Eastern Bristlebirds - Bushfire Rehabilitation
Eastern bristlebird conservation project to enhance habitat and bushfire recovery.
Enhancing eastern bristlebird habitat and bushfire recovery.Healthy Land & Water’s Enhancing eastern bristlebird habitat and bushfire recovery project is designed to conserve the endangered eastern bristlebird in South East Queensland.
This project will assist recovery of the eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) through weed management and monitoring surveys in key habitat areas.
Mt Gipps in Running Creek, Scenic Rim was selected as the location for this work.
The project focused on:
- Weed control of at least 34 hectares of eastern bristlebird habitat.
- Three fauna surveys and acoustic monitoring by BirdLife Australia to detect eastern bristlebird presence and/or breeding at priority sites.
- 90 hectares of monitoring for pest predators.
What we did
The project involves:
- Enhancing existing eastern bristlebird habitat across two properties at Mt Gipps in Running Creek.
- Identifying the number and status of eastern bristlebirds within the project area.
- Identifying other wildlife and pest predators impacting eastern bristlebird recovery.
Measuring success
As a result of the project, the following will be achieved:
- 34 hectares of weed control.
- Improved knowledge of local eastern bristlebirds and habitat management.
- Targeted surveys to detect eastern bristlebird presence and/or breeding.
- 90 hectares of monitoring for pest predators.
Why this project is important
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The eastern bristlebird is a small ground-dwelling species that forages in the understory and nests in dense grass tussocks. This behaviour, combined with the species’ reluctance to fly, makes adults and immature birds, as well as eggs and nestlings, very vulnerable to wildfire. This project will help protect eastern bristlebirds by identifying the number of birds present in the project area and removing weeds that impact their habitat. Lantana (Lantana camara), Crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora), and other broadleaf weeds alter forest structure and increase fire risk. The project area is located at Mt Gipps in Running Creek, Scenic Rim. Several other threatened species, including spotted-tailed quoll, koala, and Hastings river mouse are also known or likely to occur in the project area. |
Project snapshot
| Project name: | Bushfire Rehabilitation: Eastern Bristlebirds Project |
| Project contact: | Suzi Moore, Healthy Land & Water |
| Catchment: | South East Queensland |
| Timing: | 2021 - 2023 (Completed) |
| Budget: | $70,000 |
| Partnerships: |
This project is supported by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Package for wildlife and their habitat. |
| Related Articles: |
Project collaborators
This project is supported by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Package for wildlife and their habitat.
Other key project collaborators include BirdLife Australia and Scenic Rim Regional Council.
