Black-eared Miner(Manorina melanotis)Recovery Plan

March 2003

Approved Recovery Plan

© NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2003This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under theCopyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior writtenpermission from NPWS.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service43 Bridge Street(PO Box 1967)Hurstville NSW 2220Tel: 02 95856444www.npws.nsw.gov.au

For further information contact:

Black-eared Miner Recovery Co-ordinatorThreatened Species Unit, Western Directorate.NSW National Parks and Wildlife ServiceP.O. Box 2111Dubbo NSW 2830Tel (02) 6883 5358

Cover illustration: Black-eared Miner

Photographer: Rohan Clarke

ISBN: 0 7313 6670 0

Black-eared Miner(Manorina melanotis)

Recovery Plan

Prepared in accordance with the New South WalesThreatened Species Conservation Act 1995

March 2003

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Recovery PlanningProgram

ii

Acknowledgments

This Recovery Plan is in large part derived from the work of many people, agencies,institutions, and community groups over the past decade. Much of this ground-breakingwork has taken place in Victoria and South Australia where the Black-eared Miner ismore numerous. The first National Recovery Plan (Backhouse et al. 1997) covered theperiod 1997-2001, and the latest (Baker-Gabb 2001) covers the next five years (2002-2006).

The compilation of this Recovery Plan for the Black-eared Miner in NSW was supportedby Matthew Chambers and Matt Cameron of the NSW NPWS.

iii

Foreword

The conservation of threatened species, populations and ecological communities is crucialfor the maintenance of this State’s unique biodiversity. In NSW, the Threatened SpeciesConservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) provides the framework to conserve and recoverthreatened species, populations and ecological communities through the preparation andimplementation of Recovery Plans.

The preparation and implementation of Recovery Plans are identified by both the NationalStrategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity and the approved NSWBiodiversity Strategy as a key strategy for the conservation of threatened flora, fauna andinvertebrates. The object of a Recovery Plan is to document the research andmanagement actions required to promote the recovery of a threatened species, populationor ecological community and to ensure its ongoing viability in nature.

This Plan describes our current understanding of the Black-eared Miner, documentsresearch and management actions undertaken to date and identifies actions required andparties responsible to ensure ongoing viability of the species in the wild.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has prepared the Black-eared MinerRecovery Plan with the assistance of a number of people. I thank these people for theirefforts to date and look forward to their continued contribution to the recovery of thespecies.

BOB DEBUS MPMinister for the Environment

iv

Executive Summary

Introduction

Legislative context

The Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) is NSW’s mostcomprehensive attempt at establishing a legislative framework to protect and encouragethe recovery of threatened species, populations and communities. Under the TSC Act,the Director-General of National Parks and Wildlife has certain responsibilities includingthe preparation of Recovery Plans for threatened species, populations and ecologicalcommunities. This Recovery Plan has been prepared in accordance with the provisions ofthe TSC Act.

Preparation of Plan

This Plan has been prepared with the assistance of a non-statutory group of interestedparties or individuals. Components within the Plan do not necessarily represent the viewsnor the official positions of all the parties or individuals consulted. The information in thisRecovery Plan was accurate to the best of the NPWS’ knowledge on the date that it wasapproved.

Current Species Status

The Black-eared Miner has been listed as a Endangered species on Schedule 1 of theThreatened Species Conservation Act 1995. It is listed as Endangered under theCommonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Recovery Objectives

The short-term goal is in five years to expand the current range and numbers of theBlack-eared Miner in the Scotia Mallee and to improve the quality of selected coloniesthere. Achieving this objective will stabilise the status of the species as Endangered inNSW. This meshes with the short-term goal of the National Recovery Plan (Baker-Gabb2001) which includes undertaking translocations of birds and threat reduction work atthree locations, one in NSW and two in Victoria.

The long-term goal is within 20 years to achieve and maintain a viable population of high-quality Black-eared Miners in the Tarawi-Scotia-Danggali region. This population willcontribute to the National Recovery Plan goal of maintaining viable populations in at leastfive separate locations, with a total effective population size of at least 1000 matureindividuals, across the species' known former range. Achieving this goal will contributetowards the National objective of downlisting the species under Commonwealthlegislation to Conservation Dependent in 20 years.

vi

This would be achieved by:

1. Participating fully in the National recovery program for the Black-eared Miner.

2. Continued representation by NSW NPWS on the National Recovery Team.

3. Locating and protecting Black-eared Miner habitat in areas of NSW not yetsurveyed adequately.

4. Maintaining the extent and enhancing the quality of Black-eared Miner habitat inNSW.

5. Increasing the number of Black-eared Miners in NSW by about 100 birds throughtranslocations from the neighbouring Bookmark Biosphere Reserve in SouthAustralia.

6. Assisting the National Recovery Team project officer to monitor the fate oftranslocated birds in NSW.

7. Assisting with the control of threatening processes in NSW such as geneticintrogression and fire.

Recovery Criteria

1. Progress towards meeting Recovery Plan objectives and actions is achievedefficiently with high levels of community and Government stakeholder support andinvolvement.

2. Integration of this Recovery Plan with the National Recovery Plan.

3. Sites with important Black-eared Miner habitat are identified and mapped, and thereis no loss of habitat or colonies from these areas.

4. Successful translocation of c100 Black-eared Miners to NSW so that theapproximate number of colonies and birds is tripled in NSW.

5. Threatening processes reduced and Black-eared Miner numbers and colony qualityincreases following the control of genetic introgression and implementation of advicederived from the monitoring program.

vii

Recovery Actions

1.1. Ensure a dedicated NPWS representative participates in all National RecoveryTeam meetings.

2.1 Conduct ground surveys of Black-eared Miner habitat to establish distribution andbenchmark numbers.

2.2 Assist the National Project Officer with surveys of the region into which the SouthAustralian birds will be translocated.

3.1 Identify, close and rehabilitate artificial water points which may pose a threat toBlack-eared Miners in and around reserves where Black-eared Miners occur orwill occur following translocation.

3.2 Facilitate fire management planning and the provision of on-ground firefightingresources which directly benefit Black-eared Miner conservation.

3.3 Promote co-operative fire management between key agencies and stake-holdergroups in the Scotia Region, including Dengali Conservation Reserve

3.4 Integrate all information on Black-eared Miner habitat and requirements intoregional planning strategies, and ensure that such habitat is conserved.

3.5 Provide management information to landholders near Tarawi Nature Reserve,including Scotia Sanctuary, Belmore and Belvedere Stations, and promote theconservation and enhancement of Black-eared Miner habitat.

4.1 Provide logistic support and accommodation for the National Project Officer andother members of the National Recovery Team involved with the translocation.

5.1 Assist the National Project Officer with monitoring of Black-eared Miners inNSW.

5.2 Assist the National Project Officer with controlling genetic introgression in andaround Tarawi Nature Reserve.

6.1. Involve community volunteers in the recovery program, especially in regard tosurvey and monitoring.

6.2. Ensure that the annual reviews of progress and media information prepared by theNational Recovery Team are distributed to NSW stakeholders and local media.

Biodiversity Benefits

Flagship speciesTogether with the Nationally vulnerable Malleefowl, the Black-eared Miner has become a‘flagship’ species in the effort to conserve the large blocks of intact mallee managed bythe three States in the "Murray Mallee Partnership". The mallee in this region contains 12species of bird which are Nationally threatened (Garnett and Crowley 2000) and a further15 which are threatened in one or more of the three Murray Mallee States (Stanger et al.

viii

1997). There are few areas in the world which support such a concentration ofthreatened bird species. The Murray Mallee has a particularly high number of reptilespecies (>60) by world standards, and numerous threatened plants (Briggs and Leigh1988).

Social and Economic Consequences

The main impact of this Recovery Plan will be on the NSW NPWS which managesTarawi Nature Reserve and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy which manages ScotiaSanctuary. Given that the management of these reserves is already highly sympathetic tothe conservation requirements of the Black-eared Miner, impacts on current practices areexpected to be minor. Burnt linear fire breaks of the sort on Tarawi Nature Reserve(Willson 1999) are advocated rather than clearing wide breaks with a bulldozer, and thismay have some impact on neighbouring properties.

Most of the benefits of this Recovery Plan are in the nature of biodiversity benefits.However, there may be some additional benefits enjoyed by the ecotourism venturesoperated at Scotia Sanctuary.

BRIAN GILLIGANDirector-General

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements.......................................................................ii

Foreword.......................................................................................iii

Executive Summary.................................................................... iv

1 Current Conservation Status .................................................. 1

2 Description................................................................................. 12.1 Taxonomic Significance ....................................................1

3 Distribution ................................................................................ 23.1 Current and historical distribution.......................................23.2 Tenure..............................................................................3

4 Ecology....................................................................................... 34.1 Life Cycle .........................................................................34.2 Behaviour .........................................................................44.3 Disturbance Regimes.........................................................54.4 Population Structure..........................................................7

5 Habitat....................................................................................... 75.1 Significant Habitat .............................................................8

6 Relevant Legislation................................................................. 96.1 NSW Legislation..............................................................96.2 Commonwealth legislation ............................................... 106.3 Critical habitat................................................................. 10

7 Management Issues................................................................ 107.1 Threats and reasons for decline....................................... 107.2 Social and economic consequences ................................ 13

7.2.1 Economic Considerations.......................................................147.2.2 Commercial and Social Benefits .............................................15

7.3 Biodiversity benefits ....................................................... 17

8 Previous Actions Undertaken............................................... 178.1 Current Ex-situ programmes ............................................ 21

9 Species ability to Recover...................................................... 21

10 Recovery objectives and performance criteria ................ 2210.1 Objectives of the Recovery Plan ................................... 2210.2 Recovery performance criteria ....................................... 22

11 Recovery Actions.................................................................. 2411.1 Recovery Team............................................................ 2411.2 Undertake Surveys ........................................................ 2411.3 Maintain and Enhance Habitat ........................................ 2211.4 Translocations............................................................... 2311.5 Monitoring and introgression.......................................... 2411.6 Involvement and awareness............................................ 25

12 Implementation..................................................................... 26

13 Alternative Management Strategies.................................. 2713.1 Captive breeding and reintroduction............................... 2713.2 No additional surveys .................................................... 27

14 Preparation details ............................................................... 2714.1 Date of last amendment................................................. 2714.2 Review date ................................................................. 27

References................................................................................... 28

List of tables

Table 1 Implementation Schedule..........................................................................26

1

1 Current Conservation Status

The Black-eared Miner has been listed as an Endangered species on Schedule 1 of theNSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 as it is:• in a demonstrable state of decline which is likely to result in extinction;• significantly prone to future threats which are likely to result in extinction; and• very rare in terms of abundance and distribution.

The Black-eared Miner is also listed on the Schedules of Acts administered by otherauthorities outside NSW:

Act Listing Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity

Conservation Act 1999 Endangered Victoria Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened South Australia National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 Endangered

2 Description

Scientific nomenclature: Manorina melanotis (Wilson 1911)Family: MeliphagidaeCommon name: Black-eared MinerOther names: Mallee Miner

The Black-eared Miner is one of four species of colonial and co-operatively breedinghoneyeaters in the genus Manorina. The Black-eared Miner has a stocky build, is about20 cm long and is dark grey above, paler below, with a dark facial mask and orange-yellow bill and legs. The species is most similar in appearance to the Yellow-throatedMiner Manorina flavigula, but can be distinguished readily in the field by its muchdarker rump, lack of pale terminal band on the tail and a greater contrast between thecolour of the feathering on the lower jaw and throat (Clarke and Clarke 1999a).

2.1 Taxonomic Significance

There has been controversy over the taxonomic status of the Black-eared Miner.Various authors have considered it a species (Wilson 1911; Schodde 1975; Christidisand Boles 1994; Clarke et al. 2001), a subspecies or morphological variant of theYellow-throated Miner (Matthews 1912, 1913; RAOU 1913; Silveira 1995; Schoddeand Mason 1999) and a subspecies of the Western Australian ‘Dusky Miner’ Manorinaflavigula obscura (Ashby 1922; Matthews 1925; RAOU 1926).

2

There are morphological and behavioural differences between Black-eared and Yellow-throated Miners (Ford 1981; Joseph 1986; Starks 1987; McLaughlin 1990, 1992;Clarke et al. 2001), and evidence for marked ecological separation exists (Joseph 1986;McLaughlin 1992). This morphological and ecological evidence supports the contentionthat the two miners are separate species (Fitzherbert et al. 1992). Molecular assessmentby Christidis (1995) also indicated that the Black-eared Miner is a distinct species.Moreover, Clarke et al. (2001) showed that Black-eared and Yellow-throated Minerswere clearly separable on phenotypic characters prior to extensive modification of malleehabitat that occurred after 1950. They argue that the Black-eared Miner should beafforded full species status given that widespread hybridisation is a recent developmentfacilitated by human disturbance of their habitat.

Black-eared Miners can interbreed with Yellow-throated Miners, resulting in fertilehybrids that display a range of intermediate plumages (Ford 1981; McLaughlin 1990,1993a). Clarke and Clarke (1999a) have developed a simple guide to distinguish Black-eared Miners from hybrids and Yellow-throated Miners in the field.

3 Distribution

3.1 Current and historical distribution

The historical distribution of the Black-eared Miner included the Murray Mallee ofVictoria, South Australia and New South Wales (Blakers et al. 1984; Joseph 1986;Starks 1987). The Black-eared Miner's current distribution is much reduced with over95% of known colonies in the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve (Clarke and Clarke 1998).

Three extensive searches for Black-eared Miners have been conducted in western NSWin the past decade. Franklin (1996) undertook a detailed review of past sightings inNSW and concluded that there were few reliable sightings of the species in the State. Hissearches in late 1993 failed to locate any Black-eared Miners or hybrids.

A record of three hybrid birds in a colony of six miners seen on the west of BelvedereStation in October 1994 (R Webster pers comm) has hitherto gone unreported. In 1997,Black-eared Miner hybrids were seen in southern Scotia Sanctuary by NationalRecovery Team members J and B English. A follow-up search by McLaughlin (1998)located two small groups of hybrid miners containing five birds on the Scotia Sanctuaryboundary with Tarawi Nature Reserve. In late 1999, Boulton and Clarke (2000) locatedthree colonies containing hybrid miners on Scotia Sanctuary. One colony was in thesouth near Tarawi and two were in the west near Danggali Conservation Park where

3

phenotypically pure Black-eared Miners occur. Birds from two of these colonies hadrecently bred on Scotia Sanctuary. Surveys as recent as spring 2001 have continued tolocate pure Black-eared Miners in Scotia Sanctuary (R Boulton and R Clarke perscomm). Hence there are recent records of about six hybrid colonies from New SouthWales (R. Boulton and R. Clarke pers comm).

In Victoria there are six known widely-dispersed colonies of hybrid birds (Clarke andClarke 1999b). In South Australia there are over 200 known colonies in the BookmarkBiosphere Reserve and one at Glenburr Scrub near Murray Bridge (McLaughlin 1996;Clarke and Clarke 1999b).

No populations or individual Black-eared Miners occur in NSW as the result oftranslocations, though translocations are proposed in this Recovery Plan. In 2000,translocations of four colonies containing 69 birds were successfully undertaken from theBookmark Biosphere Reserve in South Australia to the Murray-Sunset National Park inVictoria. Further translocations there are planned for 2001.

3.2 Tenure

Within NSW the Black-eared Miner is only known to occur on or in the vicinity ofTarawi Nature Reserve and Scotia Sanctuary in the NSW NPWS Western Directorate.Tarawi is managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and ScotiaSanctuary is managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. The 1994 record ofhybrid birds on Belvedere Station to the west of Tarawi Nature Reserve is the only recentone from a grazing property.

4 Ecology

4.1 Life Cycle

Colony size and qualityLike other members of the genus Manorina, the Black-eared Miner is colonial. Eachcolony typically contains several breeding pairs whose nests may be as little as 15 mapart. When breeding, the species is co-operative with up to 12 juvenile and adult non-breeding individuals (helpers) assisting at a nest. Helpers are predominately male (EMoysey unpubl data), as is the case with other miners (Dow 1978; Clarke 1988).

Larger colonies (10+ individuals) contain several well-defined social units. However, thecolony still functions as a whole to repel potential predators and other undesirableintruders. Breeding colonies in the Bookmark region contain an average of 18.4

4

individuals (range 8-40+; Clarke and Clarke 1999b). In Victoria where the species isdeclining, McLaughlin (1994) calculated the then average number of birds in a colonywas 6.3.

All colonies in New South Wales and Victoria that have contained Black-eared Miners inrecent times have also contained hybrid birds (Starks 1987; McLaughlin 1990, 1994;Boulton and Clarke 2000a). Colony quality has continued to decline in Victoria (Boultonand Clarke 2000b). In South Australia colony quality is much higher with 38% of 87ranked colonies consisting of exclusively or mainly pure Black-eared Miners, and colonyquality is also stable there (Boulton and Clarke 2000b).

Territoriality and seasonal movementWhen breeding, adults typically forage short distances from the nest (up to 0.8 km; EMoysey unpubl data). When not breeding birds move as groups (either as an entirecolony or in smaller aggregations) over greater distances to forage. Non-breeding birdsremain within a non-breeding territory of several hundred hectares and sightings ofmarked individuals have been made up to 2 km from the core home range during thesenon-breeding periods (Clarke and Clarke 1999b). A colony of 11 birds in Victoriaoccupied a 16 ha core home range and a total home range in excess of 40 ha (Backhouseet al. 1997). A colony containing 40+ individuals in Bookmark occupied a corebreeding range of 12 ha and a total non-breeding home range of 100+ ha (E Moyseyunpubl data). At their greatest density colonies breed approximately 2 km apart in theBookmark region (approximately one colony per 400 ha of total available habitat)(Clarke and Clarke 1999b). However, in Victoria where the species is almost extinct,colonies occurred at densities of about one colony per 1450 ha of apparently suitablehabitat in 1993 (McLaughlin 1994).

4.2 Behaviour

Breeding and recruitmentBlack-eared Miners are opportunistic breeders, breeding when conditions are suitable.Nests have been found in all months. However, breeding typically extends fromSeptember to December. Widespread breeding has also been observed from March toMay on three occasions (Backhouse et al. 1997, Boulton and Clarke 2000b). Breedingappears to be linked to rainfall events during mild to warm seasons which promoteelevated insect activity, increased lerp abundance and flowering events, both of malleeand understory shrubs. Within a breeding period, birds will usually re-build and lay withintwo weeks of nest failure. Nests are usually built in mallee eucalypts, either in uprightforks, amongst small twigs and foliage, or on epicormic shoots, between 1.5-4.5m aboveground (McLaughlin 1990; BANRS). The modal clutch size is three (BANRS).

5

For a large colony in the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve reproductive success was highfor a honeyeater, with 56 % of nests containing eggs producing at least one fledgling (EMoysey unpubl data). In 2000, 38 (26%) of 145 recorded breeding attempts producedfledglings resulting in high rates of recruitment. However, reproductive success of nestsfrom several Victorian sites has been reported to be substantially lower (Backhouse et al.1997).

Foraging behaviour and diet The Black-eared Miner eats mainly invertebrates and lerp (the sugary exudate producedby psyllids). Prey is obtained mainly from gleaning and probing decorticating bark, limbsand twigs of eucalypts and gleaning from foliage, although birds will also forage on theground and hawk for flying insects (McLaughlin 1990). Nectar from Eucalyptus spp,Eromophila spp and Grevillea huegelii is also taken. In captivity Black-eared Minersare successfully maintained on a diet of commercial honeyeater and lorikeet mix andinvertebrates (Clarke and Clarke 1999b).

4.3 Disturbance Regimes

In New South Wales the history of the Black-eared Miner is not well known, with onlyeight likely records up until 1985 (Franklin 1996). However, hybrid birds were observedin 1994, 1997, 1998 and 1999 in four areas of the Scotia Mallee region near the borderwith Danggali Conservation Park in South Australia (McLaughlin 1998; Boulton andClarke 2000a, R Webster pers comm).

Most data on the species’ decline come from Victoria. Black-eared Miners were onceconsidered either common or locally common within their mallee habitat prior to 1940(Wilson 1912; Howe and Tregellas 1914; Favaloro 1966; Starks 1987; McLaughlin1990). However, there have been few recent records. In Victoria, the decline of theBlack-eared Miner has been in the number of colonies, the numbers of birds withincolonies and the quality of birds (Considine 1986; Starks 1987; McLaughlin 1990,1994). This decline has continued despite the retention of a considerable area ofapparently suitable habitat within conservation reserves (LCC 1989).

Joseph (1986) summarised the decline of the Black-eared Miner in South Australia andconsidered the species very nearly, if not already, extinct. However, following sightingsof hybrid miners in the extensive mallee habitat of the Bookmark Biosphere Reservenorth-west of Renmark in the early 1990s, surveys were conducted in this region in 1996,which resulted in over 80 sightings of miners (McLaughlin 1996; Backhouse et al. 1997),and over 200 colonies are now known from this area (Clarke and Clarke 1999b).Although containing many hybrids, over a third of colonies contain mainly phenotypicallypure Black-eared Miners.

7

4.4 Population Structure

Social organisationThe Black-eared Miner is monogamous and pairs appear to remain together for life, onlyre-pairing upon the loss of a mate (Clarke and Clarke 1999b). Breeding males within acolony are close relatives, whereas females, the dispersing sex, are not (E Moysey unpubldata). Adult population sex ratio of breeding colonies in the Bookmark region issignificantly male biased (64% male; J Ewen unpubl data). In contrast the sex ratio ofnestling Black-eared Miners is significantly female biased (61% female). Since thenestling sex ratio is significantly different from the sex ratio of the adult population it wouldappear that females are experiencing higher mortality than males between fledging andgaining reproductive status (Ewen et al. 2001).

Effective population size In the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve there are over 200 colonies (Clarke and Clarke1999b) containing more than 3,600 birds, of which about 1,400 are Black-eared Minersand the rest are hybrids. The adult sex ratio in colonies is biased towards males, some ofwhich help at nests but do not breed. Based on adult sex ratio data (64% male, Ewen etal. 2001), and an average of five breeding pairs per colony (R Boulton unpubl data), theeffective breeding population in Bookmark is about 2,000 mature individuals, including760 Black-eared Miners. Boulton and Clarke (2000a) estimated there to be about 50hybrids birds remaining in New South Wales. Recent surveys (2001) indicate that a fewpure Black-eared Miners remain at least at Scotia Sanctuary (R. Boulton and R. Clarkepers comm). After the translocations in 2000, there are about 150 Black-eared Minersand hybrids in Victoria (Clarke and Clarke 1999b, Baker-Gabb 2001).

5 Habitat

The Black-eared Miner inhabits shallow-sand mallee and chenopod mallee in both theSunset Country of Victoria and the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve in South Australia(McLaughlin 1992; Muir et al. 1999). Although not formally assessed, the vegetationoccupied by hybrid birds in New South Wales is similar (Boulton and Clarke 2000a). Inall States the vegetation is dominated by multi-stemmed mallee eucalypts, includingEucalyptus dumosa, E gracilis, E oleosa and E socialis, usually in association with aground layer dominated by either Porcupine Grass Triodia scariosa, or shrubs of thefamilies Chenopodiacae and Zygophyllaceae (Starks 1987; McLaughlin 1992; Muir etal. 1999; Boulton and Clarke 2000a).

Black-eared Miners occur predominantly in old-growth habitats that have not been burntfor at least 50 years, although post-fire regenerating mallee of 5-10 years or older may

8

provide occasional foraging habitat (Starks 1987; C Silveira and J McLaughlin unpubl).In the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve and Tarawi Nature Reserve in NSW >80% of themallee is older than 50 years and hence suitable for breeding birds. In Victoria wherethere is much less old-growth mallee, the age and distribution of cohorts of malleeregenerating from fires have been mapped and digitised so that the amount of criticalhabitat and potential critical habitat can be calculated.

Within large areas of contiguous mallee in Bookmark Biosphere Reserve, sites withhighest quality colonies of Black-eared Miners are more than 5 km from dams and man-made clearings (Clarke and Clarke 1999b, Muir et al. 1999). In contrast, all knownYellow-throated Miner colonies in the Bookmark region have been located within 2 kmof permanent water and man-made clearings. The extensive areas of mallee that haveremained unburnt for over 50 years that Black-eared Miners need are also important forother Nationally threatened birds such as the Malleefowl and hollow-nesting MajorMitchell's Cockatoo (Benshemesh 1999, Garnett and Crowley 2000).

In Victoria, colonies known to have contained Black-eared Miners were in blocks ofcontiguous mallee vegetation larger than 12,000 ha (McLaughlin 1994). In SouthAustralia and New South Wales all but one known colony occurs in areas of contiguousmallee larger than 100,000 ha. Black-eared Miners were once known to occur in smallremnant patches of mallee (McGilp and Parsons 1937; Rix 1937; McGilp 1943) whichwere probably occupied immediately following large-scale clearing, but prior to theexpansion into and subsequent habitation of these areas by Yellow-throated Miners(Starks 1987). In the absence of management intervention, even larger isolated blocks ofsuitable mallee in Victoria, such as the reserves at Bronzewing (20,000 ha) and Annuello(35,000 ha) have proved unable to retain viable populations of Black-eared Miners andprotect them from genetic swamping in the medium term (Boulton and Clarke 2000b).

5.1 Significant Habitat

Franklin (1996), McLaughlin (1998) and Boulton and Clarke (2000a) assessed andsurveyed areas of mallee in western NSW such as Abbotts Tank, Arumpo, Mallee CliffsNational Park, and Tapalin Road in addition to Tarawi Nature Reserve and ScotiaSanctuary. The Scotia Mallee stands out as the most significant habitat for Black-earedMiners in the State. Its proximity to Danggali Conservation Park enhances its status. Ofthe other areas, none have been deemed particularly suitable for Black-eared Minersexcept the Abbotts Tank block. However the increasing fragmentation of the AbbottsTank area through cultivation for wheat will render this block less suitable for the Black-eared Miner in the future.

9

6 Relevant Legislation

6.1 NSW Legislation

The Black-eared Miner is listed as an Endangered species under Schedule 1 of theThreatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The TSC Act 1995 covers the listing ofspecies, the preparation, revision and implementation of Recovery Plans, critical habitat,licences to harm threatened species, species impact statements and joint managementagreements.

The Black-eared Miner is also covered by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974which deals with threatened species and Voluntary Conservation Agreements.

The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) has relevantsections for the Black-eared Miner concerning: significant effects on threatened species ortheir habitats, preparation of regional and local environmental plans, consideration ofcritical habitat and environmental impact, and activities for which an Environmental ImpactStatement is required. The TSC Act 1995 amendments to the environmental assessmentprovisions of the EP&A Act 1979 require that consent and determining authoritiesconsider relevant Recovery Plans when making a decision under the EP&A Act 1979.

The Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997 provides for the conservation andmanagement of native vegetation. The Act has three main functions:• The requirement for development consent for clearing of native vegetation (unless

exempt) in accordance with the EP&A Act 1979.• The development of Regional Vegetation Management Plans. A Regional Vegetation

Plan must be consistent with a Recovery Plan.• The provision for Property Agreements with landholders to protect areas of native

vegetation, including the ability to access the Native Vegetation Management Fund tocarry out specified works in accordance with the agreement.

From time to time other NSW Acts may be relevant to the conservation of the Black-eared Miner such as the Rural Fires Act 1997, the Rural Lands Protection Act 1989,and Acts covering Crown Lands, Western Lands and Local Governments. The last Actprovides for State of the Environment reporting by Councils, the preparation ofmanagement plans for Council-owned land, and for differential rating at Councils’discretion.

10

6.2. Commonwealth legislation

The Black-eared Miner has been listed as Endangered (ANZECC 1991; Garnett 1992),and Critically Endangered (criteria C2a, D1) (Collar et al. 1994; IUCN 1996). Thespecies is classified as Endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protectionand Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the South Australian National Parks andWildlife Act 1972 (amended May 1991), and is listed as a threatened taxon under theVictorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. The discovery of large numbers ofBlack-eared Miners in the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve and recovery actions such asland purchase for reserves has led to the status of the bird being changed from CriticallyEndangered to Endangered (criteria B1+ 2bde, C2a, D) (Garnett and Crowley 2000).

6.3 Critical habitat

No area used by the Black-eared Miner has been declared critical habitat as defined inthe Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

7 Management Issues

7.1 Threats and reasons for decline

Four major causes of decline of the Black-eared Miner have been postulated.

Clearing and habitat fragmentationA major factor implicated in the decline of the Black-eared Miner is the loss andmodification of suitable habitat (Favaloro 1966; Schodde 1981, 1990; Joseph 1986;Starks 1987; McLaughlin 1990, 1992). In Victoria, Johnson (1989) and McLaughlin(1990, 1992) identified the most fertile dunefield soils as being important to Black-earedMiners. Historically, these soil types have been selectively cleared for agricultural use,primarily wheat production (LCC 1987; Blakers and MacMillan 1988), and conservationreserves in the Murray Mallee substantially under-represent the vegetation of fertile soils.

Clearance and modification of vegetation has also favoured a range expansion of theYellow-throated Miner, which prefers open habitats (Schodde 1981, 1990; Joseph1986; Starks 1987). Prior to widespread clearing in the Murray Mallee, the Yellow-throated Miner occurred infrequently in open woodlands (Chandler 1937; Ashby 1922;Joseph 1986; Emison et al. 1987; Starks 1987). However, it is now abundant andcommonly recorded occupying shelter belts and roadside vegetation adjacent to clearedfarmland (Emison et al. 1987; Starks 1987; McLaughlin 1990, 1992).

11

Immediately post-clearing, Black-eared Miners were known to occur in remnant patchesof mallee scrub, such as shelter belts adjacent to roads and fences (McGilp and Parsons1937; Rix 1937; McGilp 1943). They occupied these areas prior to expansion into thisvegetation by Yellow-throated Miners. Observers who recorded Black-eared Miners inthese habitats did not record Yellow-throated Miners (Starks 1987). Black-earedMiners were apparently rapidly eliminated from these remnants, due possibly to acombination of competition, introgressive hybridisation or reduced population viability(McLaughlin 1994).

Clearing of habitat still remains a threat in some parts of the Black-eared Miner’s range.There are controls on the clearing of mallee on private land in Victoria, although somesmall-scale clearing still occurs. Further loss of habitat through land clearing is alsopossible in New South Wales. In South Australia, while there are clearing controls forboth public and private land under the SA Native Vegetation Act 1991, exemptions inthe Act mean that clearing for mineral exploration and extraction, and public utilities suchas power lines can still occur. In addition, joint proclamation of conservation reservesunder both the SA National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the SA Mining Act1972 makes it possible for mineral exploration and mining to proceed within conservationreserves. Therefore, much of the habitat of the Black-eared Miner in South Australia ispotentially still under threat.

Habitat degradationTotal grazing pressure from domestic stock and/or feral and native herbivores issufficiently high on most reserves and pastoral properties that it limits the regeneration ofmany mallee plants and encourages the growth of woody shrubs (Forward and Robinson1996). Strategic closure of artificial water points is a key means of reducing total grazingpressure and enhancing biodiversity conservation (Landsberg et al. 1997). Dams andtheir associated degraded clearings attract Yellow-throated Miners and so they are athreat to Black-eared Miners which do not need permanent water (Clarke and Clarke1999b).

A program to decommission all artificial water points or make them unavailable toherbivores is under way in South Australia (Baker-Gabb 2001). Most dams in Victorianand New South Wales mallee reserves, where Black-eared Miner occur, have beendecommissioned or rendered inaccessable through the use of underground tanks.However, a significant number of artificial water points remain in areas adjacent to malleereserves in New South Wales, and the influence of these in terms of grazing pressure andthe potential for introgressive hybrisation extend well into the reserve areas.

12

HybridisationOne of the major causes of decline in this species is introgressive hybridisation or ‘geneticswamping’ by the conspecific Yellow-throated Miner (Schodde 1981; Starks 1987;McLaughlin 1990). Black-eared and Yellow-throated Miners were clearly separable onphenotypic characters before extensive clearing occurred after 1950 (Clarke et al.2001). Starks (1987) proposed that miners exhibiting intermediate plumages resultedfrom hybridisation between the two species, not because Yellow-throated Miners movedinto uncleared areas, but because Yellow-throated Miners were able to colonise habitatsnewly created by land clearing, and come into contact with populations of Black-earedMiners then occupying remnant stands of mallee. Starks (1987) further proposed thathybrid birds created in these situations were physically and behaviourally intermediate,and as such were able to move into areas of uncleared mallee and become incorporatedinto colonies of phenotypically pure Black-eared Miners.

McLaughlin (1992) demonstrated that habitat occupied by breeding Black-eared Minersis significantly structurally dissimilar from Yellow-throated Miner habitat, and that the twospecies are predominantly allopatric. However, colonies of distinctly intermediate-plumaged miners were found to occupy a range of habitat types that in structureoverlapped both Black-eared and Yellow-throated Miner habitat. This suggests thatalthough Yellow-throated Miners and Black-eared Miners would not normally come intocontact (as would have been the case when Black-eared Miners were occupying remnanthabitat), the flow of genetic material between the two species is maintained by thepresence of hybrid miner colonies (these colonies would not have been present prior toextensive land clearing). In this situation, the hybrid birds in these colonies are able to actas a ‘genetic bridge’ (Sibly 1961).

The range of the Yellow-throated Miner now encompasses the distribution of the Black-eared Miner. In most areas Yellow-throated Miners and hybrids are more numerousthan Black-eared Miners, and the Black-eared Miner now represents an insularpopulation. Under these conditions, uncontrolled genetic introgression will eventuallyresult in the loss of the biological and genetic diversity contributed by the Black-earedMiner (eg Cade 1983).

FireMallee habitats are some of the most flammable habitat types in the semi-arid zone, andrates of litter accumulation in these habitats may be sufficient to support large sustainablefires every 10-20 years (Noble 1984). Black-eared Miners prefer mallee vegetation thathas not been burnt for at least 50 years (Starks 1987; McLaughlin 1990, 1992), andhabitats of this age possessing suitable structural characteristics are now uncommonthroughout the historical distribution of the Black-eared Miner (eg LCC 1987), except inthe Bookmark Biosphere Reserve. In New South Wales, occasional large-scale

13

intentional burning of leasehold land has occurred, ostensibly to increase productivity forpastoral activities (Hodgkinson et al. 1984; Noble 1984; Choate 1989; MacLeod 1990;Muir 1992).

Although conservation and other reserves that recently supported or still support Black-eared Miner and hybrid populations are large (several hundred thousand hectares), thepotential scale of wildfire in mallee habitats suggests that even the largest reserves may beconsumed by fire (Benshemesh 1990,1999; Clarke and Clarke 1999b). Single wildfireshave burnt many hundreds of thousands of hectares of Murray Mallee vegetation in mostdecades (LCC 1987; Noble et al. 1980; Noble 1984; Blakers and MacMillan 1988),and large wildfires remain one of the most serious threats to the Black-eared Miner(McLaughlin 1990, 1992). A broad scale wildfire in the Scotia mallee in New SouthWales could effectively burn all the suitable habitat in a single event and potentiallyeliminate all suitable habitat within the state for 25 years.

Habitat fragmentation from both large wildfires and extensive clearing accelerates thedecline of small, isolated colonies of Black-eared Miners by impeding the dispersal ofyoung independent females from colonies. Even in the relatively intact BookmarkBiosphere Reserve where female nestlings outnumber males, adults in colonies are male-biased as a consequence of more dispersing females being lost from the population. Theloss of just a single breeding female resulting in the disintegration of small, isolatedcolonies has been recorded in Victoria (Boulton and Clarke 2000b).

7.2 Social and economic consequences

The main impact of this Recovery Plan will be on the NSW NPWS which managesTarawi Nature Reserve and Australian Wildlife Conservancy which manages ScotiaSanctuary. Given that the management of Tarawi and Scotia is already highly sympatheticto the conservation requirements of the Black-eared Miner, impacts on current practicesare expected to be minor. Burning alongside c5 m wide tracks to create linear firebreaks of the sort on Tarawi (Willson 1999) is advocated, rather than clearing widerbreaks with a bulldozer, and this may have some impact on neighbouring properties. Thesecond level of impact of this Recovery Plan will be on Scotia Sanctuary where pure andhybrid birds are known to occur (Boulton and Clarke 2000a; R. Boulton and R. Clarkepers comm.). Scotia Sanctuary has some artificial water points which are accessible tograzing herbivores, and the Sanctuary has increased the amount of fragmentation of themallee by bulldozing c20 m wide fire breaks in recent years. This infrastructure will notenhance the conservation of the Black-eared Miner. On the other hand, ScotiaSanctuary is primarily a conservation reserve which has been de-stocked.

14

Neighbouring properties to Tarawi, Belvedere and Belmore Stations, have some suitablehabitat for Black-eared Miners and one record of hybrid birds. The main impact of theimplementation of this Recovery Plan on them will be the restriction of clearing anddevelopment of potential Black-eared Miner habitat, should any clearing applications bemade, in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979,Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997 and the Threatened Species ConservationAct 1995. Regional planning exercises such as that being undertaken by RegionalVegetation Committees will need to ensure the protection of potential Black-eared Minerhabitat. Similarly, consent and approval authorities, such as the Department of Land andWater Conservation must have regard for the impact of development proposals upon thisspecies.

7.2.1 Economic Considerations

There will probably be some small economic benefits from the Recovery Plan for theecotourism ventures operated at Scotia Sanctuary. Tarawi and Scotia have been de-stocked and so there are no new economic impacts accruing from the need to keep totalgrazing pressure low in mallee occupied by Black-eared Miners.

Stocking at the very light rates needed to protect the few areas of highest qualityrangelands vegetation has high opportunity costs for graziers (Crosthwaite 1997), butthese costs are not high at the moderate stocking rates which occur on Belmore andBelvedere Stations. Cropping is a gamble in western NSW as crop failure and reducedprices in just one or two years can reduce returns to below that of grazing nativevegetation (Crosthwaite 1997).

Some of the benefits of stocked native rangeland includes the lack of inputs (such asfertilisers), enhanced response to summer rain, improved animal health, reduced need forsupplementary feeding, production of finer wool, reduced drought risk, enhanced landand water protection, improved human health through reduced use of chemicals andreduced stress, opportunities for new farming enterprises such as seed collection andnative plant harvesting, and enhanced opportunities for recreation, tourism, personalsatisfaction and biodiversity conservation.

Some of the costs of retaining native rangelands vegetation include: lower economicreturns, under-employed resources, research and marketing needs to establish newenterprises, and the costs of operating recreation and tourism ventures (Crosthwaite1997).

15

7.2.2 Commercial and Social benefits

Purchase of Tarawi, Scotia, Calperum, Gluepot and Taylorville StationsIn the past decade two large (98,000 ha) properties in NSW, three in neighbouring SouthAustralia (405,000 ha), and a similar area in the Murray-Sunset region of north-westVictoria have been added to the national conservation estate, largely because of theirconcentrations of threatened species. Gluepot and Taylorville were purchased in 1997and 1999, primarily to conserve the Black-eared Miner.

Community awareness and involvementThrough their work as Volunteer Rangers, Assistant Rangers or Landcarers, communityvolunteers have been involved for extended periods in assisting the National Black-earedMiner Recovery Program in the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve. More than 200 flora andfauna monitoring sites have been established there. Community volunteers and studentsare trained to undertake the monitoring and their skills will in turn be utilised by the widercommunity. This depth of involvement for people who will move back into the generalcommunity is unusual in a recovery program. These positive experiences will benefit arange of biodiversity initiatives beyond the Black-eared Miner Recovery Program.

TranslocationsThe successful trial translocation of four colonies of Black-eared Miners from theBookmark Biosphere Reserve and their establishment c200km east in the Murray-SunsetNational Park was an internationally significant event. This was the first successfultranslocation of colonies of a cooperatively breeding bird. The lessons from thissuccessful trial have implications for a number of species. For example, the Departmentof Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria (NRE) is considering translocations ofisolated colonies of Grey-crowned Babblers in Victoria (Robinson et al. 1997).

Scientific publications and postgraduate degreesPublications in international scientific journals by Ewen et al. (2001) and Clarke et al.(2001) provide new information on the conservation implications of shifts in primaryversus adult sex ratios in birds, and the need for scientific rigour in taxonomic studies.Three PhD studies have been supported by the Black-eared Miner Recovery Program.These postgraduate students will produce a number of scientific publications and move onto careers in biodiversity conservation.

Ecotourism Globally, birdwatching is a multi-billion dollar industry with a large number of specialistinternational tour companies, and over 61 million birdwatchers in the USA alone(Kerlinger and Wiedner 1990). The number of people in Australia interested inbirdwatching as either a recreational activity or as a dedicated interest is growing (Jonesand Buckley 2000). The Black-eared Miner is on every serious birdwatcher’s ‘must see’

16

list. International and Australian birdwatchers generally stay in local accommodation andcontribute to the regional economy.

17

7.3 Biodiversity benefits

Purchase of properties and new managementThere are 12 nationally and 15 regionally threatened birds in the new reserves occupiedby the Black-eared Miner. De-stocking of properties such as Tarawi, Scotia, Gluepotand Taylorville will assist the recovery of a range of threatened ground-foraging speciessuch as the Malleefowl, Chestnut Quail-thrush and Southern Scrub-robin (Mack 1970,Benshemesh 1999).

Decommissioning of artificial water points on Tarawi Nature Reserve will reduce theimpacts of genetic introgression on the Black-eared Miner. CSIRO studies (Landsberget al. 1997) indicate that this will reduce total grazing pressure and have majorbiodiversity benefits. Artificial water points have also been closed in Victoria's malleeNational Parks and some South Australian reserves.

Maintenance of old-growth mallee The requirement of long-unburnt mallee by the Black-eared Miner has been a keyinfluence on the fire management policies of State agencies and community landmanagers. These policies will also assist the Malleefowl which prefers old-growth malleetoo (Benshemesh 1999), and a range of other threatened species such as the MajorMitchell Cockatoo and many other species of birds, reptiles and bats which require old,hollow-bearing mallees for nesting or roosting (Robertson et al. 1989, Higgins 1999).

8 Previous Actions Undertaken

Taxonomy and IdentificationConfusion over the taxonomic status of the Black-eared Miner hampered early recoveryefforts, and so an important action was to resolve the bird’s taxonomic identity. Amolecular study to clarify the phylogenetic relationships and genetic distinctiveness of theBlack-eared Miner was completed by Museum of Victoria staff in 1996. This studyconfirmed that the Black-eared Miner is a distinct species (Christidis 1995). Clarke etal. (2001) undertook by far the most rigorous phenotypic study to date and alsoconcluded that the Black-eared Miner is a species. To aid identification of Black-earedMiners and hybrids in the field, an improved identification guide was devised by Clarkeand Clarke (1998).

Survey and MonitoringField surveys have been conducted in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia,largely by Birds Australia staff and volunteers, and more recently by La Trobe Universityproject officers and Bookmark volunteers (Joseph 1986; Starks 1988; McLaughlin

18

1990, 1994, 1996; Franklin 1996, Clarke and Clarke 1998, 1999a, Boulton and Clarke2000a, 2000b). Monitoring of some colonies in Victoria was undertaken by NRE(Johnson 1988, 1989). Since 1996 the extensive mallee habitat in and around theBookmark Biosphere Reserve in South Australia has been the major focus for surveysand a monitoring program.

Habitat PreferencesWork to determine the habitat preferences, including structure, floristics and fire history,of the Black-eared Miner, and identifying habitat critical to the conservation of the specieshas been undertaken in Victoria (McLaughlin 1992). More recently habitat preferenceswere studied in South Australia (Muir et al. 1999), but because all of the habitat was old-growth, fire history preferences could not be distinguished. Further work is needed onthis topic and a PhD study commenced in 2000 to look at landscape use by Black-earedMiners, including fire history impacts.

Habitat ProtectionNew South WalesThere are large areas of mallee protected in New South Wales. The 33,600 ha TarawiNature Reserve includes 20,000 ha of mallee habitat not burnt for at least 80 years.Tarawi has implemented a model fire plan and replaced earth dams with sealed tanks(Willson 1999). Tarawi adjoins c65,000 ha of mallee in privately-owned ScotiaSanctuary. Although the 58,000 ha Mallee Cliffs National Park has extensive areas ofmallee, most of the park was burnt during the wildfires of 1974-75. The park mayprovide suitable habitat in the long-term as the mallee vegetation ages post-fire. About40,000 ha of mallee will be protected when the additions to Mungo National Park arefinalised.

South AustraliaClearing of mallee has largely ceased in South Australia. The central importance ofBlack-eared Miner habitat in South Australia has only been widely known since 1995,although the nature conservation values of the area have been recognised for some time.The purchase of the lease for Calperum Station (260,000 ha) by Environment Australiaand the Chicago Zoological Society in 1993, and the creation of the BookmarkBiosphere Reserve to cover Calperum and neighbouring conservation reservesrecognised the importance of maintaining one of the largest contiguous mallee remnants inAustralia, and the region’s outstanding nature conservation values.

The situation was enhanced in 1997 when Birds Australia purchased Gluepot Station.This 54,400 ha pastoral lease joins the western boundary of Calperum Station. In 1999Environment Australia and the Australian Landscape Trust purchased the neighbouringpastoral lease for Taylorville Station (92,600 ha) to protect the Black-eared Miner. Both

19

Gluepot Reserve and Taylorville Station have been added to the Bookmark BiosphereReserve. Most of the habitat critical for the survival of the Black-eared Miner in SouthAustralia is now reserved and managed by community representatives and volunteers.Habitat protection for the Black-eared Miner and other threatened mallee flora and faunais a high priority in the internationally significant Bookmark Biosphere Reserve (BBT1995). Areas of mallee containing potential Black-eared Miner habitat also receiveprotection in several conservation reserves south of the Murray River.

The policy of rapid suppression of wildfires throughout Bookmark, including direct attackwhen feasible, will aid in protecting Black-eared Miner habitat from wildfires.Nevertheless, vegetation and fire history mapping, followed by strategic strip burns andother on-ground works (eg Willson 1999) are needed. Managers of the BookmarkBiosphere Reserve have campaigned vigorously to remove threats from mineralexploration and extraction and power line easements that could result in large areas ofold-growth mallee being cleared or further fragmented.

VictoriaClearance of mallee has largely ceased in Victoria, and 80% of all remaining mallee hasbeen incorporated into conservation reserves. This includes all areas containing, orknown to have contained, Black-eared Miner colonies. Strategic closure of artificialwater points has also taken place. Fire management on public land in north-westernVictoria has shifted from widespread controlled burning to planned strategic fire breaksand a rapid response to suppressing wildfire (Fitzherbert et al. 1992; J Cooke perscomm.), which will aid protection of Black-eared Miner habitat. A fire management planthat includes protection of remaining old-growth mallee and facilitates regeneration ofburnt habitat has been implemented for Victorian mallee reserves. Black-eared Minerhabitat has been mapped and digitised and is given high priority in fire planning andsuppression (M Wouters pers comm).

Research into Black-eared Miner Biology and EcologySince 1996 a three-year PhD has greatly increased our knowledge of the reproductivebiology and ecology of the Black-eared and Yellow-throated Miner. This project hassupported the captive and field management components of the Recovery Program,helped to address land management issues and paved the way for the successful trialtranslocations. Research on the biology of Yellow-throated Miners increased ourunderstanding of interactions between the two species. Three years of work by theProject Officer have provided vastly more information than existed before on breedingseason and success, population numbers and density, and colony quality and stability.

20

Trial TranslocationsIn 1999 a translocation proposal for the Black-eared Miner was produced (Clarke andClarke 1999b). In late 2000, four colonies (56 adults and 12 fledglings) were movedc200 km from Bookmark to the Murray-Sunset National Park. Twelve nestlings andeight eggs which could not be translocated were hand-reared. Two colonies werereleased and monitored and two were kept in field aviaries for a week and then released.The birds remained in their general release area for the two months that they weremonitored, and at least ten nests were built and two nests produced one fledgling each(Boulton 2001). Hence the first year of translocation trials was remarkably successful.

Community SupportFor a bird living in a generally remote and inhospitable region, community support forBlack-eared Miner conservation has been substantial. With the recent purchase ofGluepot Station by Birds Australia and Taylorville Station by Environment Australia andthe Australian Landscape Trust, the majority of the South Australian Black-eared Minerhabitat is now being managed by conservation organisations or agencies. Both BirdsAustralia and the Australian Landscape Trust have raised funds, contributed to surveys,managed research and land management programs to benefit threatened mallee species(BBT 1995, Baker-Gabb 2000). At Calperum Station and Gluepot Reserve,accommodation and resources are provided for the Black-eared Miner Project Officerand numerous volunteers who assist the recovery of the species. Gluepot Reserve alsoprovides facilities for bird-watchers and opportunities for the public to see the Black-eared Miner and other mallee birds. Community members involved in the BookmarkBiosphere Reserve program have been instrumental in survey work and raising localawareness of the Black-eared Miner and issues affecting its conservation. Members offield naturalist and bird clubs have assisted in survey and monitoring work, particularly inVictoria.

Recovery PlanningA Recovery Team was formed in 1991 to coordinate preparation and implementation ofrecovery efforts for the Black-eared Miner, particularly in Victoria. A variety of planningprocesses have been used to guide recovery of the Black-eared Miner (Fitzherbert et al.1992; McLaughlin 1993b; Middleton 1993). Once the taxonomic status of the Black-eared Miner was confirmed in 1995, a new National Recovery Plan was prepared andadditional funding for implementation of the Recovery Program obtained (Backhouse etal. 1995). The Recovery Team was expanded to incorporate additional expertise and tomanage the Recovery Program across all range States and land tenures. Discovery of theminer colonies in the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve in South Australia necessitated amajor revision of the 1995 National Recovery Plan to incorporate the new informationinto the Recovery Program (Backhouse et al. 1997). The Team concentrates onpreparing and monitoring implementation of the Recovery Plan and strategic planning,

21

with day to day implementation and operations the responsibility of the CaptiveManagement and Field Management Operations Groups. Organisations, agencies andindividuals at a National, State and regional level, including both government andcommunity groups, are represented on the Recovery Team. These groups have madesubstantial contributions in expanding the range of expertise available for the Black-earedMiner recovery effort.

PublicationsMany published and unpublished reports and papers on Black-eared Miner biology,conservation and management have been prepared (most are included in the Bibliographysection of this Recovery Plan). These reports and papers provide a detailed record andwealth of information on Black-eared Miner conservation and also include many issuesapplicable to broader biodiversity conservation in the mallee. An information brochure onconservation and management of the Black-eared Miner in Victoria has also beenprepared.

8.1 Current Ex-situ programmes

Hybrid Black-eared Miners from a colony in Wyperfeld National Park in Victoria wereestablished in captivity in late 1995, supplemented with additional birds captured fromSouth Australia in January 1997. Both groups successfully bred within their first year incaptivity, but overall breeding success has been low. In mid 2002 captive Black-earedMiner colonies were held at Healesville Sanctuary, Adelaide Zoo, Cleland National Parkand Monarto Sanctuary. Whilst the production of viable eggs in these colonies has beenhigh, the ability to hatch and sustain offspring to the fledgling stage and beyond has notmet with similar success.

9 Species ability to Recover

Monitoring of isolated populations of Black-eared Miners indicate that they are doomedto genetic swamping and extinction if they do not receive active management, even inreserves as large as 30,000 ha. On the other hand, large populations such as those in theBookmark Biosphere Reserve are thriving (Clarke and Clarke 1999a, Boulton andClarke 2000b). Small, managed populations such as those translocated to the Murray-Sunset National Park show every indication of surviving (Boulton 2001), and suggest thatthe species does have the ability to recover.

22

10 Recovery objectives and performance criteria

The objectives, criteria and actions of this Recovery Plan build on the National RecoveryPlan for the Black-eared Miner (Baker-Gabb 2001). They are based on a thoroughreview of the biological and ecological information at the time of writing. Knowledge ofthe Black-eared Miner's distribution in western NSW and in other range States isdeficient. Also, there is a need to improve our understanding of the long-term impacts ofgenetic introgression, and the effect of different types of fragmentation and isolation of theBlack-eared Miner's habitat. The adequacy of the relevant actions in this Plan will bereassessed as new information becomes available.

10.1 Objectives of the Recovery Plan

Short-term GoalThe short-term goal is in five years to expand the current range and numbers of theBlack-eared Miner at Tarawi Nature Reserve and to improve the quality of selectedcolonies there. Achieving this objective will stabilise the status of the species asEndangered in NSW. This meshes with the short-term goal of the National RecoveryPlan (Baker-Gabb 2001) which includes translocation and threat reduction work at threelocations, one in NSW and two in Victoria.

Long-term GoalThe long-term goal is within 20 years to achieve and maintain a viable population of high-quality Black-eared Miners in the Tarawi-Scotia-Danggali region. This population willcontribute to the National Recovery Plan goal of maintaining viable populations in at leastfive separate locations, with a total effective population size of at least 1000 matureindividuals, across the species' known former range. Achieving this goal will contributetowards the national objective of downlisting the species to Conservation Dependent in20 years.

10.2 Recovery performance criteria

1. Progress towards meeting Recovery Plan objectives and actions is achievedefficiently with high levels of community and Government stakeholder support andinvolvement.

2. Integration of this Recovery Plan with the National Recovery Plan.

3. Sites with important Black-eared Miner habitat are identified and mapped, and thereis no loss of habitat or colonies from these areas.

23

4. Successful translocation of c100 Black-eared Miners to Tarawi Nature Reserveand/or Scotia Sanctuary so that the approximate number of colonies and birds istripled in NSW.

6. Threatening processes reduced and Black-eared Miner numbers and colony qualityincreases following the control of genetic introgression and implementation of advicederived from the monitoring program.

24

11 Recovery Actions

11.1 Recovery Co-ordination

Specific Conservation Objectives• To ensure that National Recovery Plan objectives, criteria and field actions are

integrated into and supported by this NSW Recovery Plan.

Performance Criteria• Progress towards meeting Recovery Plan objectives and actions is achieved

efficiently with high levels of community and government stakeholder support andinvolvement.

Tasks Required to Achieve the Action• The continuation of a dedicated NSW NPWS representative who participates in all

National Recovery Team meetings and oversees Recovery Plan actions in NSW.

Outcomes• Efficient and well coordinated implementation of tasks by Recovery Team members,

government agencies, landholders and community groups.• Enhanced biodiversity conservation because of synergy in planning and

implementation of tasks.

Responsibilities for Implementation• NSW NPWS will continue providing a dedicated representative to the National

Recovery Team.

Funding Schedule for Individual Tasks• $1,000 per annum for NPWS to attend and periodically host National Recovery

Team meetings.

11.2 Undertake Surveys

Specific Conservation Objectives• To locate Black-eared Miner habitat in areas not yet surveyed.

Performance Criteria• All important areas of Black-eared Miner habitat are located and mapped.

Tasks Required to Achieve the Action

25

• Conduct ground surveys of Black-eared Miner habitat to establish benchmarknumbers.

• Assist the National Project Officer with surveys of the region into which SouthAustralian birds will be translocated.

Outcomes• All important areas of Black-eared Miner habitat are surveyed and mapped.

Responsibilities for Implementation• NPWS to undertake or let a contract for ground surveys.• NPWS to assist the National Project Officer with pre-translocation surveys.

Funding Schedule for Individual Tasks• $15 000 for ground surveys, mapping and distribution of information.• $3,000 to assist National Project Officer with pre-translocation surveys.

11.3 Maintain and Enhance Habitat

Specific Conservation Objectives• To maintain the extent and enhance the quality of Black-eared Miner habitat.• To enhance managers’ abilities to identify and manage Black-eared Miner habitat

effectively.

Performance Criteria• Stakeholder support for the management of Black-eared Miner habitat.• No clearing of areas of mallee that are important to Black-eared Miner. Outside

these areas, ensure development is integrated and well planned.• Effective and informed management of Black-eared Miner habitat on reserves and

broadacre properties.• Integration of this Recovery Plan into the regional planning strategies.

Tasks Required to Achieve the Action• Facilitate fire management planning and the provision of on-ground firefighting

resources which directly benefit Black-eared Miner conservation.• Promote co-operative fire management between key agencies and stake-holder

groups in the Scotia Region, including Dengali Conservation Reserve.• Identify, close and rehabilitate artificial water points which may pose a threat to

Black-eared Miners in and around reserves where Black-eared Miners occur or willoccur following translocation.

26

• Provide management information to landholders near Tarawi Nature Reserve,including Scotia Sanctuary, Belmore and Belvedere Stations, and promote theconservation and enhancement of Black-eared Miner habitat.

• Integrate all information on Black-eared Miner habitat and requirements into regionalplanning strategies, and ensure that such habitat is conserved.

Outcomes• Long-term maintenance of the Black-eared Miner's current distribution and all

important areas of habitat.• Long-term biodiversity conservation in mallee.

Responsibilities for Implementation• NPWS will facilitate fire management planning and the provision of on-ground

firefighting resources which directly benefit Black-eared Miner conservation.• NPWS will promote co-operative fire management between key agencies and

stake-holder groups in the Scotia Region, including Dengali Conservation Reserve.• NPWS with the assistance of landholders will identify, close and if necessary

rehabilitate artificial water points which may pose a threat to Black-eared Miners.• NPWS will liase with the relevant regional planning groups and ensure that this

Recovery Plan is integrated with the regional planning strategies.• NPWS will provide advice to landholders concerning the presence of Black-eared

Miners, the location of Black-eared Miner habitat, and management information.

7. Funding Schedule for Individual Tasks• $13,000 to identify, close and rehabilitate artificial water points.• $25,000 to facilitate fire management planning and the provision of on-ground

firefighting resources, which directly benefits Black-eared Miner conservation.• $2,000 of NPWS time to integrate the Recovery Plan with the regional planning

strategies.• $2,000 of NPWS time to provide maps with Black-eared Miner habitat to

landholders.• There are no direct costs associated with promoting co-operative fire management in

the region.

11.4 Translocation

Specific Conservation Objectives• To successfully translocate c100 Black-eared Miners to Tarawi Nature Reserve.

When appropriate management is in place and assured in the longer term thentranslocation to Scotia Sanctuary may be considered.

28

Performance Criteria• The translocation and establishment of the Black-eared Miners to NSW is well

supported and meets the National success criteria detailed by Clarke and Clarke(1999b).

Tasks Required to Achieve the Action• Provide logistic support and accommodation for the National Project Officer and

other members of the National Recovery Team involved with the translocation.

Outcomes• An efficient and successful translocation of Black-eared Miners leading to their

establishment in NSW.

Responsibilities for Implementation• NPWS to provide accommodation, logistic and field support associated with the

translocation program.

Funding Schedule for Individual Tasks• $15,000 for NPWS logistic and field support.

11.5 Monitoring and controlling genetic introgression

Specific Conservation Objectives• Reliable monitoring of trends in numbers of Black-eared Miner numbers in the

translocation region.• Effective control of genetic introgression in and around the translocated colonies of

Black-eared Miners.

Performance Criteria• Data on Black-eared Miner numbers and distribution, and hence conservation

targets are refined.• Threatening processes such as genetic introgression are controlled.

Tasks Required to Achieve the Action• Assist the National Project Officer with monitoring Black-eared Miners at the

translocation site.• Assist the National Project Officer with controlling genetic introgression in and

around Tarawi Nature Reserve.

Outcomes

29

• More precise information on the conservation status of the Black-eared Miner inNSW.

• Enhanced colony quality in and around the translocation site.

Responsibilities for Implementation• NPWS to assist the National Project Officer during monitoring and control of genetic

introgression

Funding Schedule for Individual Tasks• $5,000 per annum of NPWS time for monitoring during 2004 and 2006• $2,000 per annum of NPWS time to assist with control of genetic introgression.

11.6 Involvement and Awareness

Specific Conservation Objective• To inform and encourage landholders who conserve Black-eared Miner habitat.

Performance Criteria• Stakeholders are aware of and involved in the recovery program.• All media stories generated by the recovery program are circulated to the general

public.

Tasks Required to Achieve the Action• Involve community volunteers in the recovery program, especially in regard to survey

and monitoring.• Ensure that the annual reviews of progress and media information prepared by the

National Recovery Team are distributed to NSW stakeholders and local media.

Outcomes• Increased levels of community involvement in the recovery program leading to

enhanced conservation of the Black-eared Miner and other threatened species.• Increased awareness of and support for the conservation of threatened species.

Responsibilities for Implementation• NPWS to involve stakeholders and members of the community in the recovery

program, using the National Project Officer's skills as necessary.• NPWS member of the National Recovery Team to ensure that all publicity is

distributed appropriately to local targets.

Funding Schedule for Individual Tasks

30

• $1,000 of NPWS time per annum to distribute publicity information and to assist theNational Project Officer in involving volunteers.

31

12 Implementation

The following table allocates responsibility for the implementation of recovery actionsspecified in this plan.

Table 1: Implementation schedule

Section Description Priority Responsibility

Cost estimate ($000's peryear)2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 Total

Recovery Program

11.1 Plan Co-ordination 1 NPWS 1 1 1 1 1 5

Undertake surveys

11.2 Ground surveys 1 NPWS orconsultant

6 6 3 15

Pre-translocation 1 NPWS 3 3

Maintain habitat

11.3 Close water points 1 NPWS 8 5 13

Fire Management 1 NPWS 15 10 25

Regional Planning 1 NPWS 2 2

Distribute maps 2 NPWS 2 2

Translocations

11.4 Logistic support 1 NPWS 15 15

Monitoring &introgression11.5 Monitoring 1 NPWS 5 5 10

Introgression 1 NPWS 2 2 2 2 2 10

Awareness andinvolvement11.6 Awareness 1 NPWS 1 1 1 1 1 5

Total operating ($000's) 33 39 12 22 9 105

32

13 Alternative Management Strategies

13.1 Captive breeding and reintroduction

Captive breeding is being undertaken by zoos in Melbourne, Adelaide and Monarto(Backhouse et al. 1997, Baker-Gabb 2001) and some important biological informationhas been provided by this work. However, the production of young has not beensufficiently high to enable a release program to be implemented. Moreover, thetranslocations of colonies of wild birds has proved to be very successful and more cost-efficient (Boulton 2001).

13.2 No additional surveys

Another management strategy would be to undertake no further surveys for Black-earedMiners in NSW and just use what is known. All major surveys to date (Franklin 1996,McLaughlin 1998, Boulton and Clarke 2000a) ranged widely and found no evidence forBlack-eared Miners outside of the Scotia Mallee. They all indicated that more in-depthsurveys of the Scotia Mallee was required.

14 Preparation details

This Recovery Plan was prepared by David Baker-Gabb of Elanus Pty Ltd, with theassistance of Matthew Chambers and Matt Cameron of NSW NPWS.

14.1 Date of last amendment

No amendments have occurred for this Plan, as it is the first prepared for the recovery ofthe species in New South Wales.

14.2 Review date

NSW NPWS will review this Plan five years from the date of approval.

33

References

ANZECC 1991. List of endangered vertebrate fauna in Australia. ANPWS,Canberra.

Ashby, E. 1922. The Dusky Miner (Myzantha obscura) Gould, with subspeciescompared with the Yellow-throated Miner (Myzantha flavigula), Gould. Emu 21:252-6.

Baker-Gabb, D. 2000. Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve Management and MonitoringPlan. Birds Australia Report 10a. Birds Australia, Melbourne.

Baker-Gabb, D. 2001. Recovery Plan for the Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis2002-2006: Conservation of old-growth dependent mallee fauna. Department forEnvironment and Heritage, Adelaide.

Backhouse, G., McLaughlin, J., Clarke, M. and Copley, P. 1997. Recovery Plan forthe Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis 1997-2001. Department of NaturalResources and Environment, Melbourne.

Backhouse, G., Bennett, S. and McLaughlin, J. 1995. Recovery Plan for the Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis (version 5). CNR, Melbourne.

Bookmark Biosphere Trust. 1995. The Bookmark Biosphere Reserve Action Plan.Bookmark Biosphere Trust, Berri.

Benshemesh, J. 1990. Management of Malleefowl with regard to fire. pp. 206-11 inNoble, J.C., Joss, P.J., & Jones, G.K. (eds) The Mallee Lands - A ConservationPerspective. Proceedings of the National Mallee Conference, Adelaide, 1989. CSIRO,Melbourne.

Benshemesh, J. 1999. National Recovery Plan for Malleefowl. Unpubl. Report toEnvironment Australia, Canberra.

Blakers, M., Davies, S.J.J.F. & Reilly, P. 1984. The Atlas of Australian Birds. RAOU& Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.

Blakers, M. & MacMillan, L. 1988. Mallee Conservation in Victoria. RMIT,Melbourne.

34

Boulton, R. 2001. Field Management of the Black-eared Miner. Unpubl. Report toBlack-eared Miner Recovery Team, La Trobe University.Boulton, R. and Clarke, M. 2000. The status of the Black-eared Miner Manorinamelanotis in New South Wales. Unpubl. Report to NSW National Parks and WildlifeService, Dubbo, La Trobe University.

Boulton, R. and Clarke, M. 2000. Field Management of the Black-eared Miner.Unpubl. Final report to the Black-eared Miner Recovery Team, La Trobe University.

Cade, T.J. 1983. Hybridisation and gene exchange among birds in relation toconservation. in Schonewald-Cox, C.M., Chambers, S.A., MacBryde, B. & Larry, T.(eds) Genetics and Conservation. A reference for Managing Wild Animal and PlantPopulations. Benjamin Cummings, London.

Chandler, L.G. 1937. The Yellow-throated Miner. Emu 37: 70.

Choate, J.H. 1989. Pastoral use and management. pp. 307-17 in Noble, J.C., Joss,P.J., & Jones, G.K. (eds) The Mallee Lands - A Conservation Perspective.Proceedings of the National Mallee Conference, Adelaide, 1989. CSIRO, Melbourne.

Christidis, L. 1995. Molecular assessment of the taxonomic and genetic status of theBlack-eared Miner (Manorina melanotis). Final report to ANCA and CNR,Melbourne.

Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds in Australiaand its Territories. RAOU Monograph 2. RAOU, Melbourne.

Clarke, M. 1988. The reproductive behaviour of the Bell Miner Manorinamelanophrys. Emu 88: 88-100.

Clarke, R. and Clarke, M. 1998. Field Management of the Black-eared Miner. Unpubl.final report to the Black-eared Miner Recovery Team, La Trobe University.

Clarke, R. and Clarke, M. 1999a. Field Management of the Black-eared Miner.Unpubl. final report to the Black-eared Miner Recovery Team, La Trobe University.

Clarke, R. and Clarke, M. 1999b. Translocation Proposal for the Black-eared Miner.Unpubl. report to the Black-eared Miner Recovery Team, La Trobe University.

35

Clarke, R., Gordon, I. and Clarke, M. 2001. Intra-specific phenotypic variability in theblack-eared miner, Manorina melanotis, human-facilitated introgression and theconsequences for an endangered taxon. Biological Conservation, 99:145 - 155.

Collar, N.J., Crosby, M.J. & Stattersfield, A.J. 1994. Birds to Watch 2: The WorldList of Threatened Birds (Birdlife Conservation Series no. 4), Birdlife International,Cambridge.

Considine, M. 1986. Black-eared Miners - A forgotten species. RAOU News. 68: 1-2.

Crosthwaite, J. 1997. Economic Benefits of Native Grassland on Farms.Environment Australia, Canberra.

Dow, D.D. 1978. Breeding biology and development of the young of Manorinamelanocephala, a communally breeding honeyeater. Emu 78: 207-22.

Emison, W.B., Beardsell, C.M., Norman, F.I., Loyn, R.H. & Bennett, S.C. 1987. Atlasof Victorian Birds. DCFL & RAOU, Melbourne.

Ewen, J., Clarke, R., Moysey, E., Boulton, R., Crozier, R. and Clarke, M. 2001.Primary sex ratio bias in an endangered cooperatively breeding bird, the black-earedminer, and its implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 101:137-145

Favaloro, N.J. 1966. Honeyeaters of the Sunset Country. Proceedings of the RoyalSociety of Victoria 79: 621-6.

Fitzherbert, K., McLaughlin, J. and Baker-Gabb, D. 1992. Action Statement No. 26.Black-eared Miner, Manorina melanotis. DCE, Melbourne.

Ford, H.A. 1981. A comment on the relationships between miners Manorina spp. inSouth Australia. Emu 81: 247-50.

Forward, L. and Robinson, A. 1996. A Biological Survey of the South Olary PlainsSouth Australia. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Adelaide.

Franklin, D. 1996. The status of the Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis in NewSouth Wales. RAOU Report 99. RAOU, Melbourne.

Garnett, S. (ed). 1992. Threatened and Extinct Birds of Australia. RAOU Report 82.RAOU & ANPWS. Melbourne.

36

Garnett, S. and Crowley, G. 2000. The Action Plan for Australian Birds.Environment Australia, Canberra.

Higgins, P. 1999. The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.Volume IV. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.Hodgkinson. K.C., Harrington, G.M, Griffin, G.F. Noble. J.C. & Young, M.D. 1981.Management of vegetation with fire. pp. 141-56 in Harrington, G.M, Wilson. A.D. &Young, M.D. (eds) Management of Australia's Rangelands. CSIRO, Canberra.

Howe, F.E. and Tregallas, T.H. 1914. Rarer birds of the mallee. Emu 14: 71-84.

IUCN 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland.

Johnson, G. 1988. Report on the monitoring of known and suspected Black-earedMiner Manorina melanotis colony sites - Sunset Country. Unpubl. DCE report.

Johnson, G. 1989. Report on the Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis in theHattah-Kulkyne National Park. Unpubl. DCE report.

Jones, D.N. & Buckley, R. 2000. Status assessment of wildlife tourism in Australia:birdwatching. Unpublished report to Tourism Commission.

Joseph, L. 1986. The decline and present status of the Black-eared Miner in SouthAustralia. South Australian Ornithologist 30: 5-13.

Kerlinger, P. & Wiedner, D. 1990. Economics of birding: a National survey of activebirders. American Birds 44: 209-213.

LCC 1987. Mallee Area Review. Land Conservation Council, Melbourne.

LCC 1989. Mallee Area Review. Final Recommendations. Land ConservationCouncil, Melbourne.

Landsberg, J., James, C., Morton, S., Hobbs, T., Stol, J., Drew, A. and Tongway, H.1997. The Effects of Artificial Water on Rangeland Biodiversity. CSIRO, Canberra.

MacLeod, N.D. 1990. An economic evaluation of the impact of conservation-orientatedland use regulations of pastoral leases in mallee landscapes of western New South Wales.pp. 287-92 in Noble, J.C., Joss, P.J., & Jones, G.K. (eds) The Mallee Lands - AConservation Perspective. CSIRO, Melbourne.

37

Matthew’s, G.M. 1912. Austral Avian Record 1: 51.

Matthews, G.M. 1913. A List of the Birds of Australia. Witherby & Co., London.

Matthews, G.M. 1925. The Birds of Australia. Witherby & Co., London.

McGilp, J.N. 1943. The Murray Mallee and its birds. South Australian Ornithologist16: 2-4.

McGilp, J.N. & Parsons, F.E. 1937. Mallee Whipbird. Psophodes nigrogularis(leucogaster?), and other mallee birds. South Australian Ornithologist. 14: 3-13.

McLaughlin, J. 1990. Surveys and observations of the Black-eared Miner Manorinamelanotis in Victoria, 1989-1990. RAOU Report 71.

McLaughlin, J. 1992. The floristic and structural features of Black-eared MinerManorina melanotis habitat. RAOU Report 84.

McLaughlin, J. 1993a. Plumage patterns and the identification of the endangered Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis. Australian Bird Watcher 15: 116-23.

McLaughlin, J. 1993b. Recovery Plan Research Phase for the Black-eared MinerManorina melanotis (Wilson 1911). Unpubl. report to ANPWS, Canberra. RAOU,Melbourne.

McLaughlin, J. 1994. Searches for the Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis in theVictorian Murray Mallee, 1992/1993. RAOU Report 93.

McLaughlin, J. 1996. Cheating extinction. Wingspan 6(3): 6-11.

Middleton, D. 1993. The Role of Intensive Management in the Recovery of theBlack-eared Miner Manorina melanotis. Unpubl. report to BeMRT. Ecoplan, Australia.

Muir, A., Quin, D. and Dominelli, S. 1999. Habitat Requirements of Black-earedMiners in South Australia. Unpubl. report to the Black-eared Miner Recovery Team.

Muir, S. 1992. Managing the vegetation. pp. 29-39 in Simpson, I. (ed.) RangelandManagement in Western New South Wales. Department of Agriculture, NSW.

Noble, J.C. 1984. Mallee. pp. 223-40 in Harrington, G.N., Wilson, A.D. & Young,M.D. (eds) Management of Australia's Rangelands. CSIRO, Canberra.

38

Noble, J.C., Smith, A.W. & Leslie, H.W. 1980. Fire in the mallee shrublands of westernNew South Wales. Australian Rangelands Journal 2: 104-14.

RAOU. 1913. Official checklist of the Birds of Australia. RAOU, Melbourne.

RAOU. 1926. Official checklist of the Birds of Australia. RAOU, Melbourne.Rix, C.E. 1937. In the fast dwindling mallee. South Australian Ornithologist 14:86-91.

Robertson, P., Bennett, A.F., Lumsden, L.F., Silveira, C.E., Johnson, P. G., Yen, A.L.,Milledge, G.A., Lillywhite, P.K. and Pribble, H.J. 1989. Fauna of the Mallee studyarea of north-west Victoria. Arthur Rylah Institute Technical Report No. 87.

Robinson, D. Davidson, I. And Tzaros, C. Biology and Conservation of the Grey-crowned Babbler in Victoria. Flora and Fauna Technical Report No 148, Departmentof Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne.

Schodde, R. 1975. Interim List of Australian Songbirds. RAOU, Melbourne.

Schodde, R. 1981. Bird Communities of the Australian Mallee: Composition, derivation,structure and seasonal cycles. Chapter 22 in diCastri, F., Goodall, D.W & Specht, R.L.(eds) Mediterranean-type Shrublands. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Schodde, R. 1990. The Bird Fauna of the Mallee - Its Biogeography and Future.Chapter 11 in Noble, J.C., Joss, P.J., & Jones, G.K. (eds) The Mallee Lands - AConservation Perspective. CSIRO, Melbourne.

Schodde, R. and Mason, I. 1999. The Directory of Australian Birds. CSIROPublishing, Melbourne.

Sibley, C.G. 1961. Hybridisation and isolating mechanisms. pp 69-88 in Blair, W.F.(ed.) Vertebrate Speciation. University of Texas Press, Austin.

Silveira, C. E. 1995. The Black-eared Miner. Australian Bird Watcher 16: 96-109.

Starks, J. 1987. The status and distribution of the Black-eared Miner (Manorinamelanotis) in Victoria. ARL Tech. Report 49.

Starks, J. 1988. Exit the Black-eared Miner. Geo 10: 9-11.

39

Thomas, H.L. Unpubl. Personal diaries. Held by the Museum of Victoria, Melbourne.

Willson, A. 1999. Fire Management Plan Tarawi Nature Reserve. NSW NationalParks and Wildlife Service, Buronga, NSW.

Wilson, F.E. 1911. Description of a new Honeyeater. Emu 11: 124.

Wilson, F.E. 1912. Oologists in the Mallee. Emu 12: 30-39.

40

43 Bridge StreetHurstville 2220(02) 9585 6444