Strategic management of a widespread native interference competitor

Abstract

Implementing evidence-based strategies to manage pest species is critical to limit global extinctions. The overabundance of a hyperaggressive native songbird—the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala—has emerged as a broad-scale conservation issue in eastern Australia. However, a strategic noisy miner management plan does not currently exist at state or national levels. Citizen science data indicate noisy miner populations continue to expand and/or increase in most areas. The negative impacts of noisy miner overabundance on the abundance and diversity of co-occurring bird populations and the broader health of woodland, coastal forest, and urban ecosystems have probably been underestimated and may well exacerbate in the future. Failing to manage noisy miner overabundance will jeopardize Australia's ability to achieve its biodiversity commitments through the Nature Repair Market. We synthesize evidence from attempts to manage noisy miners through culling and habitat restoration and use this evidence to develop a conceptual framework for managing noisy miner overabundance in diverse landscapes. There is some evidence that culling and habitat restoration may mitigate noisy miner overabundance, but inconsistent management and short-term monitoring approaches mean key knowledge gaps persist regarding how and where reducing noisy miner overabundance can most benefit biodiversity. To avoid further declines and potential extinctions of the most at-risk species, targeted noisy miner management is urgently needed. By implementing strategic management and standardized, long-term monitoring, maximum inference can be gained to refine approaches over time.