Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01095:body:0:p20
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Character Range: 51525–54551

that may be perceived as discounting the relative importance of an area or population.

Malleefowl still occur over most of their range, and although populations tend to be sparser in areas with low or highly variable winter rainfall, this is compensated by these areas being extensive. Conversely, Malleefowl densities are highest in remnants of habitat within the wheatbelts, but these areas are usually small and fragmented and will require intensive management in the long term to retain the species.
3.4.6 Habitat critical to survival
The Malleefowl's extensive distribution encompasses a variety of climatic conditions and geomorphological and biological features and systems. Malleefowl habitat consequently varies across the distribution, is incompletely known and has low certainty.  Malleefowl habitat has been described for some locations within the distribution, but these present an incomplete understanding of the habitats likely to be critical to the survival of the Malleefowl.

The Malleefowl is found principally in the semi-arid to arid zone in shrublands and low woodlands dominated by mallee (Frith 1962a, Frith 1962b) and associated habitats such as broombush (Melaleuca uncinata complex (Woinarski 1989b, Woinarski 1989a)) and Scrub Pine (Callitris verrucosa). Malleefowl also occur in red Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) woodland at the eastern limit of their distribution (Korn 1989) and in brown stringybark (E. baxteri/E. arenacea) woodland in the south of Vic and SA. In WA they are also found in some shrublands dominated by Acacia and occasionally in woodlands dominated by eucalypts such as wandoo (E. wandoo), marri (Corymbia calophylla) and mallet (E. astringens) (Storr 1985b; Storr 1985a; Storr 1986; Storr 1987; Storr & Johnstone 1988; Benshemesh et al. 2008; Parsons 2008a; Parsons 2008b).

In central Australia, Malleefowl occurred through large areas of mulga (Acacia aneura) (Frith 1962a; Kimber 1985). Mulga has been split into numerous species, and of those in the Aṉangu -Pitjantjatjara-Yankunytjatjara Lands (APYL) the Malleefowl seem to prefer the smaller desert mulga (A. minyura) (G Wikilyiri pers. comm. cited in Benshemesh 2007b; R Kankanpakantja pers. comm. cited in Benshemesh 2007b; J Benshemesh pers obs.). Of the four sites at which the ranging of Malleefowl has been studied in desert mulga in the APYL in the north-eastern Great Victoria Desert, the birds foraged in adjacent sandplain areas (Benshemesh 1997) where foods were more common. Malleefowl also occur in denser mallee, red mallee (E. socialis), sharp-cap mallee (E. oxymitra), and blue mallee (E. gamophylla), although by southern standards these habitats are very open. Typically, these mallee areas have an understorey of hard spinifex (Triodia basedowii) or other Triodia species, and shrub thickets on the ridges where umbrella bush (A. ligulata) and other seed-bearing shrubs are often common.

The habitat requirements of Malleefowl anywhere in Australia are poorly understood and have as yet received