The Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis is classified as Endangered under the Commmonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Black-eared Miner formerly occurred in the "Murray Mallee" region of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, but is now absent from much of its range. Few birds remain in Victoria and New South Wales, with most colonies now confined to the Bookmark - Gluepot mallee area to the North-East of Waikerie in South Australia. The main reasons for decline are clearing and habitat fragmentation, hybridisation with Yellow-throated Miners, and bushfires. An intensive Recovery Program is under way to conserve the species.

The Black-eared Miner's current distribution is much reduced with over 95% of presently known colonies occurring in the Bookmark - Gluepot area. The only recent records from NSW are of about five hybrid colonies. In Victoria there are six widely dispersed colonies of hybrid birds. In SA there are over 200 known colonies in the Bookmark - Gluepot area and one near Murray Bridge.
The Black-eared Miner inhabits shallow-sand Mallee and chenopod Mallee, vegetation associations that are dominated by multi-stemmed "mallee" eucalypt species, usually in association with a ground layer dominated by either Spinifex grass, saltbush/bluebush shrubs or twinleaf shrubs. Black-eared Miners occur predominantly in old-growth habitats that have not been burnt for at least 50 years. Within large areas of contiguous mallee in Bookmark - Gluepot, sites with highest quality colonies of Black-eared Miners are more than 5 km from dams and man-made clearings. In contrast, all known Yellow-throated Miner colonies in the same area have been located within 2 km of permanent water and man-made clearings.

The Black-eared Miner is colonial, with each colony typically containing several breeding pairs whose nests may be as little as 15 m apart. When breeding, the species is co-operative with up to 12 juvenile and adult non-breeding individuals (helpers) assisting at a nest. Larger colonies contain several well-defined social units. However, the colony still functions as a whole to repel potential predators and other undesirable intruders. Breeding colonies in the Bookmark - Gluepot region contain an average of 18.4 individuals (range 8-40+). All colonies in Victoria that have contained Black-eared Miners in recent times have also contained hybrid birds. Colony quality in South Australia is much higher with 38% of 87 ranked colonies consisting of exclusively or mainly pure Black-eared Miners.
When breeding, adults typically forage short distances from the nest. When not breeding birds move as groups over greater distances to forage.
The Black-eared Miner is monogamous and pairs appear to remain together for life. Breeding males within a colony are close relatives, whereas females, the dispersing sex, are not. Black-eared Miners are opportunistic breeders, breeding only when conditions are suitable. Nests have been found in all months, however breeding typically extends from September to December. Breeding appears to be linked to rainfall events during mild to warm seasons.
The Black-eared Miner eats mainly invertebrates and lerp, obtained by gleaning and probing decorticating bark, limbs and twigs of eucalypts and gleaning from foliage. Nectar is also taken.

Black-eared Miners were once considered common or locally common within their mallee habitat prior to 1940. However, there are few recent records in Victoria and NSW. In SA the species was considered nearly extinct by the early-1990s. However, following sightings of hybrid miners in the extensive mallee habitat of the Bookmark area, surveys were conducted in this region in 1996 which resulted in over 80 sightings of miners. Over 200 colonies are now known from this area. Although many contain hybrids, over a third of colonies contain mainly phenotypically pure Black-eared Miners.
A major factor in the decline of the Black-eared Miner is the loss and modification of suitable habitat. In Victoria, the most fertile dunefields that were important to the species have been selectively cleared for wheat production. Conservation reserves in the Victorian Mallee substantially under-represent the vegetation of fertile soils.
Clearance of vegetation has also favoured a range expansion of the Yellow-throated Miner which prefers open habitat. Once infrequently occurring in open woodland, the Yellow-throated Miner is now abundant and commonly recorded occupying shelter belts and roadside vegetation.
Black-eared Miners were rapidly eliminated from remant vegetation due to a combination of competition, introgressive hybridisation and/or reduced population viability. Fire has also been of detrimental effect as Black-eared Miners prefer mallee vegetation that has not been burnt for at least 50 years, and habitats of this age possessing suitable structural characteristics are now uncommon throughout the historical distribution area of the Black-eared Miner.

Over the past four years, the recovery effort for the Black-eared Miner has effectively defined the species' distribution, critical habitat requirements, social organisation, breeding biology and threats. Essentially only a single viable population of the species remains, facing serious risk of extinction was a large wildfire event to occur and from continued gradual genetic hybridisation with Yellow-throated Miners.
Fire management plans have been developed for many properties concerned. Risk management against fire is managed through maintenance of captive populations of Black-eared Miners, and translocation of colonies directly from the wild into areas of suitable habitat in Victoria. The first 4 trial translocations conducted in late 2000 have exceeded all expectations in terms of initial survival, colony cohesion and reproduction at their new sites. It is proposed to continue the translocation program, while simultaneously removing individual Yellow-throated Miners from Black-eared Miner colonies, removing Yellow-throated Miner colonies from within and immediately adjacent to core Black-eared Miner habitat, and closing artificial watering points (dams) that may encourage / support Yellow-throated Miner colonies within core Black-eared Miner habitat (and replacement of dams with enclosed tanks where necessary for fire fighting purposes).