The Black-eared Miner used to be very common in the extensive mallee of inland eastern Australia, but is now very rare and endangered because of land clearing, over-grazing, and habitat fragmentation. It is only found in two or three locations now, plus a handful more where it has been reintroduced. The chief danger is genetic swamping by the closely related and widespread Yellow-throated Miner, which is favoured by fragmentation of remaining mallee, too-frequent fires, and provision of surface water for stock.
Alas, although it is very rare and thus an excellent tick in your book, it looks much the same as the unlovely YTM and sounds exctly like the invasive and heartily disliked Noisy Miner, so seeing one isn't the thrill it might otherwise be. Isn't it curious that two of these three very closely related honeyeaters have done very well out of human habitat change, to the point where the NM has to be culled to try to protect other birds it displaces, yet the BEM has done so poorly?
New to the database.
