This Guide is designed to assist landholders to recognise animal species that may be indicators of habitat ‘health’ on their properties. Such species provide examples of ‘Focal Species’, animals or plants which are useful targets for conservation actions because their requirements reflect those of many other associated species. Birds are often selected as Focal Species because they are quite mobile and relatively easy to see and identify. Are any of these species resident on your own or your neighbouring property? Can Which part of the environment they use? Do they only pass through on their way to somewhere else? How can your conservation measures enhance the habitat for these species? How might you record and report important fauna sightings? Increased sightings or breeding records are great indicators of whether your efforts at habitat enhancement have been successful. This Guide has been arranged according to the main habitat type in which the animal occurs. However, as animals may use different parts of the landscape throughout their lives, measures to attract or retain a species may require attention to the restoration or management of more than one habitat.

Fauna species by favoured Habitat type

Stony Knolls - Rocky low rises in Grassland with shrubs and small trees

White-fronted Chat | Yellow-rumped Thornbill | Fat-tailed Dunnart | Large Striped Skink | Bougainville's Skink

Grassland & Paddocks - Almost treeless plains, dominated by native grasses. Paddocks with exotic pasture remain suitable for some animals

Lined Earless Dragon | Red-chested Button Quail | Brown Songlark | Flame Robin | Golden Sun-moth

Woodland - Mainly Redgum, open woodland over a grassy groundstorey

Southern Boobook | Rufous Whistler | Rufous Songlark | Imperial Hairstreak Butterfly | Sacred Kingfisher

Streambank & Wetland - Semi-aquatic and aquatic vegetation and associated streambank shrubland

Red-browed Finch | Growling Grass Frog

Wide-ranging Species

Echidna | Superb Blue Wren

 

Acknowledgements

This guide has been produced by Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) for the Merriang District Landcare Group (MDLG) under the Merriang Local Area Biodiversity Plan.

Text by Brian Bainbridge. Parts of the text have been reproduced with permission from ‘A Wildlife Guide for Landholders in the foothills and upper regions of the Goulburn Broken Catchment’

The assistance of Mark Doyle (Dept. of Sustainability & Environment), Debbie Colbourne, (DSE), Kate Looker (MDLG), Geoff Heard and staff at MCMC is also acknowledged.

Photo Credits

Pictures have been provided by;

Merri Creek Management Committee Cover
Geoff Heard. Growling Grass Frog (Donnybrook)
Freya McGregor Echidna (Mt Lonarch)
Lucinda Gibson Golden Sun-moth female (Epping)
Brian Bainbridge Golden Sun-moth male (Epping) , Imperial Hairstreak Butterfly (Wallan)

Further Reading

The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds Revised Ed. 2006 New Holland Publishing

Melbourne’s Wildlife 2006 Museum Victoria and CSIRO Publishing.

A Wildlife Guide for Landholders in the foothills and upper regions of the Goulburn Broken Catchment 2004 Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority

Australian Butterflies, Snakes, Frogs, Mammals and Lizards on the Web - The Victorian Fauna. http://museumsvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics