History: The Decline
The number of helmeted honeyeaters has steadily declined during the 20th century, mainly through loss of habitat.
Populations in the Cardinia Creek area are now extinct: the last birds were seen shortly after the Ash Wednesday fires of February 1983.
As at 1990, the only population of helmeted honeyeaters was at Yellingbo. Look at the graph to see how few birds there were left at the start of the decade.
The first recovery program for this species began in 1989. The population has been monitored closely ever since. Click next to see how the population responded to the conservation efforts.