fire in Bookmark BR towards the end of 2006 burnt 115,000 ha of the Black-eared Miner’s mallee habitat. The fire reduced the bird’s habitat to a third of the original area, however, it also created a natural extinguisher for the unburnt areas. The present ability of the habitat to put off fires has certainly led to a drop in the number of wildfires, however, this has led to a reduction in the habitat area for the species (Threatened Species, 2005, para. 4).
The final threat to the survival of M. melanotis is climate change. The species is thought to be easily affected by variations in climatic conditions with long periods of drought hindering breeding and long rains promoting breeding. Harsh climatic conditions have altered specific parts of Australia that were previously inhabited by the Black-eared Miner in such a way that these regions can no longer sustain viable populations. In developing a recovery plan, all these threats must be taken into consideration, the plan must design ways of abating or reversing the threats.
