Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00006:reg:3:p16
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00006
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 16/58)
Character Range: 45884–48758

grass, bark, sedges or reeds, and sometimes leaves (McNamara 1946; Chaffer 1954; Holmes 1989, Higgins & Peter 2002; Booth 2009). The nest is generally constructed at 10 to 45 cm above the ground in low dense vegetation, in grass tussocks, sedges, ferns and shrubs (Campbell 1900; McNamara 1946; Holmes 1989; Chapman 1999; Baker 2000; Higgins & Peter 2002). Occasionally, nests are built in lower branches of shrubs (Holmes 1998).

 Birds in the northern population nest in large living grass tussocks, in clearings not shaded by trees (J. Young unpublished data). In north-eastern NSW in the 2009 breeding season, most nests were located in Poa sp. tussocks, even where other tussock grass species were present (J. Young unpublished data). In previous
 studies nesting has been observed most frequently in Sorghum leiocladum, and less often in Poa sieberiana, P. labillardierei and Cenchrus purpurascens (Holmes 1989; Chapman 1999). Birds in the central population nest in grasses, in sedges such as Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus, Gahnia spp. and Lepidosperma laterale, and in the rush Leptocarpus tenax (McNamara 1946; Chaffer 1954; Baker 2000; Higgins & Peter 2002). There are no nest data for Howe Flat or Nadgee NR (L Evans & M Bramwell pers. comm. 2010 cited in OEH 2012).

 Eastern Bristlebirds usually lay one clutch, consisting of one to two eggs
 (Campbell 1900; Chaffer 1954; Holmes 1989; Higgins & Peter 2002). The eggs are creamy-white and speckled with brownish or greyish spots, darker at the blunt end (McNamara 1946; Chaffer 1954; Booth 2009). The eggs are incubated by the female (Booth 2009), for a period of at least three weeks (Chaffer 1954). The nestlings are fed by both parents (Chapman 1999) during the nestling period of at least 16 days (Chapman 1999; Higgins & Peter 2002). It is thought that pairs probably rear only one brood per season, and that usually only one young is fledged per successful breeding attempt (Chaffer 1954; Holmes 1989, 1998; Baker 1998).

 Field studies in south east Queensland have identified that birds can re-clutch following the failure of a first nesting attempt, and in captivity re-laying has occurred in four cases after an average of 17 days since egg removal (Booth 2009). Breeding failure is common. Nest and/or chick desertion is known to occur after human

           interference (Chaffer 1954; Hartley & Kikkawa 1994), and may also occur after other disturbances such as intrusion by potential predators or storm damage. Hartley and Kikkawa (1994) suggested that drought may impact heavily on Eastern Bristlebird breeding through a reduction in invertebrates suitable for feeding nestlings.

           Eastern Bristlebirds raised in captivity reach sexual maturity at approximately 317 days (Booth 2009). Generation length for the species is estimated at 3.8 years (Bird et al. 2020).

           Eastern