Current and Past Status of the Birds of Chiltern - a Box-Ironbark Forest in North-eastern Victoria

The current and past status of birds is described from a box-ironbark forest and its immediate surrounds at Chiltem in north-eastern Victoria. The a rea is exceptionally rich in birds with 220 tax a being recorded from the district in historical times . Current observations and prev i ously published observations indicate that at least seven species have become extinct since European settlement of the area . Eleven other species have declined and, if current trends continue, these species will soon become extinct in the study area . Only one native species has definitely increased in abundance since European settlement of the area ; two o thers show recent increases which follow pos s ible earlier declines .