The 2024 baseline condition assessment of the Woodland Bird Asset within Poonunda Station’s Asset Area revealed several significant findings. The overall Econd® score for the asset is 31, with individual Assessment Units classified as “Moderately Degraded” (scoring 26) and “Quality Bushland” (scoring 38). Individual survey site Econd® scores ranged from 8 to 56, with Site QUAL04 standing out as the highest-scoring site. This site recorded 12 bird species, including nine small-bodied native species.

Two species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act were observed during the survey: the Endangered Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata cucullata) at Sites QUAL08 and MDGD08, and the Vulnerable Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis) at Site MDGD04. Additionally, four species listed as Rare in South Australia were recorded: the Hooded Robin, White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos), south-eastern Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans fascinans), and Chestnut Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma castanotum). Sixteen regionally rare and uncommon species were also recorded, including the Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula ornata), Redthroat (Pyrrholaemus brunneus), Southern Whiteface, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Hooded Robin, and Jacky Winter.

The Endangered ecological community known as the Mallee Bird Community of the Murray Darling Depression Bioregion was confirmed to be present within the Environmental Account Area. Based on the Approved Conservation Advice for this Threatened Ecological Community (TEC), one “mallee specialist” species, the Chestnut Quail-thrush, along with two “mallee dependent” species, were recorded, qualifying this community in “Category B” (highest quality) condition. Site-specific assessments indicate that this community is present in high quality at Site QUAL04.

A total of 40 native bird species, including 24 small-bodied species, were recorded during the formal survey. Additionally, nine other bird species were observed by the surveyor (Daniel Hanisch) outside of the formal survey or were reported by the landholders. This brings the informal count to 49 species, just five fewer than those documented in the Management Plan for the nearby Redbanks Conservation Park, a well-known birding site. Given that the survey focused only on woodland areas, it is likely that additional bird species would be observed if surveys were expanded to include the chenopod plains in the east of the property and areas near water holes.