Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775:reg:18:p118
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 18 (pt 118/152)
Character Range: 364814–367751

decreased occupancy of inland sites (and increased occupancy of coastal sites) during drought conditions (Shephard et al. 2005a). The White-bellied Sea-Eagle breeds in solitary and monogamous pairs that mate for life. However, if one member of the pair dies, it is quickly replaced (Marchant and Higgins 1993). The breeding season extends from June to January (or sometimes February) in southern Australia, but begins one or two months earlier in northern Australia, for example, eggs are laid from June to September (or sometimes later) in southern Australia, and from May to August in northern Australia (Bilney & Emison 1983; Marchant and Higgins 1993). The nest is a large structure composed of sticks and lined with leaves, grass or seaweed (Marchant and Higgins 1993). Nests may be built in a variety of sites including tall trees (especially Eucalyptus species), bushes, mangroves, cliffs, rocky outcrops, caves, crevices, on the ground or even on artificial structures (Abbott 1982; Bilney and Emison 1983; Cupper and Cupper 1981; Emison and Bilney 1982; Marchant and Higgins 1993). Pairs usually return to the same breeding territory each year, and often the same nest, although territories tend to contain one or two additional, less developed nests (Marchant and Higgins 1993). Breeding pairs tend to be widely dispersed and are generally separated by distances of several kilometres or more (Marchant and Higgins 1993), though on offshore islands pairs may be located quite close together. The White-bellied Sea-Eagle feeds opportunistically on a variety of fish, birds, reptiles, mammals and crustaceans, and on carrion and offal (del Hoyo et al. 1994; Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001; Marchant and Higgins 1993; Rose 2001).

Population Estimates and Trends
The population size in south-eastern Australia alone is estimated to number
410–430 pairs, based on the most recent estimates for Victoria (100 pairs), Tasmania (200–220 pairs) (Olsen 1995) and South Australia (55 pairs, figure based on a total of 55 occupied territories) (Dennis & Lashmar 1996). Declines in local populations have been recorded in NSW (Bell 1983; Lindsey 1986; Marchant and Higgins 1993), Victoria (Bilney and Emison 1983; Quinn 1969), Tasmania and South Australia (Dennis and Lashmar 1996). The sea-eagle was formerly 'found in good numbers along the Murray River' (Hobbs 1961) but is now rarely recorded in the Sunraysia district or in the adjacent districts of south-western NSW (Hayward and MacFarlane 1971; Lindsey 1986).

Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds 157
Species profiles

In South Australia, where a statewide survey has been conducted, it is estimated that the population may have declined by more than 40%, based on a comparison between contemporary and historical records (Dennis and Lashmar 1996). Conversely, populations in the northern and remote tropical regions of Australia appear to be stable (Dennis and Lashmar