King Island woodland birds
The King Island Scrubtit and King Island Brown Thornbill are listed as Critically Endangered and Endangered (respectively) under the EPBC Act, primarily due to extensive habitat loss associated with agricultural land clearing, altered hydrology (primarily drainage for agriculture) and wildfire. The limited area of suitable habitat and extremely small population size of both birds places them amongst the top five Australian birds considered most likely, in the absence of intervention, to become extinct within 20 years. Management recommendations are hampered by a lack of detailed knowledge of the distribution and abundance of the birds, and currently no agreed habitat descriptions. As well as the KI Scrubtit and KI Brown Thornbill, King Island Black Currawong and King Island Green Rosella are both listed as “vulnerable” under the EPBC Act, and will also benefit from the Actions proposed for this Priority.
outcome
By 2030, recovery actions for the King Island Brown Thornbill and the King Island Scrubtit have been implemented in critical habitat patches.
threats
Local threats that can be addressed by NRM actions:
- Land use pressures including development, intensification of agriculture and other industries
- Inappropriate land management practices including vegetation clearing
- Weeds and feral animals
- Increasing fire risk due to climate change
- Lack of knowledge and understanding in the community about threatened species