Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00635:reg:1:p7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00635
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 7/23)
Character Range: 21014–23933

habitat fragmentation resulting in the inability of regent honeyeaters to access these areas and because the areas have been colonised by larger more aggressive honeyeaters, such as the noisy miner.

3.4.4 Breeding
The timing of breeding varies between regions, and appears to correspond with the flowering of key eucalypt and mistletoe species (Franklin et al., 1989; Geering & French 1998). Breeding mostly occurs during spring and summer, from August to January (Franklin et al., 1989). While nectar flows are important for breeding, some pairs have been recorded to successfully fledge their young using insects and lerps only (Geering & French 1998).

Breeding effort, location and the timing of breeding also vary between years. While there is some fidelity to nesting sites, pairs may change breeding sites between seasons. Re‑nesting may occur after nest failure, but not necessarily in the same location (Oliver et al., 1998; Geering & French, 1998; Roderick et al., 2014). Breeding territories, which usually consists of the nest-tree and surrounding feeding areas, may extend 5-40 m or more from the nest-tree (Higgins et al., 2001).
Nests are usually placed in the canopy of mature trees with rough bark, e.g. ironbarks, sheoaks (Casuarina) and rough-barked Apple (Angophora). A cup-shaped nest is constructed in which two to three eggs are laid. Nests may be near or far from food resources; one nest has been recorded 700 m from a resource tree (Geering & French, 1998). Pairs now mostly nest solitarily, but historical records show in the past they often nested in loose aggregations.

3.4.5 Habitat
Most records of regent honeyeaters come from box-ironbark eucalypt associations, where the species seems to prefer more fertile sites with higher soil water content, including creek flats, broad river valleys and lower slopes. Other forest types regularly utilised by regent honeyeaters include wet lowland coastal forest dominated by swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta), spotted gum-ironbark associations and riverine woodlands (where it is known to feed on nectar from Amyema cambagei) (Menkhorst, 1997; Geering & French, 1998; Oliver et al., 1998; Oliver et al., 1999). This riparian habitat is also selected as breeding habitat in some years (Geering and French, 1998; Oliver et al., 1998; Oliver et al., 1999). Often this is adjacent to box-ironbark woodland. Remnant stands of timber, roadside reserves, travelling stock routes and street trees also provide important habitat for regent honeyeaters at certain times (Franklin et al., 1987, 1989; Ley & Williams, 1992; Webster & Menkhorst, 1992; Oliver, 1998).
Key tree and mistletoe species for the regent honeyeater include:

    * Mugga (or Red) Ironbark, Eucalyptus sideroxylon
    * Yellow Box, E. melliodora
    * White Box, E. albens
    * Yellow Gum, E. leucoxylon
    * Spotted Gum, Corymbia maculata
    * Swamp Mahogany, E. robusta
    *