Bird communities in remnant woodland on the upper North-west Slopes of New South Wales

Abstract

Bird counts were conducted in woodland remnants of the upper North-west Slopes of New South Wales, an ornithologically little-documented area, in 1995 and 1997. A total of 120 woodland species, including 11 threatened species, was recorded in the area below 900 m elevation, from a point 100 km NNW of Armidale northwards 50 km to the Dumaresq River, thence 50 km north-west across Slopes woodland to the river at Texas (Queensland). Woodland patches >300 ha supported significantly more species than those <100 ha. Threatened and other declining species occurred mainly in large patches, although some also occurred commonly in small riverine or otherwise fertile patches; foraging guilds of small to medium sized, ground and above-ground insectivores were under-represented in small remnants. The conservation values of woodland remnants on the upper North-west Slopes are similar to those on the tablelands and inland slopes farther south, and require appropriate management to maintain avian diversity.