PhD Scholar
Bird utilisation of revegetation and woodland remnants in an agricultural landscape in south-eastern Australia
E-mail: suzi.bond@anu.edu.au

Since European settlement, there has been widespread clearing of temperate eucalypt woodlands in south-eastern Australia, mainly for agriculture. This clearing has led to large areas of woodlands being destroyed, while any remaining woodland is often degraded and fragmented, and subject to continuing pressures. In turn, many birds that rely on woodlands have declined. Research on birds in revegetation in an agricultural context in Australia is limited, and there is an important need to better determine how birds are faring in revegetation, particularly so for woodland and declining birds, and also for breeding success in revegetation. This is where my project fits in, as I intend to determine the extent to which birds are able to utilise revegetation and remnants in an agricultural context, with a focus on breeding success for the first field season. The study area is between Wagga Wagga, Gundagai and Albury in south-eastern New South Wales. If we know how different birds respond to revegetation, then we can translate that knowledge into future revegetation design and management, which could help halt woodland bird declines.