Help us find the Orange-bellied Parrot

Autumn is here, and with that the start of preparations for the Orange-bellied Parrot winter surveys. First, an update on the latest recovery efforts.

In early February, seven captive-bred juvenile OBPs were released in Tasmania. This is the second time that an autumn release has taken place in their breeding habitat in Melaleuca. Of the fifteen juvenile birds released in the first trial last year, four have successfully migrated across the Bass Strait twice and returned to Melaleuca. This has been a positive result, and hopefully this year’s cohort will be just as successful.

Volunteers searching for Orange-bellied Parrots near Tyrendarra

Mainland release trials will be repeated this year. The aim of these trials is to create a flock of OBPs in suitable winter habitat to attract the wild birds if and when they arrive from their long migration from Tasmania. Larger flocks in winter habitat will hopefully increase the survival rate of the migrating wild birds, and their potential to successfully return to their Tasmanian habitat for another breeding season.

Nature Glenelg Trust is coordinating winter surveys for the fourth year. We are also participating in habitat assessments and seed collecting in south west Victoria as part of new emergency recovery strategies – so there are plenty of opportunities for people to come and help us!

If you are interested in spending some time along the beautiful coastline between Portland and Peterborough and searching for OBPs during the official count weekends, the dates are as follows:

18th & 19th of May
27th & 28th of July
14th & 15th of September

We are also running a free OBP Workshop on the 11th of May in Koroit. You don’t need prior experience to do OBP surveys, but coming along to the workshop certainly helps develop your skills. The workshop includes an update on the OBP recovery efforts, a refresher on Neophema parrot identification skills and a field walk where we will visit a former OBP hot spot, and hopefully find some Neophema parrots to practice our identification skills.

Please contact Nicole if you are available to help out with any of the survey weekends, are interested in the workshop, or would like to participate in any other OBP related activities planned for this winter.

The OBP winter monitoring program in south west Victoria is undertaken by Nature Glenelg Trust in close partnership with BirdLife Australia and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. This project is supported by Glenelg Hopkins CMA and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Nicole Mojonnier