Short‐term response of a declining woodland bird assemblage to the removal of a despotic competitor

Interspecific aggression by the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala), a highly despotic species, is homogenizing woodland avifaunas across eastern Australia. Although a native species, the noisy miner's aggressive exclusion of small birds is a Key Threatening Process under national law. Large‐scale removal of noisy miners has been proposed as a management response to this threat following increases in miner presence due to anthropogenic land use practices. We tested this proposal by experimentally removing noisy miners from eucalypt woodland remnants (16–49 ha), assigned randomly as control (n = 12) or treatment (miner removal) sites (n = 12). Standardized bird surveys were conducted before and after removal, and generalized linear mixed models were used to investigate the effect of miner removal on bird assemblage metrics. Despite removing 3552 noisy miners in three sessions of systematic shooting, densities of noisy miners remained similarly high in treatment and control sites, even just 14 days after their removal. However, there was evidence of an increase in richness and abundance of small birds in treatment sites compared to controls—an effect we only expected to see if noisy miner densities were drastically reduced. We suggest that miner removal may have reduced the ability of the recolonizing miners to aggressively exclude small birds, even without substantially reducing miner densities, due to the breakdown of social structures that are central to the species' despotic behaviour. However, this effect on small birds is unlikely to persist in the long term. Synthesis and applications: Despite evidence from other studies that direct removal of noisy miners can result in rapid and sustained conservation benefit for bird communities at small scales, our findings cast doubt on the potential to scale‐up this management approach. The circumstances under which direct control of noisy miners can be achieved remain unresolved.     

Chronic stress in superb fairy‐wrens occupying remnant woodlands: Are noisy miners to blame?

Interactions between competing species may be intensified when they are restricted to small patches of remnant habitat, potentially increasing physiological stress in individuals. The effects of interspecific competition on stress in wildlife remain largely unexplored. In Australia, remnant woodlands are often dominated by aggressive honeyeaters, especially the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala). Harassment of smaller birds by miners may result in their exclusion from suitable woodland habitat. We tested whether the presence of noisy miners is also associated with elevated stress in a model species of small passerine bird, the superb fairy‐wren (Malurus cyaneus). We sampled wrens from six sites, three remnant woodlands with noisy miners and three larger fragments of reserved habitat without noisy miners. Differential white blood cell counts were used to infer levels of chronic stress. We also assessed variation in body condition and the prevalence of blood parasites (Haemoproteus spp.) to test for associations between stress and parasitemia. The mean heterophil‐to‐lymphocyte (H:L) ratio was 1.8 × higher among superb fairy‐wrens living in miner‐dominated woodlands, suggesting higher levels of chronic stress. Individuals with higher stress appeared to be in poorer condition, as indicated by fat scores and residual body mass. Prevalence of blood parasites was generally high and was highest in reserved habitat (59%) where miners were absent. Birds with blood parasites living in these habitats had higher H:L ratios but the intensity of infection and H:L ratio was inversely related. Our results suggest that birds persisting in the presence of noisy miners might experience chronic stress, but further study is necessary to separate the relative importance of noisy miner aggression from other potential stressors in small patches of degraded woodland. Stress induced by interspecific aggression should be considered in future studies of wildlife living in remnant vegetation.     

Urban nectarivorous bird communities in Cape Town,South Africa,are structured by ecological generalisation and resource distribution

Biological communities are increasingly faced with novel urban habitats and their response may depend on a combination of biological and habitat traits. The response of pollinator species to urban habitats are of particular importance because all species involved in the pollination mutualism may be affected. Nectarivorous bird communities worldwide show varying tolerances to urban areas, but studies from Africa are lacking. We investigated nectarivorous bird communities in a medium‐sized South African city and asked which biological and garden traits best predict the community assembly of specialist and opportunistic nectarivorous birds. Information was collected on garden traits and the frequency of nine nectarivorous bird species for 193 gardens by means of a questionnaire. Information on biological traits of birds was obtained from published literature. Habitat generalism and tree nesting were identified as the most important biological traits influencing bird occurrence in gardens. A greater diversity of indigenous bird‐pollinated plants and the presence of sugar water feeders increased the numbers of nectar specialist birds and species richness of nectarivorous birds. While bird baths increased the species richness of nectar specialist birds, opportunistic birds’ urban adjustment was further facilitated by large vegetated areas in gardens and limited by the distance to the nearest natural habitat. In conclusion, though some biological traits and dispersal barriers seem to limit urban adjustment, a combination of natural and artificial nectar resource provisioning could facilitate this adjustment.     

A particular case and a general pattern: hyperaggressive behaviour by one species may mediate avifaunal decreases in fragmented Australian forests

We quantitatively assessed edge effects associated with elevated abundance of a hyper aggressive bird species, the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala, in fragmented eucalypt forest adjoining developed land. Long‐term data from Toohey Forest, subtropical Australia, show that noisy miner colonies intensively occupy a zone of 20 m from the forest edge, with frequent use occurring up to 100 m from the edge, but little beyond 200 m. Within noisy miner colonies, the abundance and species richness of other birds were both about half those recorded at nearby transects which were outside the colonies' main activity area. Bird species smaller than noisy miners, which are also those with similar diets, were collectively 20–25 times more abundant, and their species richness tenfold greater, outside miner colonies than within them, whereas larger species, which have less dietary overlap, did not differ. Exclusion of small insectivorous birds has been hypothesised to cause elevated insect herbivore density, but we found no difference between tree crown defoliation or dieback rates within versus outside miner colonies. Aggression by noisy miners can be viewed as a mechanism of interspecific competition, since miners have a relatively large body size for their diet and are hence able to exclude virtually all potential competitors at relatively little cost. We examine evidence indicating that reduced bird diversity in eucalypt forest fragments of eastern Australia is often simply the effect of noisy miner occupancy of edges, acting directly on the densities of other species through their aggressive behaviour. With an edge effect 200 m deep, a remnant 10 ha in size is likely to become entirely occupied by noisy miners, and this is a size threshold that has been commonly reported in association with area‐standardised avian diversity reductions. Convergent patterns of species loss from small forest fragments in different continents are the result of different underlying ecological processes.     

Annual and seasonal trends in the use of garden feeders by birds in winter

Provision of bird food in gardens is a common activity that may provide an alternative food source to birds in winter. Long-term survey data recording the weekly presence of all bird species using garden feeders in the winter were analysed to see if there was any evidence of trends in feeder use between 1970 and 2000 and whether these trends were correlated with breeding bird population trends. Of 41 species analysed, 21 showed significant increases in occurrence at garden feeders between 1970 and 2000. Many of these increases were evident only in the last 10 years. Several species showed significant positive correlations between trends in winter garden use and trends in relative population size in the previous breeding season. This was especially the case for species with population change (either increase or decrease) of the greatest magnitude. There was no evidence that seasonal shifts in garden feeder use were associated with population change in any species. Temperature was an important predictor of garden use but could not explain the year-to-year trends. However, as the number of feeding stations had increased over time the response of birds to the greater food availability in gardens may have been responsible for the widespread increases in occurrence of several species.     

Do miners (Manorina spp.) affect bird assemblages in continuous savanna woodlands in north‐eastern Australia?

Overabundant native species can have a significant cascading effect on other components of wildlife, and those that deplete other species, often promoted by anthropogenic change to vegetation cover and habitat, are called reverse keystone species. Birds in the genus Manorina are widely reported as being such species, and in highly disturbed or fragmented environments, and some intact environments, noisy miners Manorina melanocephala can have a strong negative effect on small passerine species via hyper‐aggressive mobbing. The tropical savannas of northern Australia consist of largely unmodified woodlands, and two species of Manorina occur naturally in this region: the noisy miner and the yellow‐throated miner Manorina flavigula. Therefore, what effect do these species have on bird assemblage in predominantly continuous habitats, relative to other typical determinants of avifauna assemblage such as vegetation structure? We used data collected from bird surveys at 511 sites across northern Queensland (179 noisy miner M. melanocephala sites, 332 yellow‐throated miner M. flavigula sites) between 1998 and 2010. We examined the variation in bird composition at each site due to increasing abundance of Manorina spp. using uni‐ and multivariate techniques. We found total bird richness was significantly lower in sites where noisy and yellow‐throated miner abundances were highest, and passerine species seemed most affected. For species, 45 species varied significantly in abundance with increasing miner numbers, and the overall effect of yellow‐throated miners on other birds seemed more pronounced. However, vegetation structure was generally an equal or more important predictor of avifauna richness and abundance. We conclude that despite the superficially intact nature of northern Australian woodlands, pastoral intensification or poor land management might create disturbances that facilitate increases in the abundance of Manorina, causing localized overabundance and a compounding negative effect on other native bird species.     

Supplementary feeding of wild birds indirectly affects the local abundance of arthropod prey

Providing supplementary food for wild birds is a globally popular pastime; almost half of the households in many developed countries participate and billions of US dollars are spent annually. Although the direct influence of this additional resource on bird survivorship and fecundity has been studied, there is little understanding of the wider ecological consequences of this massive perturbation to (what are usually) urban ecosystems. We investigated the possible effects of wild bird feeding on the size and survivorship of colonies of a widespread arthropod prey species of many small passerine birds, the pea aphid [Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris); Hemiptera: Aphididae], in suburban gardens in a large town in southern England. We found significantly fewer aphids and shorter colony survival times in colonies exposed to avian predation compared to protected controls in gardens with a bird feeder but no such differences between exposed and protected colonies in gardens that did not feed birds. Our work therefore suggests that supplementary feeding of wild birds in gardens may indirectly influence population sizes and survivorship of their arthropod prey and highlights the need for further research into the potential effects on other species.     

Impacts of grazing,selective logging and hyper‐aggressors on diurnal bird fauna in intact forest landscapes of the Brigalow Belt,Queensland

The impact of forest management on diurnal bird assemblages and abundance was investigated in contiguous tracts of eucalypt forest in the Brigalow Belt Bioregion, south central Queensland. Sites were located across three levels of livestock grazing intensity and three levels of selective logging intensity within the most extensive habitat type, Corymbia citriodora‐dominant forest. We recorded a high rate of incidence and large numbers of the hyper‐aggressive noisy miner Manorina melanocephala (Passeriformes: Meliphagidae) at the majority of our survey sites, a phenomenon rarely reported in non‐cleared landscapes. As shown by numerous studies in fragmented landscapes, the distribution of this species in our study had a substantial negative effect upon the distribution of small passerine species. Noisy miners exerted the strongest influence upon small passerine abundance, and masked any forest management effects. However, key habitat features important for small passerines were identified, including a relatively high density of large trees and stems in the midstorey. Selective logging appeared to exert a minimal effect upon noisy miner abundance, whereas grazing intensity had a profound, positive influence. Noisy miners were most abundant in intensively grazed forest with minimal midstorey and a low volume of coarse woody debris. Higher road density in the forest landscape also corresponded with increased numbers of noisy miners. Reduction in grazing pressure in Brigalow Belt forests has the potential to benefit small passerine assemblages across large areas through moderating noisy miner abundance. The strong relationship between noisy miners and small passerines suggests that noisy miner abundance could act as an easily measured indicator of forest condition, potentially contributing to monitoring of forest management outcomes.     

The species diversity of New Zealand forest birds: Some possible consequences of the modification of beech forests

The literature on forest birds in New Zealand is examined to see if the consequences of forest modification can be predicted. Forty‐four samples of birds, from North, South, and Stewart Islands, are classified according to four habitats of origin: virgin forest, modified forest, exotic forest, and suburban bush and gardens. An index of bird species diversity (BSD) is calculated for comparison, and where possible densities are tabulated.

Limited samples from modified forests in Westland suggest that the number of species is relatively smaller but the bird density is higher after modification. There do not seem to be any published quantitative data about birds in Westland exotic forests.

Data from the whole of New Zealand show that bird density increases as forest habitats change from virgin, to modified, to exotic, to suburban bush and gardens. BSD and equitability do not differ among these habitats. The number of species of native birds and their diversity decline as the habitat is more extensively altered, but their total density tends to remain constant. More productive forest habitats have the same BSD as other habitats. Diversity seems to be limited by the small variety of bird species available, and the more productive habitats could probably support more species. All habitats had a much higher diversity of birds before colonisation by the European.     

Effects of the winter beechmast crop on bird occurrence in British gardens

Capsule Woodland birds were significantly less likely to occur in gardens in years of high beechmast crop.

Aim To test the hypothesis that woodland species that feed on beechmast will have significantly lower occurrence rates at garden feeders in mast years.

Methods Weekly winter occurrence rates at garden feeders between 1970/71 and 1999/2000 for 40 species were analysed in relation to annual beechmast abundance, classified into low, medium and high years. A repeated-measures logistic regression model was used to assess whether beechmast abundance explained further significant variation additional to underlying seasonal and annual trends.

Results Seven species that commonly feed on beechmast showed significantly lower occurrence in gardens in years of highest beechmast abundance: Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, Great Tit Parus major, Coal Tit Periparus ater, Nuthatch Sitta europaea, Jay Garrulus glandarius and Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Blackbird Turdus merula and Siskin Carduelis spinus, which showed similar significant patterns, are likely to take beechmast as elements of their diet. Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba was the only insectivorous species to show significant effects, but occurrence was lowest in years of intermediate beechmast abundance. For the latter species, this may have been due to confounding effects of temperature, but there were no such confounding effects of either temperature, or the number of bird feeders provided in gardens, for the other nine species.

Conclusion Use of artificial food sources by birds in gardens is influenced by resources in the surrounding countryside, suggesting that food provided in gardens may play a significant part in the population dynamics of these species, that population monitoring without consideration of the garden habitat may be deficient, and that volunteer-based garden bird recording may provide data that can be used as an indicator of changes in the wider countryside.     

Habitat preferences of the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala) – a propensity for prime real estate?

This study investigated habitat characteristics that have been postulated to influence the occurrence of noisy miners (Manorina melanocephala Family Meliphagidae). It builds on an earlier study that identified corners along remnant edges as important predictors of the presence of noisy miners in large blocks of remnant vegetation (>300 ha). Six habitat characteristics were recorded at 39 corner sites within the box‐ironbark region of Victoria. We failed to detect any significant effect of the density of understorey vegetation on the likelihood of noisy miners occupying a site, but this might have been an artefact of prolonged drought conditions. The most powerful predictors of the presence of noisy miners at remnant corners were found to be soil type and the proportion of canopy trees at a site that were yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon), with noisy miners being associated with deeper, more fertile soils and higher proportions of yellow gums present. As yellow gum is a prolific and reliable nectar producer, the inherent productivity of a site might be more important in determining the attractiveness of a site to noisy miners than structural attributes like the presence or absence of an understorey. Noisy miners are sedentary colonial birds that occupy year‐round territories, often at high densities. Sites capable of supporting such high density occupation year‐round might be limited to the most productive sites within the landscape. This productivity hypothesis has potentially profound implications for other woodland avifauna, as noisy miners might be excluding other woodland birds from some of the most fertile components of the landscape; components that are already rare in the box‐ironbark region due preferential clearing for agriculture at the time of settlement.     

Avian Assemblages at Bird Baths: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Bird Baths in Australia

Private gardens provide habitat and resources for many birds living in human-dominated landscapes. While wild bird feeding is recognised as one of the most popular forms of human-wildlife interaction, almost nothing is known about the use of bird baths. This citizen science initiative explores avian assemblages at bird baths in private gardens in south-eastern Australia and how this differs with respect to levels of urbanisation and bioregion. Overall, 992 citizen scientists collected data over two, four-week survey periods during winter 2014 and summer 2015 (43% participated in both years). Avian assemblages at urban and rural bird baths differed between bioregions with aggressive nectar-eating species influenced the avian assemblages visiting urban bird baths in South Eastern Queensland, NSW North Coast and Sydney Basin while introduced birds contributed to differences in South Western Slopes, Southern Volcanic Plains and Victorian Midlands. Small honeyeaters and other small native birds occurred less often at urban bird baths compared to rural bird baths. Our results suggest that differences between urban versus rural areas, as well as bioregion, significantly influence the composition of avian assemblages visiting bird baths in private gardens. We also demonstrate that citizen science monitoring of fixed survey sites such as bird baths is a useful tool in understanding large-scale patterns in avian assemblages which requires a vast amount of data to be collected across broad areas.     

Associations of garden birds with gradients in garden habitat and local habitat

Habitat associations of 40 bird species were analysed using data from a survey of 12892 garden sites throughout the United Kingdom between 1995 and 2002. Gradients in 20 garden habitat variables and 25 variables describing the surrounding local habitat were derived from Detrended Correspondence Analysis. The main garden axis explained 13.3% of variation in the data and described a gradient from sites containing and bounded by high levels of vegetation cover to open sites bounded by walls and fences. The main local axis explained 29.9% of variation in the data and described a gradient from rural to urban habitats. Higher probability of occurrence was detected in larger sites in 25 species and in smaller sites in four (urban-associated) species. Many species (22 out of 40) were significantly associated with the local gradient: seven species showed the highest probability of occurrence in sites within more urbanised habitats. Other species were most likely to occur in sites within rural or suburban habitats. Only five species showed a significant association with garden habitat gradient, four of these being most likely to occur in sites with highest vegetation cover. These associations were similar when controlling for garden size and for food provision in gardens. The results imply that the likelihood of many species occurring in gardens is dependent on the surrounding local habitat rather than the garden habitat. However, survey participants were likely to have "bird-friendly" gardens which may have reduced the variation in garden habitat across the sample. An assessment of the representativeness of survey sites is needed to further understand habitat associations of garden birds.     

Nest predation in Australian urban environments and the role of the pied currawong,Strepera graculina

Abstract An experiment, involving 2000 members of the public, determined the identity of nest predators in urban environments. Experimental nests of halved tennis balls covered with coconut fibre and wool were manufactured to resemble the nests of willie wagtails, Rhipidura leucophrys. The identity of predators was determined by analysis of imprints left in artificial eggs made of coloured modelling clay. Sixty-four per cent of nests were preyed upon, with most predation being the result of large birds. Direct observations of predation (n = 134) indicated that pied currawongs were the most common large bird, accounting for 52% of all predation. Predation incidence was higher in gardens with more trees and in which kookaburras, Dacelo novaeguineae, were fed frequently. Among nests placed in trees, nest predation was correlated with nest height. Eggs camouflaged by speckling experienced a similar incidence of predation to plain eggs. This study provides evidence to support the contention that pied currawongs are a major threat to the persistence of small birds in Australian urban environments.     

Epidemiology of Salmonellosis in Garden Birds in England and Wales, 1993 to 2003

Salmonellosis has been reported as an important cause of mortality of garden birds in several countries, including Norway and Scotland. We investigated the frequency of the disease in garden birds submitted for postmortem examination by members of the public in England and Wales between 1993 and 2003, inclusive. We found salmonellosis to be the most frequent cause of death due to infectious disease in the garden birds submitted. This disease was confirmed in 7 of the 45 bird species that were examined postmortem, with the greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) and the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) most frequently affected. Salmonella Typhimurium definitive phage type (DT) 40, DT56 variant(v), and DT160 accounted for the majority of isolates. Salmonellosis incidents chiefly occurred in the English Midlands, the English/Welsh border region, and southern England. Variation in the temporal and spatial distribution of the phage types occurred over the study period. While birds were examined throughout the year, there was a marked winter seasonality in salmonellosis. A significant sex bias was observed in affected greenfinches, with males more frequently diagnosed with salmonellosis than females. No sex bias was observed for other affected species. Further research is required to determine if salmonellosis is an important constraint to the populations of affected species and if disease outbreaks are driven by human factors, such as provisioning.     

Body mass,measurements and moult of the White-necked Picathartes,Picathartes gymnocephalus,in Sierra Leone

We surveyed the bird species richness and abundance at 12 sites in gardens and four sites in natural woodlands at Prince Albert, Western Cape, South Africa, over a two-month period, from 14 September to 15 November 1999. Bird numbers were estimated using point counts. Of a total of 75 bird species recorded, 34 species occurred in both garden and natural sites, 23 species only in gardens and 18 species only in natural woodland. The sites in natural habitats had the greatest similarity between species. The commonest species nesting in gardens during this study was the Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus), followed by the Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis), and Greater Striped Swallow (Hirundo cucullata). Bar-throated Apalis (Apalis thoracica), Namaqua Warbler (Phragmacia substriata), Fiscal Flycatcher (Sigelus silens) and Common Fiscal (Lanius collaris) nests were only observed at the natural sites. Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybea) and Cape White-eye (Zosterops capensis) nested in both natural and garden sites. Tree hole-nesting species were rare in both gardens and natural woodland, but this reflects the paucity of suitable sites rather than the rarity of the species per se. With the exception of two sites that lacked nectarivores, all foraging guilds were represented at all sites. There was a marked difference in numbers of insectivorous, granivorous and omnivorous species between the natural woodland sites and the garden sites. The gardens showed a gradient in species richness from the gardens with structurally simple vegetation (bare ground) through to the richest species assemblages in the structurally most diverse habitats (trees). However, this gradient was less clear than expected. Structurally fairly simple vegetation (but abundant 'flowers') had species numbers almost as high as the woodland sites, and higher than the garden tree sites.     

Do heterospecific size and demeanour influence visitation behaviour of birds at urban foraging patches?

We compared the feeding behaviour of garden birds in the presence of four heterospecific decoy species at suburban feeding stations to assess the relative importance of body size (large vs. small) and demeanour (high vs. low potential for inter-specific aggression) as cues for threat recognition. We conducted separate trials with live, caged Australian magpie, Cracticus tibicen, and common myna, Acridotheres tristis, large and small species known to chase and harass heterospecifics, and comparably sized species not known for inter-species aggression (i.e. rock dove, Columba livia, and ringneck dove, Streptopelia risoria). Birds of all species arrived at feeding stations sooner and displayed higher-risk activities in the presence of small decoys. The two most common species that visited the feeding stations, silvereye, Zosterops lateralis, and house sparrow, Passer domesticus, were most likely to perform high-risk behaviours (i.e. landing on the stimulus cage and feeding from the station) in the presence of common mynas. The activities were performed least frequently in the presence of Australian magpies. As garden birds likely had the most experience interacting with common mynas, the results suggest that a two-step decision rule, with size and familiarity as important cues, may be used to recognize potential threats.     

Habitat associations and breeding bird community composition within the city of Bristol,UK

Capsule Different urban breeding bird communities are associated with different habitat types, but, although community species diversity varies significantly, total bird density does not.

Aims To investigate the association between breeding bird communities and habitats within Bristol, UK and how these communities vary in terms of species diversity and total bird abundance.

Methods Breeding density data for 70 species in the metropolitan area of Bristol, UK were subjected to de‐trended correspondence analysis to identify the number of different communities present and their indicator species. These data were then used to identify patterns of habitat association with each community and differences in species richness and total bird density.

Results Three communities were identified: a rural community associated with woodland, managed grassland and inland water; a suburban community associated with buildings and residential gardens; and an intermediate community that shared some of these habitat characteristics. Species richness, but not total bird abundance, was lowest in the suburban community.

Conclusion The diversity of species in urban areas appears to be most dependent upon the availability of patches of natural and semi‐natural habitats. Residential gardens support fewer species, but those species that are present may be found at high densities.     

Explaining bird species composition and richness in eucalypt-dominated remnants in subhumid Tasmania

Aim To determine the factors influencing the distribution of birds in remnants in a fragmented agricultural landscape. Location Forty‐seven eucalypt remnants and six sites in continuous forest in the subhumid Midlands region of Tasmania, Australia. Methods Sites were censused over a two‐year period, and environmental data were collected for remnants. The avifauna of the sites was classified and ordinated. The abundances of bird species, and bird species composition, richness, abundance and diversity were related to environmental variables, using simple correlation and modelling. Results There were two distinct groups of sample sites, which sharply differed in species composition, richness, diversity and bird abundance, separated on the presence/absence of noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala Latham) colonies, remnant size, vegetation structural attributes and variables that reflected disturbance history. The approximate remnant size threshold for the change from one group to another was 20–30 ha. Remnant species richness and diversity were most strongly explained by remnant area and noisy miner abundance, with contributions from structural and isolation attributes in the second case. Segment richness was explained by precipitation, logging history and noisy miner abundance. Bird abundance was positively related to precipitation and negatively related to tree dieback. The 28 individual bird species models were highly individualistic, with vegetation structural variables, noisy miner abundance, climatic variables, variables related to isolation, area, variables related to floristics, disturbance variables, the nature of the matrix and remnant shape all being components in declining order of incidence. Age of the remnant did not relate to any of the dependent variables. Main conclusions Degraded and small remnants may have become more distinct in their avifaunal characteristics than might otherwise be the case, as a result of the establishment of colonies of an aggressive native bird, the noisy miner. The area, isolation and shape of remnants directly relate to the abundance of relatively few species, compared to vegetation attributes, climate and the abundance of the noisy miner. The nature of the matrix is important in the response of some species to fragmentation.     

Sustained and delayed noisy miner suppression at an avian hotspot

To mitigate the impact of noisy miners Manorina melanocephala on Australia’s woodland birds, there is a need to identify locations where noisy miner suppression can be affordable, sustainable and facilitate woodland bird recovery. In 2017, we suppressed noisy miners from the Goulburn River, NSW for at least three months. During this period, six pairs of critically endangered regent honeyeaters nested in the treatment area. In 2018, we continued monitoring the original noisy miner treatment area, which was expanded to include our 2017 control area, and established a new control area downstream. In 2019, the removal effort was again expanded to include the 2018 control area. In the 2017 treatment area, noisy miners remained suppressed up to 27 months post‐removal. Their numbers here were lower 1 year after the initial cull than in the week after it. In the 2018 and 2019 treatment areas, noisy miner abundance was significantly lower after respective culls than at all pre‐removal periods. In 2018, around 20 vulnerable painted honeyeaters occupied the 2018 treatment area. In 2019, two regent honeyeater pairs nested in and at least 40 painted honeyeaters occupied the treatment area. Songbird abundance increased within seasons and also up to a year following noisy miner removal, and plateaued thereafter. We show how, in strategic locations, a week of noisy miner suppression each spring can sequentially create ever‐larger landscapes where noisy miner impacts on threatened woodland birds are minimal.