Yellow-tinted Honeyeater (Ptilotula flavescens)

Conservation status

Northern Territory, Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976: Near threatened.

Breeding season

The documented breeding season extends from July to March. The species is described as dispersive, but the supplied material does not provide a seasonal movement pattern or identify months of peak movement.

Months are ordered January to December. A value of 1 indicates that the period occurs or is relevant, while 2 would indicate a documented peak. No peak period is specified in the supplied documents.

• Breeding: Breeding season is July to March. Peak breeding months are not specified.
• Young: Nests contain 1 to 2 eggs, incubation lasts 10 to 12 days and fledging occurs at about 14 days. The documents do not give the duration of post-fledging dependence.
• Movement or dispersal: The species is described as dispersive, but no seasonal movement period or migration pattern is provided.
• Highest clearing risk: Clearing is most likely to harm the species during the documented July to March breeding period because it may remove active suspended nests and dependent young. No peak nesting months are provided.

Identification

The Yellow-tinted Honeyeater is a small honeyeater with a body length of 14 to 16 cm. Identification in the field should combine size, plumage, bill and gape characters, behaviour, calls and nest features.

Adults can appear greyish, as shown by field observations from the Northern Territory. The supplied material does not provide a full plumage description, so photographs or a suitable field guide should be used when separating this species from other small honeyeaters.

Adults have a wire brush tongue associated with nectar feeding. The species may be seen hovering while drinking or feeding.

Adult size: 14 to 16 cm

Body mass: 11.5 to 17 g

Identification: Age and similar species

Immature birds have a yellow gape. Juveniles may have an almost entirely yellow bill, which helps separate them from adults.

The supplied documents do not provide diagnostic comparisons with similar honeyeater species or information on sex-specific plumage. Confirm uncertain records with clear photographs, call recordings or an experienced bird ecologist.

Identification: Field signs

The call is recorded as part of a dawn chorus in the Top End, Northern Territory. Call recordings may assist detection where birds are concealed in vegetation.

The nest is a suspended basket made from grass stems, bark strips and webs. It is placed 2 to 4 m above ground and may be detected during pre-clearing inspections by searching suitable vegetation for suspended structures and by watching for nest-building activity.

The supplied documents do not describe tracks, scats, roosts, hollows, burrows or eyeshine.

Distribution: Documented jurisdictions

The supplied records document the species in the Northern Territory and Queensland. They do not define the full national range, bioregional limits, strongholds, subpopulations, population size or population trend.

Records in the supplied material include the Top End and Victoria River region of the Northern Territory, including Darwin, East Point Reserve, Katherine, Timber Creek and Judburra National Park. Queensland records include Wondecla, Adels Grove near Boodjamulla National Park and Camooweal Caves.

The listed state conservation status is Near Threatened in the Northern Territory. The species is not listed under the EPBC Act.

Northern Territory status: Near Threatened

EPBC Act status: Not listed

States documented in the supplied records: Northern Territory and Queensland

Distribution: Range and population information

No national distribution map, bioregion list, population estimate, subpopulation assessment or trend is provided in the supplied documents.

For project assessments, treat records from the Northern Territory and Queensland as evidence of occurrence and check current state databases and regional survey records before concluding that the species is absent from a site.

Habitat: Documented site context

The supplied observations place Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters in northern Australian sites across the Northern Territory and Queensland. They do not identify vegetation communities, elevation limits or a defined climate envelope.

The species has been recorded at reserves, national park surroundings, roadside locations, a rest stop, an airport and creek or water-associated sites. These records show that it can occur in both natural and modified settings.

Recorded localities include East Point Reserve, Judburra National Park, Boodjamulla National Park, Camooweal Caves, Timber Creek Airport and roadside sites along the Victoria Highway and Buntine Highway.

Habitat: Structural features

Suitable habitat at a project site is likely to include vegetation that provides nectar, insect prey, drinking water and elevated supports for suspended nests. This is a field assessment principle based on the species' documented feeding and breeding observations.

Search vegetation from ground level to at least 4 m during pre-clearing inspections because nests have been recorded 2 to 4 m above ground.

Known nest height: 2 to 4 m above ground

Habitat: Elevation and climate limits

The supplied documents do not provide elevation limits or a defined climatic range.

Foraging habitat: Food

Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters feed on nectar and insects and also require access to drinking water. The supplied documents do not identify particular plant species, feeding territories or foraging distances.

Recorded feeding includes nectar, insects and a beetle carried by a juvenile. The species has also been observed drinking and bathing at puddles and drinking while hovering.

Retain flowering vegetation, insect-producing vegetation and accessible water where practicable during construction planning and site rehabilitation.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

The species may forage in vegetation and may hover while feeding or drinking. A wire brush tongue is visible during nectar feeding.

No foraging range, home range, territory size or preferred food plant list is provided. Do not use an assumed foraging radius in impact calculations without site-specific evidence.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters breed from July to March. Breeding habitat must provide suitable vegetation for a suspended nest, materials for nest construction and nearby food and water resources.

Breeding season: July to March

Clutch size: 1 to 2 eggs

Egg description: Pale reddish brown with mid to dark-brown speckles; tapered oval

Incubation: 10 to 12 days

Fledging: About 14 days

Age at maturity: Not provided

Lifespan: Not provided

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

The nest is a suspended basket constructed from grass stems, bark strips and webs. It is placed 2 to 4 m above ground.

Pre-clearing inspections should search suitable vegetation for suspended baskets and observe repeated visits by adults. Active nest construction has been recorded at an airport site, showing that breeding habitat can occur in modified areas.

Nest type: Suspended basket

Nest materials: Grass stems, bark strips and webs

Nest height: 2 to 4 m above ground

Sheltering habitat: Known structures

The supplied documents do not describe specific roosts, refuges or overnight shelter sites. Vegetation supporting nests and feeding is the main documented structural habitat feature.

The only documented constructed structure is the suspended breeding nest, which is placed 2 to 4 m above ground. The documents do not state whether the species uses tree hollows, dense ground cover, cavities or particular roost trees.

During clearing, retain and inspect vegetation that could support suspended nests, particularly between July and March.

Documented shelter or nest height: 2 to 4 m above ground

Sheltering habitat: Site practice

Where vegetation removal is unavoidable, inspect the area immediately before works and maintain a clearly defined no-go buffer around any active nest in accordance with the project approval and fauna handling plan.

No species-specific nest buffer distance is provided in the supplied documents.

Threats: Clearing and construction

The supplied documents do not provide a formal threat assessment. For project work, the clearest species-specific risks are removal of active nests, loss of flowering and insect-producing vegetation, and loss or contamination of drinking water.

Clearing during the July to March breeding season may remove active suspended nests, nesting material and vegetation used by dependent young.

Clearing can also reduce nectar, insect and water resources. Inspect vegetation from ground level to 4 m before removal and record any nest-building activity.

Threats: Roads and modified sites

The species has been recorded at roadside locations, a rest stop and an airport. These settings may expose birds to vehicle strike, machinery and disturbance, although the supplied documents do not quantify these impacts.

Schedule vegetation removal and high-noise works outside active nesting areas where practicable, and keep water points free from sediment, fuel and other contaminants.

Threats: Other pressures

The supplied documents do not report species-specific effects of fragmentation, fire, introduced predators, disease or hydrology change.

Assess these pressures at site level where they may remove feeding vegetation, alter water availability or disturb nesting birds. Do not describe them as confirmed population threats without additional evidence.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat and activity searches

The available species information supports targeted daytime observation, dawn call surveys and breeding checks. No prescribed transect length, survey area, trap effort or number of survey visits is provided for Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, so effort must be set using the applicable state survey guidance and the project risk assessment.

Search the entire disturbance footprint and retained vegetation that could be used by the species during daylight hours.

Record all Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters, feeding activity, drinking sites, family groups and flight paths.

Look for feeding on nectar and insects, including beetles, and note any repeated use of flowering vegetation or water points.

• Walk slowly and quietly through suitable vegetation, stopping regularly to scan foliage and listen for calls.
• Record the location, date, time, number of birds, behaviour and the direction of movement for every detection.
• Repeat searches where vegetation, access or noise has limited visibility or audibility.

Survey methodology: 2. Dawn call and activity surveys

Include surveys around dawn because the species has a recorded dawn chorus and may be detected by call before it is seen.

Use the species call recordings and local reference material to assist identification, while confirming records by sight where practicable.

• Conduct surveys in dry, low-wind conditions where possible, and document rain, wind, temperature, visibility and machinery noise.
• Remain stationary at observation points long enough to detect calling birds and moving groups, with the duration and number of points set by the relevant state guideline or project risk assessment.
• Map calling locations and any movement between retained vegetation and the work area.

Survey methodology: 3. Breeding and nest searches

The recorded breeding season is July to March. During this period, inspect vegetation for suspended basket nests, particularly between 2 and 4 m above ground.

The nest is made from grass stems, bark strips and webs. Eggs are pale reddish brown with mid to dark-brown speckles, and there are usually 1 to 2 eggs.

Breeding season: July to March

Nest type: Suspended basket

Nest height: 2 to 4 m above ground

Clutch size: 1 to 2 eggs

Incubation: 10 to 12 days

Fledging age: About 14 days

• Complete a pre-clearance nest search immediately before works and repeat it where clearing is staged or delayed.
• Search from the ground and from safe access points, without disturbing active nests or handling eggs, chicks or adults.
• Record nest location, height, condition, activity and the nearest retained vegetation, then establish a work exclusion area in accordance with the approved fauna management plan and state requirements.
• Do not assume that an empty nest is inactive without checking for adults, eggs or dependent young.

Survey methodology: 4. Minimum effort and reporting

• Use the applicable state or territory fauna survey guideline to set the number, duration and spacing of visits because the supplied documents do not prescribe project survey effort for this species.
• Survey during the July to March breeding period when nest or dependent-young risk is relevant, unless the state guideline or project risk assessment requires additional timing.
• Do not use trapping, banding or handling as a routine detection method for this species unless it is authorised, justified and covered by the relevant permit and animal ethics requirements.
• If authorised banding is undertaken, the ABBBS list gives band size 02 with AY metal for Yellow-tinted Honeyeater.
• Submit confirmed records, including incidental construction records, to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and retain spatial data, photographs and survey metadata in the project record.
• Report the species as Ptilotula flavescens and retain the common name Yellow-tinted Honeyeater in all project records.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Plan works around the species' use of flowering vegetation, insects, water points and breeding sites. Treat July to March as the period requiring particular attention to nests, eggs and dependent young.

• Retain vegetation used for feeding, drinking, shelter, nesting and movement wherever practicable.
• Retain flowering plants and other vegetation supporting nectar and insect prey within and beside the work area.
• Retain connected vegetation between the disturbance footprint and nearby retained habitat, particularly where birds are repeatedly observed moving through the site.
• Avoid removing vegetation containing an active nest, eggs or dependent young.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Confirm approvals and responsibilities

• Check the current Commonwealth and state or territory conservation status before works begin, and confirm whether the proposal requires an EPBC Act referral, state approval or wildlife permit.
• Confirm that the ecologist, fauna spotter catcher and any person handling wildlife hold the required qualifications, authorisations and permits for the jurisdiction.
• Include Yellow-tinted Honeyeater survey, exclusion, rescue, reporting and stop-work procedures in the approved fauna management plan.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Stage and schedule the works

• Schedule vegetation clearing outside the July to March breeding period where practicable.
• If clearing during July to March cannot be avoided, complete a current nest and activity search before each stage and allow the authorised fauna spotter catcher to inspect the active work area.
• Stage clearing towards retained vegetation so mobile birds can leave the work area without being surrounded by machinery.
• Avoid starting noisy or high-disturbance works at dawn where this would prevent detection of the species' dawn calls.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Prepare the site

• Mark the approved clearing boundary and all retained vegetation before machinery arrives.
• Mark active nests, repeated feeding or drinking sites and any retained movement corridor on construction plans and on the ground.
• Install exclusion fencing where it can protect retained vegetation or an active nest without blocking normal bird movement.
• Brief all machine operators and crew on the species' appearance, the work exclusion areas, the stop-work trigger and the fauna spotter catcher's authority.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Daily controls

The fauna spotter catcher must control the interface between wildlife and machinery. Work must stop when an animal, active nest or dependent young cannot be protected under the approved method.

• Inspect the work area, exclusion fencing and retained vegetation at the start of each shift and after any change to the work footprint.
• Keep machinery within the marked clearing boundary and prevent stockpiling, access tracks or vehicle parking from encroaching into retained habitat.
• Maintain quiet, clear communication between the fauna spotter catcher, supervisor and machine operators throughout clearing.
• Repeat checks when clearing is staged, delayed or resumed after a break.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Spotter catcher and machinery

• Position the fauna spotter catcher where the operator can see and hear the direction of clearing and can signal an immediate stop.
• Clear in short stages under direct supervision, rather than allowing machinery to work ahead of the fauna spotter catcher.
• Stop machinery before inspecting vegetation, nests or an animal that has entered the work area.
• Do not allow untrained workers to chase, catch, handle or release the bird.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Animals, nests and habitat features

• If a Yellow-tinted Honeyeater is found, stop work locally, allow it to leave naturally where safe, and prevent machinery from advancing until the fauna spotter catcher confirms that the area is clear.
• Do not handle an alert, flying bird unless handling is authorised and necessary to prevent immediate harm.
• If an active nest, eggs or dependent young are found, stop work in the immediate area and follow the approved exclusion distance and specialist advice for the jurisdiction.
• Do not remove vegetation containing an active nest unless the relevant wildlife authority has approved the action and an authorised person is directing it.
• Treat hollow-bearing trees, logs, rocks, burrows, wet areas and other fauna habitat as potential refuge for animals encountered during clearing, even though the supplied species information does not identify these features as specific Yellow-tinted Honeyeater habitat.
• If an injured bird is found, place it in the care of an appropriately authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian as soon as practicable, using a qualified person for capture and transport.

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

• Stop work if the bird is at risk of contact with machinery, if an active nest or dependent young is exposed, or if the approved exclusion area cannot be maintained.
• Stop work if visibility, noise, smoke, dust, weather or site conditions prevent the fauna spotter catcher from checking the next clearing stage safely.
• Record every detection, nest, rescue, release, injury, mortality, stop-work event and work exclusion area, including date, time, location, action taken and personnel involved.
• Notify the site supervisor and environmental officer immediately when a permit condition, approval condition or fauna management procedure is triggered.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Complete post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no bird, nest or dependent young remains in the disturbed area and that retained habitat controls are still working.

• Inspect the cleared area, retained vegetation edges and access routes immediately after each clearing stage.
• Check for injured or displaced birds, active nests, eggs, dependent young and mortality before machinery leaves the stage.
• Repeat the inspection after the next dawn where clearing occurred near retained vegetation or during the July to March breeding period.
• Record any new activity, feeding, drinking or movement between the retained vegetation and the cleared area.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Maintain controls and monitor use

• Keep exclusion fencing, marked retained vegetation and no-go areas in place until the environmental officer confirms that they are no longer required.
• Monitor retained flowering vegetation, water points and movement corridors where pre-clearance surveys recorded repeated use.
• Use the monitoring results to adjust work staging, access routes and protection measures if birds continue to enter the work area.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Close-out reporting

• Provide the project owner and relevant approval authority with the survey, clearing, fauna interaction, injury, mortality and rehabilitation records required by the approval and fauna management plan.
• Submit confirmed species records and significant observations to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.
• Report any breach of an approval, permit or exclusion condition promptly and document the corrective action.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore feeding and nesting structure

Rehabilitation should restore feeding, nesting and movement opportunities used by the species, with priority given to locally appropriate flowering vegetation and insect-producing structure. The available species information does not identify particular plant species, so planting must be based on local reference vegetation and approval conditions.

• Replant locally appropriate native flowering vegetation that provides nectar and supports insect prey for honeyeaters.
• Retain or re-establish vegetation capable of supporting suspended nests 2 to 4 m above ground.
• Use local reference vegetation, seed provenance requirements and advice from the relevant state or territory agency to select plant species.
• Avoid introducing exotic plants or planting arrangements that reduce visibility, access or movement through retained habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Reinstate site function and manage threats

• Reinstate soil, drainage and vegetation structure needed for healthy native plant growth after construction.
• Retain suitable natural logs, rocks and other habitat materials where they are safe and consistent with the approved rehabilitation design, while recognising that these features are not identified as species-specific requirements in the supplied documents.
• Control weeds and prevent rehabilitation areas from becoming dominated by vegetation that does not provide suitable nectar or insect resources.
• Apply fire management, pest management and access controls required by the local reserve, land manager or approved rehabilitation plan.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Monitor success

• Inspect planted areas for survival, flowering, weed cover, erosion and damage at the intervals specified in the rehabilitation plan.
• Survey for Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters during daylight and around dawn, including the July to March breeding period, and record feeding, drinking, nesting, calls and movement.
• Treat repeated use of rehabilitated vegetation, evidence of feeding and successful nesting as species-specific indicators of habitat function.
• Replace failed plants and repair damaged exclusion fencing or rehabilitation areas when monitoring shows that the agreed performance criteria are not being met.
• Submit rehabilitation monitoring records and any confirmed species records to the project environmental register and the relevant state or territory wildlife database.

Sources

• ABBBS Recommended Band Size List, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/band-size-list-may-2018.pdf
• Yellow-tinted Honeyeater (Ptilotula flavescens) - M. Dahlem, mdahlem.net: https://mdahlem.net/birds/18/yeltihon.php