Black-eared Miner

The black-eared miner (Manorina melanotis) is an endangered honeyeater endemic to mallee woodland in south-eastern Australia. == Taxonomy == Manorina melanotis was identified by Francis Erasmus Wilson in 1911. It is closely related to the much more widely distributed yellow-throated miner M. flavigula, and the taxonomic status of the black-eared miner is the subject of some controversy, with some researchers considering it a subspecies of M. flavigula. == Behaviour == Black-eared miners are co-operative breeders, living in colonies during the breeding season, and dispersing into the bush during non-breeding periods. Little is known of their movements during these periods. In 2022, it was reported that the species had been interbreeding with the yellow-throated miner. == Distribution and habitat == IBA (Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas), identified by BirdLife International as being important for black-eared miner conservation, are areas containing relatively intact, mallee woodland in north-western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. They comprise Murray-Sunset, Hattah and Annuello, the Riverland Mallee, and Wyperfeld, Big Desert and Ngarkat. == Conservation status == Black-eared miners' survival became threatened by habitat clearance to make way for agriculture, and the bird experienced competition from feral goats, European rabbits, kangaroos, and other large herbivores, which then had…