• Conservation

• COG Conservation Strategy
• Woodland birds
  • Woodland birds of concern
  • What are grassy woodlands?
  • COG Woodland Bird Monitoring Project
• Conservation Fund
  • Projects
  • Applying for a Grant
  • Donate to the Canberra Birds Conservation Fund
• Avian Influenza – Be aware

These are a few of the woodland birds of concern in our area. Many are ground feeders and need a complex ground layer of native grasses and shrubs, leaves, and fallen timber. Different layers of vegetation are important for woodland birds, with cover of trees and shrubs for nesting and open space to feed in. Mature eucalypts as well as standing, dead trees provide nesting hollows for some species.

Brown Treecreeper A threatened species in the ACT. Brown Treecreepers need large, undisturbed woodland areas with fallen timber, stumps and dead trees for foraging and nesting. Brown Treecreepers are now found in only a few locations in the larger woodland corridors or reserves near the urban fringes. They also occur in the Naas Valley and lower elevation woodlands in Namadgi NP.	Brown Treecreeper
Hooded Robin	Hooded Robin A threatened bird in the ACT. Yellow Box/Red Gum woodland with long grass, low shrubs, & fallen logs to provide insect food is important habitat. Hooded Robins can still be found in small numbers in the large reserves such as Mulligan’s Flat and Goorooyarroo.
Varied Sittella A threatened bird in the ACT. This is usually seen in small flocks foraging around the outer branches of large trees, including dead trees. Places they can be found include the Black Mountain and Bruce Ridge woodlands and forests. Varied Sittellas can also be found in woodland reserves.	Varied Sittella
Diamond Firetail	Diamond Firetail A threatened bird in NSW and declining in ACT – on the ACT “watching brief”. This beautiful finch feeds on mostly grass seeds and needs a variety of seeding grasses over the year. There are still populations of Diamond Firetails in the Naas Valley and occasional sightings in the larger woodland reserves.
Scarlet Robin Still found in the larger reserves and woodland remnants around Canberra. They prefer denser woodland areas, especially with patches of eucalypt re-growth, and feed on insects taken in the air from a perch or from the ground. Mulligan’s Flat NR is a good place to find them.	Scarlet Robin
Jacky Winter	Jacky Winter A flycatcher-like bird which swishes its tail from side to side when it perches. Jacky Winters prefer more open woodland and edge habitats, and fly from perches to take insects in the air or on the ground. Usually found in pairs, Jacky Winters are often seen at Campbell Park woodlands and the Mulligan’s Flat/Goorooyarroo reserves.
Southern Whiteface A small ground feeding bird, usually seen in groups hopping along the ground or perched on fences. Southern Whiteface like more open woodland and paddocks, often with very short grass. The Naas Valley is an important habitat.	Southern Whiteface
Double-barred FInch	Double-barred Finch A small finch which feeds on the ground, mainly on seeds. These birds are usually in small groups, although some flocks of 20 or more do occur in favourable habitat. Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Callum Brae reserve are good places to find them.
Little Eagle The Little Eagle, about the size of a raven and one of the world’s smallest eagles, is found throughout Australia in most types of woodlands. It is a handsome and powerful raptor with a plumage of soft, subtly blending shades of brown and fully feathered legs, a feature of the eagle family. They have two distinct colour phases, a more common light phase and a less common dark sooty coloured form. Little Eagles used to be common around Canberra’s woodland nature parks and reserves, soaring and spiralling in the air as they hunted small mammals, rabbits, reptiles and large insects. Unfortunately, they have declined in numbers, due to loss of their woodland habitats, and other factors such as competition with the larger Wedge-tailed Eagle. Urban development in the Molonglo Valley threatens what are believed to be the last remaining pairs of Little Eagles in the ACT.	Little Eagle