Forty-spotted Pardalote

1. Black wings with rows of small, distinct white spots (usually more than forty)

2. Subdued olive-green upperparts and yellowish face and rump in adults (juveniles lack yellow face)

3. Soft, quiet call of one or two notes, often described as “where… where, where…”, much less conspicuous than other pardalote species

The Forty-spotted Pardalote is highly specialized, feeding mainly on manna (a sugary exudate from white gums), lerps, and small arthropods. It is the only Australian bird known to deliberately stimulate manna production by clipping leaf stalks-a behaviour called “mining”. Breeding occurs from August to December, with pairs nesting in small hollows or crevices of mature trees, logs, or stumps, typically 2–38 meters above ground. Both parents build the nest and feed the young, with 4–5 eggs per clutch and a fledging period of about 25 days. The species is threatened by habitat loss from land clearing, competition with other birds, predation, drought, and parasitism by native flies and introduced predators. With fewer than 1,5 individuals remaining, the Forty-spotted Pardalote is a flagship for Tasmanian conservation efforts. Its decline is directly linked to the loss of mature white gum forests, and ongoing conservation work includes habitat protection, nest box installation, and replanting of white gums.

The Forty-spotted Pardalote is confined to dry eucalypt forests and woodlands of southeastern Tasmania, with 99% of the population on Bruny Island and Maria Island. Small, scattered colonies also persist on mainland Tasmania and Flinders Island. The species is almost exclusively found in areas with mature white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis), as it depends on these trees for both food and nesting hollows. Look for them high in the canopy, often in pairs or small groups, where their subtle plumage blends with the foliage.