The black-eared miner (''Manorina melanotis'') is an endangered

honeyeater The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family (biology), family, Meliphagidae, of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes the Epthianura, Australian chats, myzomelas, friarbirds, wattlebirds, Manorina, miners and melidectes. They are ...

endemic to mallee woodland in south-eastern Australia.

Taxonomy

''Manorina melanotis'' was identified by

Francis Erasmus Wilson Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places *Rural Mu ...

in 1911. It is closely related to the much more widely distributed yellow-throated miner ''M. flavigula'', and the

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

status of the black-eared miner is the subject of some controversy, with some researchers considering it a subspecies of ''M. flavigula''.

Behaviour

Black-eared miners are

co-operative breeders Cooperative breeding is a social system characterized by alloparental care: offspring receive care not only from their parents, but also from additional group members, often called helpers. Cooperative breeding encompasses a wide variety of group s ...

, living in colonies during the breeding season, and dispersing into the bush during non-breeding periods. Little is known of their movements during these periods. In 2022, it was reported that the species had been interbreeding with the yellow-throated miner.

Distribution and habitat

IBA (Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas), identified by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

as being important for black-eared miner conservation, are areas containing relatively intact, mallee woodland in north-western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. They comprise Murray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello, the Riverland Mallee, and Wyperfeld, Big Desert and Ngarkat.

Conservation status

Black-eared miners' survival became threatened by habitat clearance to make way for agriculture, and the bird experienced competition from goats, rabbits, kangaroos, and other

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

s, which then had access to water which they had not previously had. The species was assessed as "probably Australia's rarest and most endangered bird" in 2016 by

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

John McLaughlin, while a 2018 study ranked it as the 10th bird at most risk of extinction. there remain around 200 colonies, with up to 20 birds within each colony. Interbreeding with the yellow-throated miner has affected the genetic integrity of the black-eared miner, which adds to the risk to their population. The species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List (2021.3) and under the Australian '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'', and its conservation status in several Australian states is as follows: * New South Wales: Listed as "Critically Endangered" by the '' Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW)'', as of February 2022. * South Australia: Listed as "Endangered" by the '' National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972'', as of January 2020. * Victoria: Listed as "Threatened" by the '' Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988)'', as of October 2021, and as "endangered" on the 2007 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna. Under this Act, an ''Action Statement'' for the recovery and future management of this species has been prepared.

Conservation measures

In July 2022 it was announced that AUD$125,000 has been dedicated to protect the black-eared miner. The Australian Government has provided the funding to the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board (MRLB) and their partners for the project. As part of the project, researchers will do

genetic testing Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

of birds in the 200 populations.

References

External links

BirdLife Species FactsheetPhotos and audio of black-eared miner
from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library
Recordings of black-eared miner
from Graeme Chapman's sound library
Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Species Profile and Threats Database: Manorina melanotis — Black-eared Miner (Commonwealth Documents)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q664401 black-eared miner Birds of South Australia Birds of Victoria (Australia) Endemic birds of Australia Endangered fauna of Australia black-eared miner