Malleefowl
EPBC Status: Vulnerable
SPRAT Species Profile: Leipoa ocellata — Malleefowl
Found in: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia
Threatened Species Strategy Scorecards:
Malleefowl Year 3 scorecard 2018 (PDF - 422.06 KB)
Malleefowl Year 3 scorecard 2018 (DOCX - 291.71 KB)
Year 3 Scorecard Summary (2018)
The Malleefowl is a large ground dwelling bird found in semi-arid to arid shrublands and woodlands across southern Australia. The population has declined sharply since European settlement, initially because of agricultural land clearing, altered fire regimes, introduced predators and competition with introduced herbivores, and more recently due to a long term trend of declining rainfall.
The Malleefowl has a strong multi-jurisdictional recovery team and one of the best and longest running monitoring efforts of any species in Australia. Across the country, a well-coordinated army of volunteers and professionals undertake on-ground works and annual surveys of the species’ distinctive nesting mounds. Significant interventions include improving management of remaining habitats and mitigating direct threats, particularly fire and predation from foxes, as well as the purchase, covenanting and revegetation of lands connecting Malleefowl populations by NGOs and regional NRM organisations.
These considerable research, monitoring and recovery efforts may have slowed the rate of Malleefowl decline in recent years but overall numbers continue to fall and this species will require ongoing support under changing climatic conditions.
Further information
- Threatened species strategy
- 20 birds by 2020
- 20 mammals by 2020
- 30 plants by 2020
- Three year review of progress on priority bird and mammal species
Please note that this scorecard is due for review in Year 5 of the Threatened Species Strategy (2020). If you would like to contribute information on this species please provide your contact details to ThreatenedSpeciesCommissioner@awe.gov.au
Photo credit: © Alan Danks