway.

If the species is currently nationally listed at the project site, assess whether the action is likely to have a significant impact and refer the action under the EPBC Act where required.

Obtain state or territory wildlife permits for capture, handling, relocation, nest disturbance or other regulated activities before mobilisation.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies suitable habitat, survey results, exclusion areas, fauna spotter catcher responsibilities, stop-work triggers, release sites and reporting requirements.

  • Stage clearing so that retained vegetation and escape routes remain available while each work area is cleared.
  • Use the breeding information available for the local region to schedule clearing outside the highest-risk period where practicable, but do not assume that the species is absent outside August to October.
  • Brief all operators on the species’ appearance, call, habitat and the requirement to stop when fauna is detected.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance and site preparation

Complete a pre-clearance inspection of all vegetation, access routes, trench alignments and work pads immediately before disturbance.

Mark retained trees, dense understorey, active nests, tree corridors and other fauna exclusion areas with high-visibility fencing or paint that will not damage vegetation.

Install exclusion fencing where it can prevent machinery entering retained habitat, while maintaining safe movement routes for birds and other fauna.

Remove slash and stored materials from retained habitat and keep machinery, lighting and personnel within the approved disturbance footprint.

  • Reinspect any area where more than a short period has passed since the pre-clearance survey or where vegetation has changed.
  • Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher for any clearing that could affect occupied habitat, nests or fauna shelter features.
  • Do not use domestic hair, fur or other material placed by workers as a substitute for retaining natural nesting habitat.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

The fauna spotter catcher should control the sequence of clearing, maintain clear communication with operators and respond immediately to birds, nests and other fauna found in the work area. White-eared Honeyeaters are mobile birds, but nests are low and may be hidden in shrubs or low trees.

Conduct a daily pre-start inspection of the active work area, retained vegetation, exclusion fencing and access routes.

The fauna spotter catcher must remain able to see the clearing face and must have a direct stop-work communication method with the machine operator.

Clear vegetation in a staged direction towards retained habitat or another approved safe area, leaving an escape route and avoiding trapping birds against fencing, buildings or machinery.

Use low-speed, controlled clearing around shrubs, low trees, dense understorey and known feeding trees.

  • Stop the machine immediately when the fauna spotter catcher gives the agreed stop signal.
  • Do not restart until the fauna spotter catcher has inspected the area, authorised restart and recorded the event where required.
  • Keep workers, vehicles, dogs and unnecessary noise away from retained habitat and any active nest.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna, nests and habitat features

If a White-eared Honeyeater is found, pause nearby works and allow it to leave naturally towards retained tree cover where safe to do so.

Do not catch or relocate a healthy flying bird unless an authorised person determines that handling is necessary under the approved fauna management plan.

Treat a nest in a shrub or low tree as potentially active until an appropriately qualified person confirms otherwise by observing adult activity and nest contents.

Do not disturb an active nest without the required approval and a site-specific method prepared by a suitably qualified ecologist.

  • Use only authorised and trained personnel to capture, handle or relocate fauna.
  • If relocation is approved, release the bird into nearby retained habitat with connected tree cover, away from active machinery and outside the immediate disturbance area.
  • Do not invent a release distance or release site; use the location and conditions approved in the fauna management plan.
  • The supplied documents do not identify White-eared Honeyeater dependence on tree hollows, logs, rocks, burrows or wetlands, so manage those features for other fauna values identified by the project rather than claiming they are species-specific requirements.

During habitat disturbance: Injuries, stop-work triggers and records

Stop work if a White-eared Honeyeater is injured, trapped, repeatedly flushed, found in an active nest, or detected inside the active clearing face.

Stop work if exclusion fencing fails, machinery enters a no-go area, a retained corridor is severed, or the fauna spotter catcher loses a safe view of the clearing face.

Place an injured bird in a suitable ventilated container only if the authorised handler is trained and it is safe to do so, then transport it to a veterinarian or licensed wildlife carer under the approved procedure.

Record the date, time, location, species, number of birds, behaviour, nest status, action taken, handler, release or treatment outcome, photographs and any approval or incident number.

  • Notify the project environmental officer and relevant regulator when an incident meets the reporting threshold in the approval or fauna management plan.
  • Keep a daily fauna log, including searches with no detections, machinery shutdowns, relocations, injuries, nest observations and breaches of exclusion controls.
  • Do not resume work after an injury, nest discovery or control breach until the fauna spotter catcher and project environmental officer agree that the approved controls are in place.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection and monitoring

Post-clearance actions should confirm that no fauna remains in the work area, that retained habitat and corridors were protected, and that any incident has been closed out. Monitoring should focus on the habitat retained for the species and on any restoration commitments.

Inspect the cleared area, retained vegetation edges, access routes and exclusion fencing at the end of each clearing shift and after machinery leaves the site.

Search for injured or trapped birds, damaged nests and unplanned vegetation removal before the area is released to construction crews.

Monitor retained dry eucalypt woodland, forest, shrubland and tree corridors for White-eared Honeyeaters using repeat daytime observations and call records.

Compare post-clearance detections with pre-clearance records, noting changes in birds, habitat condition, connectivity, flowering resources and understorey cover.

  • Increase monitoring if birds were detected breeding, if a nest was disturbed, if clearing removed a corridor, or if the project approval specifies additional surveys.
  • Maintain exclusion fencing, no-go markers and speed controls until construction no longer threatens retained habitat.
  • Record the date, observer, method, weather, route, detections, behaviour and any corrective action for each monitoring visit.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and corrective action

Provide the fauna clearance and monitoring report to the project environmental officer, approval holder and relevant regulator where required.

Report any EPBC or state approval non-compliance, injury, mortality, nest disturbance or unauthorised clearing through the approved incident pathway.

Repair damaged fencing, reinstate corridor protection and remove materials from retained habitat as soon as practicable.

Assess whether supplementary planting, weed control or other restoration is required where clearing has reduced connected tree cover or understorey.

  • Submit confirmed occurrence records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and the Atlas of Living Australia where appropriate.
  • Retain photographs, GPS data, field sheets, permits, treatment records and release details with the project environmental records.
  • Apply any required offset or compensatory habitat measure only in accordance with the approval, conservation advice and applicable legislation.

Rehabilitation actions: Recreate habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the structure and connections used by White-eared Honeyeaters rather than relying only on tree planting. The best-supported targets are dry eucalypt woodland or forest, a developed understorey, connected tree cover and native flowering and insect-producing vegetation.

Replant locally appropriate native eucalypts and understorey shrubs that match the pre-clearing community and provide connected cover between retained patches.

Use local provenance where required by the project approval and select species that provide flowering resources, insects, manna, lerp or honeydew over time.

Re-establish a dense but varied understorey of native shrubs and regenerate natural ground cover beneath and between trees.

Do not assume that a particular eucalypt species is required across Australia, because the supplied sources describe habitat broadly rather than prescribing a planting list.

  • Prioritise continuous vegetated corridors over isolated planting islands because the species avoids flying over open areas.
  • Protect revegetation from grazing, trampling, vehicle access and fire until plants are established.
  • Retain standing dead trees, loose bark and natural trunk features where safe, because the species forages under bark and in crevices.

Rehabilitation actions: Nest and shelter values

Retain existing low shrubs and low trees wherever they can be safely incorporated into the rehabilitation design because nests are built close to the ground.

Do not install nest boxes as a species-specific measure unless monitoring or another fauna assessment identifies a demonstrated need, because the supplied sources describe open-cup nests rather than hollow nesting.

Reinstate natural logs, rocks, hollows and other shelter features where they were removed for construction, subject to safety and biosecurity controls, to support the broader fauna community.

  • Keep rehabilitated corridors connected to mature trees and retained woodland rather than ending them at roads, cleared verges or hardstand.
  • Use protective guards or temporary fencing where browsing or vehicle damage threatens young plants.
  • Remove dumped material and construction debris that obstructs understorey regeneration or creates hazards for fauna.

Rehabilitation actions: Weeds, predators, fire and success measures

Control environmental weeds so native understorey and shrub cover can develop, using methods approved for the site and avoiding disturbance during breeding or nesting activity.

Manage domestic animals, introduced predators and artificial lighting around retained and rehabilitated habitat in accordance with the project fauna management plan.

Develop a fire management approach that protects established woodland, understorey and nest sites, noting that the supplied sources report lower abundance in forests after bushfires but do not prescribe a fire interval.

Monitor rehabilitation for survival of planted eucalypts and shrubs, development of connected tree cover, understorey density, flowering and insect resources, weed cover, bird use and evidence of breeding.

  • Set success criteria before works begin, including plant survival, cover, corridor continuity and confirmed White-eared Honeyeater use, with targets approved by the project ecologist or regulator.
  • Survey rehabilitated areas during daylight using the same core method as the pre-clearance survey so results are comparable.
  • Continue monitoring until the agreed success criteria are met, and replace failed plantings or repair damaged fencing and corridors where results fall short.

Sources