Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287:reg:3:p150
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 150/276)
Character Range: 576405–579420

no longer thought to persist on the island.

Relevant literature
Bell BD (1990) The status and management of the White-breasted White-eye and other birds of Norfolk Island. Unpublished report to the Australian Nature Conservation Agency.
Christian M (2005) Norfolk Island…the birds. Green Eyes Publications, Norfolk Island.
Clarke RH, Dutson G, Olsen P & Garnett ST (2021) White-chested White-eye Zosterops albogularis, in ST Garnett & GB Baker (eds), The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. pp. 762–763.
Garnett ST & Baker GB (2021) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Garnett ST & Crowley GM (2000) The Action Plan for Australian Birds. Environment Australia.
Garnett ST, Szabo J & Dutson G (2011) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Robinson D (1988) Ecology and Management of the Scarlet Robin, White-breasted White-eye, and Long-billed White-eye of Norfolk Island. Consultants' report to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra.
Schodde R, Fullagar P & Hermes N (1983) A review of Norfolk Island birds past and present (Special Publication No. 8). Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra.

Zosterops tenuirostris—slender-billed white-eye

Conservation significance
Endemic to Norfolk Island.
EPBC Act Listing Status: None.
Non-statutory Listing Status: Described as Vulnerable in the Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020 (Garnett & Baker 2021).

Distribution and abundance
A moderately abundant species originally derived from the Australian silvereye (Zosterops lateralis). A survey in 2009 estimated there were 4030 individuals (95% CI 2550–6360) in the national park (Dutson 2013). A later survey in 2016 confirmed there to be little change (Director of National Parks unpublished).
This species has gradually disappeared from all parts of the island that have been extensively cleared, a decline that has probably been exacerbated by the arrival of the black rat (Robinson 1997). It is now largely confined to the national park, with birds observed outside of the national park thought to be dispersing individuals.

Ecology
Slender-billed white-eyes forage in small groups and appear to have a different ecological niche to the self-introduced silvereye (Robinson 1988). They have a long down-curved bill and use it to probe fissures in bark for insects. They also eat fruit, including introduced species such as the red guava, with the white-eye likely to disperse its seeds.

Habitat
Slender-billed white-eyes occur primarily in rainforest, rainforest remnants, and tall secondary forest, avoiding lower thickets and garden and forest edges (Schodde et al. 1983).

Threats
The main threat to the species is predation from black rats. Predation by cats and degradation and loss of habitat are additional threats (Nance et al. 2021c). This species has probably managed to survive due to its habit of fast movement and remote nest construction on slender branches