When fire threatened the South East Forest National Park during the summer bushfires, National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) firefighters successfully held it back, protecting the cool temperate Goodenia Rainforest.
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Located near Merimbula, Goodenia Rainforest is home to a variety of wildlife, including the whip bird and superb lyrebird. Covered by a dense lilly pilly canopy, its a place where gullies of ferns and understory thrive.
However, other rainforests didn't fare as well. When the megafires reached North-East NSW the heritage listed Gondwanan rainforest lost 50% of its habitat. According to a study from the Centre for Ecosystem Science at the University of NSW, the fires continue to impact bird populations vital to rainforest regeneration in areas of Gondwanan Rainforest.
The study found the most affected rainforest birds were species that eat insects, leaves or fruit. Of particular concern were fruit-eating birds such as the wompoo fruit-dove and paradise riflebird, that have significant roles in rainforest regeneration. Without these species, rainforest regeneration is slower as less seeds are eaten and dispersed.
Closer to home, a spokesperson from the National Parks and Wildlife Service said "while there are no researchers working specifically on Goodenia's bird population, we continue to observe a range of diverse bird species such as the Rufous Fan-tail, Lyrebirds, Parrots, fruit doves and large forest owls".
"Anecdotally the rainforest bird population may have increased since the fires as the unburnt forest would have acted as a refuge area for these and other species," they said.
The Goodenia Rainforest Area is currently open and visitors can walk the 1.2km loop track through the gullies and across stream to hear and maybe catch a glimpse of these birds.
