Woodland bird conservation

Biolinks Alliance is involved in two woodland bird protection and conservation programs; the Temperate Woodland Bird Conservation Action Plan (CAP) as well as the Victorian Landscape Conservation Partnership (VLCP) South West / central Victorian Woodland Birds Program.

Temperate Woodland Bird Conservation Action Plan (CAP)

Lead by Birdlife Australia, the Temperate Woodland Bird Conservation Action Plan (CAP) brings together key stakeholders to address current and long-lasting threats contributing to temperate woodland bird declines in eastern Australia.

A total of 51 temperate woodland birds were identified for active management under the CAP. These taxa are categorised into ten functional groups (conservation targets), based largely on habitat requirements. Each conservation target provided the basis for setting goals, implementing actions and mitigating threatening processes and are listed below (‘flagship’ species are in brackets):

• Ground Foragers (Bush-stone Curlew)

• Pouncing Robins (Eastern Scarlet Robin)

• Shrubby-understorey Specialists (Speckled Warbler)

• Bark and Foliage Gleaners (south-eastern Brown Treecreeper)

• Nectar-sippers (Regent Honeyeater)

• Hollow-dependent Parrots (Swift Parrot)

• Arboreal Insectivore Specialists (Forty-spotted Pardalote)

• Mistletoe Specialists (Painted Honeyeater)

• Seed-eating Parrots (south-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo)

• Nocturnal Carnivores (Barking Owl)

Ten management interventions were identified, each with associated strategies and actions to address key threats to woodland birds identified in the CAP.



Biolinks Alliance is very proud to be part of the steering committee, alongside the ACT Government, Biodiverstiy Conservation Trust NSW, Bush Heritage Australia, Commonwealth Dept of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Greening Australia, Monash University, Hunter Local Land Services NSW, Landcare Upper Hunter and Hunter GER, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Steering Committee, Tasmanian Land Conservancy, University of Queensland and Victorian Dept of Environment, Land, Water & Planning.



This group has now committed to working together to deliver the CAP. Working Groups are being formed to implement on-ground strategies and actions for each of the ten management interventions.

Victorian Landscape Conservation Partnership (VLCP)

VLCP is a collaboration between Birdlife Australia, Greening Australia, Bush Heritage Australia, Trust for Nature, Odonata and Zoos Victoria to deliver landscape-scale conservation outcomes across Victoria.

The VLCP seeks to address the complex challenges faced by Victoria’s biodiversity to improve ecological outcomes and is closely aligned with the delivery of the State’s Biodiversity 2037 plan.

There are four programs as part of this initiative, and Biolinks Alliance was invited to be a key contributor to the South West / central Victorian Woodland Birds Program, which aims to protect and increase habitat for threatened and declining woodland birds species. The program aims to take action for threatened or declining woodland-dependent bird species by delivering ecological and community-focussed outcomes by:

• Protecting and increasing native woodland cover;

• Enhancing habitat connectivity, and;

• Engaging with the community to deliver socio-economic benefits

The woodland bird species chosen are from the Birdlife Australia Woodland Bird Conservation Action Plan, which are the focal species representing different functional groups. 

• Ground Foragers = Diamond Firetail

• Pouncing Robins = Scarlet Robin

• Shrubby-understorey Specialists = Southern White-browed Babbler

• Bark and Foliage Gleaners = Eastern Crested Shrike-tit

• Nectar-sippers = Purple-crowned Lorikeet and/or Yellow-tufted Honeyeater

• Seed-eating Parrots = South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (EPBC-listed)

• Hollow-dependent Parrot = Swift Parrot (EPBC-listed) (flagship species only)