Planting work continues for declining woodland birds
From Seedlings to Habitat: Restoring Grassy Woodland for Declining Birds
In an effort to create very open grassy woodland, close to 4,000 appropriate tree seedlings are being planted at low density by the Second Nature Conservancy on two priority sites at Rockleigh and Kanmantoo totaling 40 hectares. The majority of the seedlings being planted are Allocasuarina verticillata (Drooping she-oak) – pictured below.
Once established, these trees will offer habitat for a select suite of woodland birds that typically spend considerable amounts of time foraging on the ground in open woodland and grasslands, feeding on range of insects and plant seeds.
Priority ground foraging bird species of focus for recovery are the Restless flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta), Diamond firetail (Stagonopleura guttata), Southern white-face (Aphelocephala leucopsis), Jacky-winter (Microeca fascinans) and the Brown-tree creeper (Climacteris picumnus).
SNC field crew planting at Rockleigh
Both sites already support a wide array of native grasses, chenopods and herbs associated with open grassy ecosystems of the Eastern Hills.
This project is supported by Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu, and funded by the South Australian Government, through the Plan for Biodiversity Protected.
Images: Drooping Sheoak by B Simon, planting at Rockleigh, Diamond firetail and Elegant parrot by F Ward, plantings at Rockleigh.
