Threats
The potential threats to the White-winged Fairy-wren (Dirk Hartog Island) are habitat loss and degradation, and predation by introduced mammals. The White-winged Fairy-wren (Dirk Hartog Island) has persisted on Dirk Hartog Island despite the introduction of sheep, goats, house mice and cats; occasional extensive fires; and intensive grazing by sheep at the southern end of the island. This indicates that although these threats may have had some impact on the White-winged Fairy-wren (Dirk Hartog Island) population, their impact has not been sufficient to cause the extinction of the subspecies. However, Dirk Hartog Island is currently free of rats, which are known to have caused the extinction of other island-dwelling birds. Rats, should they be introduced to Dirk Hartog Island in the future, could potentially have a devastating effect on the White-winged Fairy-wren (Dirk Hartog Island) population (Garnett & Crowley 2000).
The White-winged Fairy-wren (Dirk Hartog Island) is also vulnerable to catastrophic events. This is because the entire population occurs over a small area (about 200 km²) on a narrow island with uniform habitat (Garnett & Crowley 2000). The likelihood and potential impact of a catastrophic event is difficult to predict. However, it is unlikely that a single extensive fire, which is perhaps the most probable catastrophic event, could affect the entire island (Garnett 1993). (Source)