The Importance of Remnant Vegetation to the Blue Bonnet in North-western Victoria

Abstract

Bird censuses throughout the Mallee Region (1984-88) revealed that the Blue Bonnet Nonhiella haematogaster occurs mainly in remnants of mallee in the otherwise cleared agricultural land of northwestern Victoria. The long-term ability of these mallee remnants to support the Blue Bonnet is uncertain. Concern is also expressed about possible competition for nesting hollows between the introduced Common Starling Stumus vulgaris and the Blue Bonnet.