Bird Populations in Pine Plantations and Native Forest in Gippsland, Victoria

Abstract

Bird populations were counted in three differently aged pine plantations and one area of native eucalypt forest in Central Gippsland, Victoria, The native forest area supported more species than all three pine study areas combined but was found to vary significantly only from 17-year-old pine. Of the pine study areas the oldest plantation showed the highest bird populations and diversity, Ground and understorey insectivores and some seed-eating birds were favoured in the pine plantations and canopy, bole-feeding and nectarivorous birds were rare or absent