Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01094:body:0:p12
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01094
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 37674–40446

Alves et al. (2022) modelled 24 variables and assessed the likelihood of current occurrence of white gum outside known areas, and the likelihood of occurrence under a range of climate change scenarios. Modelling showed large areas of high probability of white gum occurrence outside known areas. For hotter and drier climate scenarios and for maximum consensus scenarios, significant gain in white gum occurrence was predicted. This information can be used to guide future habitat assessments, and inform translocation and reintroduction trials.

2.8.1 Feeding ecology
The forty-spotted pardalote is a foliage-gleaner feeding on manna, invertebrates and lerps. Manna is a sugary exudate produced by white gums in response to damage by the birds or insect attack; while lerp is the protective coat formed by foliage sap sucking psyllids (Woinarski & Bulman 1985; Case & Edworthy 2016). Manna is the key food component of the forty-spotted pardalotes' diet and during the breeding season is critical for provisioning of chicks, comprising 84.2% of the diet of young birds (Case & Edworthy 2016). The forty‑spotted pardalote is the only species known to stimulate manna production by puncturing stem tissue using a hook on the beak (Case & Edworthy 2016). The species' invertebrate prey consists mainly of insects such as beetles, flies, bugs, wasps and caterpillars, although it is also known to feed on millipedes and spiders (Woinarski & Bulman 1985; Brown 1986; Bulman et al. 1986; Higgins & Peter 2002).

2.8.2 Breeding ecology
Breeding takes place between August and January (Higgins & Peter 2002; Alves et al. 2019). Nests are built in hollows of live or dead trees, stumps of logged or fallen trees and limbs, and very occasionally in holes in the ground (Brown 1986; Bulman et al. 1986). Forty-spotted pardalotes prefer to nest in hollows with small entrances; however, in low quality habitats it is likely that birds nest in a variety of hollows (Woinarski & Bulman 1985). They build fully domed nests inside tree cavities using tree bark and grass, and use soft material such as feathers and fur to line their nests (Wall, 1966; Alves et al. 2020.) Both sexes build the nest and feed the young. The species is also known to use artificial nest boxes successfully (Edworthy 2016c).

Forty-spotted pardalotes lay 3–5 eggs (typically 4–5) and produce one to two broods per year (Edworthy 2016b; Alves et al. 2020). The incubation and nestling periods last up to 55 days in total (Edworthy et al. 2019). Nests are often re-used in successive seasons, and it is likely that pairs remain together for several years (Woinarski & Bulman 1985). Generation length is estimated at 2.1 years (range 1.6–2.6 years) (Bird et al. 2020).

Breeding attempts can fail when nests are