The range of the Little Wattlebird is said to have been shaped by fashion. Before the 1970s, Australian suburban gardens were dominated by exotic trees, shrubs and flowers, providing little food for native birds. In the 1970s, the elms, rhododendrons, roses and gladioli had gone out of fashion, and were replaced by native trees and shrubs which provided bounteous nectar-laden flowers, and shelter among spiky foliage. This coincided with the invasion by Little Wattlebirds into the suburbs of various cities, where they have remained and flourished.
