Regent Honeyeater: Icon Threatened Species

Regent Honeyeater: icon threatened species

Scientific name: Xanthomyza phrygia Other common names: Turkey Bird, Embroidered Honeyeater Conservation status: Endangered in NSW and Australia

How do I recognise it? blakelyi) and River Oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana). The Regent Honeyeater is a medium sized bird (about the size of a starling). What does it eat? A spectacularly marked bird, it has a black beak, black head and a bare Regent Honeyeaters principally feed cream to pinkish patch of warty skin on: around their eye. The back and • Nectar of eucalypts (see those breast appear scaly (pale lemon and listed above). black), while the wings and tail are • Nectar and fruit of mistle- edged with bright yellow. Males and toes including; Needle-leaf females are similarly coloured. Regent Honeyeater (Photo: N Lazarus) Mistletoe (Amyema cambagei), A. miquelii It is often found high in the tree the western slopes, especially box- Box Mistletoe ( ) and A. pendu- canopy of flowering eucalypts, and ironbark and riparian woodlands. Drooping Mistletoe ( lum often occurs with Lorikeets and Key habitat trees include: Mugga ) Friarbirds. Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), • Sugary exudates from insects Yellow Box (E. melliodora), White when nectar is scarce, and Within the Border Rivers Gwydir Box (E. albens), Grey Box (E. • Insects themselves during the Catchment, the only similarly sized moluccana), Blakely’s Red Gum (E. breeding season. and coloured bird is the Painted Honeyeater. The Painted Honeyeater Mature Grassy Box Woodlands are important Regent Honeyeater habitat (Photo: W Hawes) is distinguished by its solid black back, white throat and breast, lack of a warty patch about the eye and pink beak. Where does it live? The Regent Honeyeater is a migratory species, preferring the open forests and woodlands of

Factsheet 13 Why is it threatened? What can I do? The Regent Honeyeater was once a common woodland • Retain and improve stands of remnant bushland, bird. Historically it ranged from Adelaide through Vic particularly those on more fertile soils and along and eastern NSW to Dalby in Qld, extending from creeks and rivers. the coast to the western slopes of the Great Dividing • Control grazing within remnants to encourage Range. Regent Honeyeaters now have an extremely regeneration of trees and shrubs. patchy distribution from Bendigo in Vic through NSW • Maintain a range of tree age classes within remnant to SE Qld, with a population estimated at between areas. 1,000 -1,500 birds. • Avoid removing larger trees from remnants as these provide more reliable nectar and nesting sites. • Connect isolated habitat patches by planting corridors of local native plant species. • Remove exotic shrubs such as Cotoneaster, Hawthorn, Firethorn and Privet, a winter food source for Pied Currawongs • Report all sightings of Regent Honeyeaters to the Department of Environment and Climate Regent Honeyeaters depend on nectar from mature Eucalypts (Photo: M Todd / Wildlifing) Change. • Participate in the local Regent Honeyeater Surveys It is estimated that 75% of Regent Honeyeater habitat held in the third week of May and first week of has been destroyed by clearing for agriculture and/ August each year. or urban development. The Regent Honeyeater’s preferred habitat is trees on more fertile soils which co- But wait there’s more... incidentally are areas targeted by agriculture and urban By protecting and improving habitat for the Regent development. What habitat remains is fragmented and Honeyeater, you will also be protecting and improving continues to be degraded by; inappropriate grazing, habitat for a whole suite of other threatened and clearing of regrowth and understorey, and removal of declining plants and animals dependent upon woodland larger trees for fenceposts and firewood. ecosystems. These species include: Painted Honeyeater, Loss and fragmentation of habitat has also created Squirrel Glider, Brown Treecreeper, Speckled Warbler, greater competition for limited food resources with Black-chinned Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, more aggressive honeyeaters such as Red Wattle Birds, Turquoise Parrot, Swift Parrot, Hooded Robin, Little Friarbirds and Noisy Miners, and increased nest Pied Bat, Greater Long-eared Bat, Pale-headed Snake, predation by Pied Currawongs. McKies Stringybark and the Grassy Box Woodlands. Why is our catchment important? References The Barraba/Bundarra area is one of only 3 core breeding areas used by Regent Honeyeaters; the other Ayers D, Nash S and Baggett K (1996) Threatened Species of two being the Chiltern-Albury area in NE Vic and Western New South Wales. NSW NPWS, Hurstville, NSW. Capertee Valley west of Sydney. It is estimated the DECC (2007) Threatened Species Profile – Regent Honeyeater. Barraba/Bundarra area supports 200-400 of the 1,000- NSW Department of Conservation and Climate Change website: 1,500 birds remaining. http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/ profile.aspx?id=10841

Garnett ST and Crowley GM (2000) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia, Canberra.