Noisy Miner
Yellow-throated Miner
Noisy Miner , Manorina melanocephala , Yellow-throated Miner , M . flaviguia
What do they look like ? Medium sized , nondescript , grey birds about 20 cm in length . Pale underneath with yellow-green flight feathers , easily overlooked . Noisy Miners have a dark hood that extends over the top of the head and grey rump . Yellow-throated Miners have little yellow on the throat , and a mask rather than a hood . When flying away , a pale , whitish rump is obvious .
Where do they live ? These miners occur throughout the whole region and they can live in all woodland types . Noisy Miners tend to be more coastal and suburban , whereas Yellow-throated Miners occur in the west . Most habitats are used , but they are usually uncommon except in modified environments and open woodlands .
What do they need to live , eat and breed ? Miners are honeyeaters and spend much time visiting flowers , especially eucalypts . They forage at all levels of the woodland ( or suburban garden ) for insects , nectar from flowers and small fruits . They tend to nest towards the ends of fairly low branches in smaller trees and shrubs .
When might I see ( or hear ) them ? Generally heard before being seen , they form active , noisy and aggressive groups . Most often heard in the early morning , especially around homesteads with planted trees .
What management actions affect this species ? These miners are ‘ disturbance increasers ’, uncommon in woodland habitats but common around house yards , cleared , thinned or parkland type environments . Miners are considered “ hyper-aggressive ” - they form large , aggressive groups and visually patrol their patch of bush , defending the area from other birds entering . Maintaining larger areas of diverse woody vegetation , avoiding clearing or thinning , and maintaining a mosaic of differing fire histories helps to balance miner populations .
How do they benefit the land I manage ? Once miners establish , they can severely reduce the diversity of other insect eating birds . The presence of miners has been clearly linked to poor woodland health . The reduced number of other more specialised insect eating birds means insect populations can increase unchecked , resulting in increased pest insect attack on trees , shrubs and grasses .
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