Landholders Will and Jillie Arnott work with Local Land Services to refurbish Coolah property for regent honeyeaters

Mr Arnott hasn't seen the bird on his property but Local Land Services tells him the species used to be spotted in the area.

Mr Arnott, a fourth-generation landholder, along with his wife Jillie, have teamed-up with LLS to refurbish part of their land and fence it off from both their cattle and wild invasive species, in an attempt to attract regent honeyeaters to the area.

READ ALSO: 'Very inquisitive': Residents join mission to save critically-endangered regent honeyeater

"We haven't [seen regent honeyeaters here] but supposedly previously the habitat was ripe for it," Mr Arnott told the Daily Liberal.

"Given the fact that they are rapidly declining in numbers, what the LLS is trying to do is reestablish habitat that could re-attract regent honeyeaters back into the area."

Mr and Mrs Arnott have good-quality remnant habitat on their sheep and cattle property, Coolah Creek - a priority area for regent honeyeater conservation.

They worked with Central West LLS to secure LLS funding and plan the project area, which entailed fencing around 123 hectares to ensure grazing livestock couldn't enter, and installing alternate water points for the livestock outside the fenced-off area, so they didn't damage the natural spring.

The work is designed both to protect the regent honeyeater's habitat from ground cover damage by livestock and feral animals, and improve biodiversity for many other native plants and animals.

Mr Arnott said the most challenging part of the project was working with a fencing contractor to undertake fencing in difficult terrain.

"It was quite inhospitable country - very steep ... the gradient was 45 degrees downhill," Mr Arnott said.

READ ALSO: Concerned marsh farmers rally after major bird breeding events decrease

"The ongoing challenge really is the pest and weed control. Just being able to get in there and attend to the weed problem which can be generated in there."

The fenced-off area surrounds a gorge with a natural spring and includes yellow and white box trees, which are attractive to the regent honeyeater, which is a nomadic species, and a natural pollinator, making them vital to the health of our native forests.

In the long-term, by fencing it off from their livestock, the area will also provide better habitat for frogs and other aquatic life important to the creekline.

Mr Arnott said the project compelled him and his wife to think about what else they could do on unused areas of their land to help endangered species.

"In our own little way, we're trying to encourage [the regent honeyeater] not to be endangered in the future. [We're also] thinking about what other programs there are out there in terms of how you can help in that space," he said.

"We have parts of our property underutilised and not appropriate for cattle production, so we lock up some of that land for regrowth of trees.

"From the point-of-view of rebuilding the fences, we have new fences to better control feral animals."

Mr Arnott encouraged other residents with suitable land to get involved.

IN OTHER NEWS

"It's a win-win for everybody ... You're utilising areas not utilised and there are financial rewards for you in terms of fencing, and you're helping an endangered species survive," Mr Arnott said.

LLS recently hosted a workshop at Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo where local landholders gathered to learn more about the regent honeyeater.

The zoo runs a regent honeyeater breeding program which recently had its most successful breeding season, with 41 chicks born to nine breeding pairs, up from 33 chicks from eight pairs in 2022, and bringing the total number of chicks bred at the zoo to 107 from three breeding seasons.

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app here. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens.